Will Heartland Motorsports Park remain a race track?

Related video: The video above originally aired on Wednesday, July 24.

TOPEKA (KSNT) – With the auction for Heartland Motorsports Park suddenly over, many are wondering who will own the racetrack and what will happen to it.

27 News, Working for You, is continuing to follow this story and consulting multiple sources to get the latest information on the fate of the park. Check out the story below for the latest information we’ve gathered.

Owner weighs in

27 News reached out to Chris Payne of Shelby Development LLC, owner of Heartland Motorsports Park, on Friday, July 26, to get his thoughts on the auction’s outcome. While Payne would not comment on who purchased the park or how much it sold for, he did say that bidders on the property had no interest in keeping the park as a racetrack.

“I was kind of hoping I could pass that torch to someone else,” Payne said. “All the interested parties were in favor of some form of redevelopment.”

Payne expressed his disappointment at the lack of interest in keeping the park in its current form. However, he did speak of the fact that the decision on what to do with the site and whether or not to keep the course rests with the future owner.

“I was the only one who wanted it to succeed,” Payne said. “There was no interest from any of the parties to continue it as a racetrack.”

There is no date set yet for when the identity of the buyer and the amount for which the park and surrounding property were purchased will be released. When asked about his future plans, Payne said he is focusing his efforts on wrapping up his time as owner of Heartland Motorsports Park.

“I need to decompress for a moment,” Payne said. “I have no idea what I’m going to do next. My focus is on clearing this off my plate.”

Who didn’t buy the park?

27 News has reached out to multiple local and national organizations to see who might have won the auction for Heartland Motorsports Park. So far, none of these organizations have been confirmed as the mystery buyer for the park.

“Amazon has a policy of not commenting on our future roadmap, but I can say that we are a dynamic business and we are continually exploring new locations and weighing a variety of factors when determining where to develop future sites to best serve customers.”

Statement from Amazon Spokesperson Regarding the Auction of Heartland Motorsports Park – July 24

City of Topeka spokesman Daniel Garret also confirmed on the day the auction ended that the city did not purchase the park. Bob Ross of the Greater Topeka Partnership (GTP) also said his organization is not aware of a new owner or plans being considered for the property.

“We are encouraged by the news of the upcoming ownership of the former Heartland Park site,” Visit Topeka President Sean Dixon said in a written statement. “We look forward to working with that team once plans are announced.”

27 News also reached out to Advisors Excel, the Metropolitan Topeka Airport Authority (MTAA) and other drag racing organizations around the country to see if they would be interested in purchasing the park.

Auction ended?

On Wednesday, July 24, the auction for the park and all surrounding parcels closed approximately two hours before the auction deadline. Chris Payne of Shelby Development LLC, the owner of Heartland Motorsports Park, accepted a pre-auction bid for the track and all surrounding parcels, according to an email from United Country | Heritage Brokers & Auctioneers.

Public bids for the park had reached $3.5 million, while other vacant lots nearby saw bids in the $80,000-$90,000 range. The online-only auction was originally scheduled to run from June 5 to July 17, but was extended to July 24.

Tax dispute

Tax disputes between Payne and Shawnee County have been going on for years. Payne originally purchased the property in 2015 for $2.4 million and changed the name to Heartland Motorsports Park.

Last year, Shawnee County commissioners said Payne had not paid taxes since 2017. In response, Payne sent a letter to the community about the ongoing dispute with the county.

The Kansas Court of Appeals ruled against Shelby Development LLC in July 2023, siding with Shawnee County. This prompted Payne to announce that the track had lost the NHRA National Event and later led to the Country Stampede leaving Topeka for the Bonner Springs area.

In April 2024, 27 News learned from a Shawnee County spokesperson that Payne’s tax debt to the county was more than $3.2 million. The amount is increasing daily and will continue to do so until it is paid off. Payne told 27 News in April 2024 that he planned to use the proceeds from the auction to pay off the county.

“Taxes follow the property,” said Shawnee County Treasurer Larry Mah. “So until those taxes are paid, they will continue to collect interest and any new owner will be fully responsible for those taxes.”

Payne offered 29 parcels of land, totaling more than 600 acres, for auction, most of which were offered without a reserve price. Parcels 13-22 were offered as a package deal and included Heartland Motorsports Park itself. The appraised value for all of the parcels, including the racetrack, is more than $8.5 million, according to the Shawnee County Appraiser’s website.

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