HEARTLAND MOTORSPORTS PARK

Heartland Motorsports Park has been a staple in Topeka for over 30 years and entertains thousands of people in our community annually.

The event they’re most known for is the NHRA Nationals, which has garnered Heartland Motorsports Park the nickname “House of Speed.” Heartland Motorsports Park is next door to the national headquarters of Sports Car Club of America, which often hosts races at the park’s facilities.

History Of Heartland

“Construction on Heartland Motorsports Park took more than a year, and on Aug. 11, 1989, four years after a motorsport facility was proposed in Topeka, the track hosted its first race, the Camel Grand Prix. Built at the cost of $22 million, Heartland Motorsports Park has been hosting recordsetting performances since the doors opened over 30 years ago. Since 2016, the updates and renovations done to the facility have been tremendous.”

Learn more at HeartlandMotorsports. us

FAST FACTS:

Heartland Motorsports Park has a variety of tracks for racers:

• Drag Strip

• Road Course

• Autocross

• Moto X

Interesting

FACT:

Famous Topeka stunt racer

Joie Chitwood would race

7 times at the Indianapolis 500 in the 1940s. In 1950, he began to learn stunt driving for the Clark Gable/ Barbara Stanwyck movie “To Please a Lady.” This film launched his popularity to new heights and allowed him to create the Joie Chitwood Auto Thrill stunt show. This show would go on to inspire young Robert Knievel. Knievel would recount how he went home after watching the Joie Chitwood stunt show, put ramps up and tried to jump his bike, getting hooked on a sport that would define his life.

Get Your Motor Running

Evel Knievel Museum

Explore the world’s largest collection of Evel Knievel performance leathers, jump bikes and memorabilia at Topeka’s Evel Knievel Museum, next to the city’s Historic Harley-Davidson®! Not only can visitors view authentic artifacts from Knievel’s time in the limelight, but this specially curated museum features interactive exhibits, allowing guests to learn about the physics of Knievel’s jumps, the broken bones he sustained, the engines on his signature bikes, and much more. Step into Knievel’s Mack truck for a trip back in time, and don’t miss the fan favorite: a virtual reality jump that puts you in the driver’s seat! Visit EvelKnievelMuseum.com to start planning your trip today.

HISTORIC HARLEYDAVIDSON® OF TOPEKA

In 1999, Topeka Harley-Davidson® marked 50 years in business — and the local staple has grown everstronger since. The Topeka store is for both Harley-Davidson® dealers and riders, offering the best in new and pre-owned bikes. Its current location features a restaurant, Henry’s Grill, and the Yesterday’s Motorcycle Museum, where visitors can view up to 30 different and rare HarleyDavidsons® on display. Housed in the lower level of Topeka HarleyDavidson®, the museum boasts a number of photographs, tools and collectibles detailing HarleyDavidson’s® expansive history. Admission to the museum is free, and tours are self-guided. Visit anytime during regular business hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.

DID YOU KNOW?

Young Robert Knievel was arrested often for stealing hubcaps, motorcycles, and at age 13, a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. His run-ins with the law led the police to give him the nickname “Evil Knievel.” He later modified that to “Evel” and took it as his legal name.

CATCH EVEL:

Tuesday - Friday, 10am to 4pm. Saturday, 9am to 5pm.

70TH ANNIVERSARY: THE FUTURE OF BROWN v BOARD

2024 marks the 70th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court case outlawing school segregation across the United States. This victory was decades in the making. Parents, attorneys, activists, students and more worked tirelessly to advance the cause of justice.

In 2022, President Biden signed the Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park Expansion and Redesignation Act into law. The law adds two school sites in South Carolina to the historical park, and designates schools in Delaware, Virginia and the District of Columbia as affiliated areas of the NPS Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site in Topeka, Kansas.

The bill also adds one acre of land adjacent to the current Topeka site for museum use.