Competitors Give Renewed Heartland Park Topeka Thumbs Up After Club Racing National Weekend

For Immediate Release

 

Competitors Give Renewed Heartland Park Topeka Thumbs Up After Club
Racing National Weekend

 

TOPEKA, Kan. (June 13, 2006) - It was suffice to say there were more
than a few questions heading into last weekend's SCCA Club Racing
National event at Heartland Park Topeka.  The venue. The facilities. The
track itself.  Club Racers from all over the United States wanted to see
their competition program's new championship home, and, more
importantly, see it in action.

 

As the weekend played out, and eight groups (seven national, one
regional) featuring nearly 300 drivers from over half the United States
(and one from Canada) took in a long look at their surroundings, the
variety of questions seemed to, for the most part, melt into one,
unified conclusion as the Heavenly Hazel's Kaw Valley Sprints XVIII drew
to a close at Heartland Park (HPT).

 

"I love the track," said Formula Mazda driver Doug Yanda, of
Westminster, Colo., who finished sixth in class in his first trip to
Heartland Park Topeka.  "It is smooth.  I was at Miller Motorsports Park
in Utah, and I like this one a little better than that."

 

That general positive sentiment concerning HPT was shared by many,
including another driver who made an even farther trek than Yanda to
take a peek at the SCCA National Championship Runoffs(r) new home.

 

"It is different, but it's fun," said Mike Henderson, of El Cajon,
Calif., who finished second in the GT-3 race.  Henderson, who started on
the pole in the 2003 Runoffs GT-3 race, admitted he entered the weekend
not knowing what to expect.  "All I knew is what I saw on the map.  I
knew it was in Kansas.  We got here and found the place has nice
facilities."

 

As smooth as the weekend ran, there were scattered comments that some
aspects of the venue needed a little bit more touch-up before the
Runoffs later this year.

 

That detail didn't escape Heartland Park owner Raymond Irwin, who split
time between his official and racing duties by driving in GT-1.  

 

"Although we have completed a lot of buildings and paving in preparation
for the Runoffs coming to Heartland Park Topeka, there is still work to
be done before October," Irwin said.  "We're confident that the next
time racers come to our facility they will continue to be impressed with
our progress and completion of other projects."

 

While there was no mention of specifics, Irwin said that ideas in terms
of how and what would be done in the future would be made with
participants in mind.

 

"We received plenty of feedback from the racers," Irwin said. "And we
will work to make their next trip to Heartland Park Topeka that much
more enjoyable."

 

Information for the Runoffs, October 9-15, is available at 
http://www.scca.com/Event/Event.asp?Ref=06-runoffs, or by clicking on
"Club Racing" and then "Runoffs" at www.scca.com <http://www.scca.com/>
. To receive an entry via fax or mail, contact Deanna Flanagan at
800-770-2055.

 

Group and Class Winners at Heartland Park Topeka

(Overall Group Winners noted in italics)

 

Group 1

Spec Miata: Anthony Coello - Palmyra, Wis.

 

Group 2 

D Sports Racing: Tom Bootz - Evansville, Ind.

Formula Vee: Brad Stout - St. Louis, Mo.

Formula 500: Jason Knuteson - Danville, Ind.

Formula Ford: Cliff Johnson - Leawood, Kan.

 

Group 3 

Grand Touring 1: Bill Gray - Fayetteville, Ark. 

Grand Touring 2: Gerry Mason - Indianapolis, Ind.

Grand Touring 3: Pete Peterson - Lumberton, N.C.

American Sedan: Monte Cowles - Dumfries, Va.

 

Group 4

E Production: Tom Thrash - Houston, Texas

F Production: Eric Prill - Topeka, Kan.

G Production: Chuck Mathis - St. Jacob, Ill.

H Production: John Salisbury - Gurnee, Ill.

Grand Touring Lite: Peter Zekert - Maryland Heights, Mo.

 

Group 5 

Formula Atlantic: Keith Grant - Germantown, Tenn.

Formula Continental: Niki Coello - East Troy, Wis.

Formula Mazda: Mike Anderson - Anza, Calif.

C Sports Racing: Hans Peter - Overland Park, Kan.

Sports 2000: John Fergus - Powell, Ohio

 

Group 6 

Touring 1: Edward Zabinski - Sunny Isles Beach, Fla.

Touring 2: Chuck Hemmingson - West Des Moines, Iowa

Touring 3: Rob Lay - Southlake, Texas

Showroom Stock B: Toby Grahovec - Chicago, Ill.

Showroom Stock C: Joseph McClughan - New Braunfels, Texas

 

Group 7

Spec Racer Ford: Chris Funk - Kansas City, Mo.

 

Group 8 (regional classes only)

ITE: Andy Wolverton - Papillion, Neb.

ITA: Pete Lehr - West Des Moines, Iowa

ITB: R. Britton Brown - Kansas City, Mo.

IT7: Scott Peterson - Parkville, Mo.

 

-30-

 

Photo Credit: IM Design Group/Heartland Park Topeka (c) 2006

Photo Caption: SCCA Club Racing GT-1 competitor Bill Gray, of
Fayetteville, Ark., flies by during one of his race laps Sunday at
Heartland Park Topeka.  Gray was the overall winner in Group 3.

Curt K.
_______________
Curtis Kitchen
Public Relations Manager
Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Inc.
ckitchen@scca.com  
800-770-2055