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IHRA announces purchase of Heartland Motorsports Park
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Drag racing legend John Force, a 10-time national event winner in Topeka, watches qualifying during the final NHRA national event at Heartland Motorsports Park in 2023. [File photo/TSN]Heartland Park Topeka opened in 1989 and became a storied track on the National Hot Rod Association circuit, with Topeka hosting at least one national event every season from 1989 through 2023, with the exception of the 2020 event which was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Heartland, which shut down in 2023, also hosted NASCAR Truck Series events along with hosting the SCCA Runoffs, ARCA events and numerous other national-level events in addition to hosting a regular bracket racing series for local racers.
The list of racing legends that either raced or made appearances at the Topeka facility includes Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt, Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Bobby Allison and NHRA's John Force, who earned a track-record 10 victories in Topeka.
At least 26 drivers who have competed in the Indianapolis 500 have visited or raced at Heartland.
“Heartland Motorsports Park is one of those places that simply matters to racing,” Darryl Cuttell, owner of the International Hot Rod Association, said in the IHRA release. “It has history, soul, and a footprint that allows us to think bigger than just a racetrack. Our goal is to restore this facility with respect for its legacy while building something that serves racers, fans, and the community for generations.”
The IHRA release said that the organization's long-term vision for Heartland Motorsports Park extends well beyond competition weekends. Planned restoration and redevelopment efforts will focus on creating a year-round destination that blends motorsports with live entertainment and community engagement, including:
- Revitalized drag racing operations with improved racer and fan amenities
- Expanded motorsports and special event programming
- Live music, concerts, and festival experiences
- Enhanced hospitality, vendor, and fan-experience areas
- Community-focused events designed to drive tourism and economic impact
“Motorsports has to evolve to stay strong,” Cuttell said. “The future is about creating places where racing, music, entertainment, and community come together. Heartland has all the pieces to become one of the premier motorsports and entertainment destinations in the country.”
Rural soccer, Eagle volleyball share top spot on TSN list of Top 10 girls prep stories of 2025
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee County girls high school sports teams may likely remember 2025 as the year of near-misses, with seven county teams finishing second in five different sports while eight individuals/relays posted runnerup finishes.
But the county still had notable accomplishments to celebrate, with local schools capturing a pair of state team championships while local athletes captured four individual state titles.
Class 6A soccer champion Washburn Rural and 3A volleyball champ Silver Lake share the No. 1 spot on the TopSports.news Top 10 list for 2025 while Seaman track star Ryin Miller, who dominated the 5A state track meet with three wins and Highland Park wrestler Makayla Cadet, who captured her school's first girls state crown, hold down the next two spots.
Seaman posted runnerup team finishes in basketball and tennis while Silver Lake finished second in basketball and softball, Hayden was second in soccer and volleyball and Washburn Rural posted a runnerup finish in softball.
Individually, Washburn Rural's Molly Spader, Seaman's Koti Best and Taylie Heston and Shawnee Heights' Isabel Reyes all recorded second-place finishes in state wrestling while Rural's Morgan Ray and Topeka High's Ahsieyrhuajh Rayton were individual runnerups in state track, Seaman's Emma Sweeney was a singles runnerup in state tennis and Washburn Washburn Rural's 4x800-meter relay team also posted a second-place state finish in track.
Here's a look at TopSports.news' Top 10 Shawnee County girls prep stories of 2025:
Washburn Rural girls soccer celebrates its first Class 6A state championship after its 1-0 win over Mill Valley in PKs. [Photo by KSHSAA Covered]
1. TITLE BREAKTHROUGH -- Washburn Rural added the only missing piece from its impressive soccer resume with its first Class 6A state championship. Making their 11th straight Final Four appearance, including four runnerup state finishes, the 19-2-0 Junior Blues broke through with a 1-0 win over Mill Valley, taking the win with a 4-1 edge in penalty kicks. Rural was represented on the All-City first team by 2025 grads Destiny Higgs, Kate Hinck, Addyson Kaberline, Zahra Friess and Madison Lemke and then-junior Dayne Shriver while Junior Blues coach Brian Hensyel was named the city coach of the year.
Silver Lake volleyball capped a 46-1 season with the 2025 Class 3A state championship. [Photo by Scott Paske/KSHSAA Covered]
1. EAGLES FLY TO STATE CHAMPIONSHIP -- Silver Lake, which went 46-1 and ended its season on a 37-match winning streak, finished off its championship run with a 25-21, 25-19 win over Holton. The Eagles were represented on the All-Shawnee County team by senior Jaiden Wise, juniors Kylie Hanni and Jaylie Whitehead and sophomore Karys Deiter, with Hanni named the county player of the year and Eagles coach Sarah Johnson tapped as the coach of the year.
Seaman's Ryan Miller capped her junior track season with a sweep of the Class 5A 800, 1,600 and 3,200-meter runs in the 2025 state meet. [File photo/TSN]
3. MILLER SHINES -- Seaman superstar runner Ryin Miller capped off her junior track and field season in the 2025 strate track and field championships by sweeping Class 5A state titles in all three of her individual events, taking wins in the 3,200 (10:19.53), 1,600 (4:57.33) and 800-meter (2:11.14) runs at Wichita State. Miller's three wins in 2025 gave her five career titles and came on the heels of a banner 2024 cross country season, which included the fastest five-kilometer run in Kansas history (16:32.62) and a runnerup finish in the 5A state meet (17:26.36).
Highland Park then-junior Makayla Cadet became her school's first girls state wrestling champion in 2025. [Photo by Selena Favela/Special to TSN]
4. A SPECIAL BIRTHDAY -- Highland Park junior Makayla Cadet celebrated her 17th birthday in one of the best ways you could imagine, with a 2025 Class 5A state wrestling championship. Cadet, who went 23-4 on the season, became the first girls wrestler in Highland Park history to win a state championship when she pinned Basehor-Linwood junior Izzy Renfro at the 1:36 mark of the first period in Park City. Cadet's win over Renfro avenged a regional loss to the Bobcat standout.
5. OH SO CLOSE -- After winning state titles a year earlier, Seaman in Class 5A and Silver Lake in 3A both posted runnerup finishes in 2025 in girls basketball. The Vikings ran off 24 straight wins in the 2024-2025 campaign before dropping a 68-61 decision to perennial state champ St. Thomas Aquinas in the title game while Silver Lake, which had to reload after graduating a talented senior class from its 26-0 championship team in 2024, posted a 23-3 record last season, dropping a tight 48-45 decision to Halstead in the 3A final.
State team champs, Broxterman top TSN list of top 2025 boys prep stories
- Details
By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Shawnee County high schools captured three boys state team titles in 2025 while county athletes combined to earn six individual/relay championships.
Washburn Rural soccer is No. 1 on TopSports.news' list of the Top 10 boys high school sports stories of 2025 after winning its fourth Class 6A state title and first since 2012 while Rural cross country and Hayden bowling also won team championships.
Individually, Washburn Rural's Easton Broxterman is No. 2 on the Top 10 after capping his outstanding high school wrestling career with his third straight Class 6A state championship in 2025 in his fourth straight trip to the state finals.
Other highlights included current Junior Blue seniors Draden Chooncharoen and Liam Morrison celebrating state titles in soccer and track while Broxterman's Junior Blue wrestling teammates, current senior Landen Kocher-Munoz and 2025 grad Kristjan Marshall, both claimed their second individual state titles.
Rural 2025 grad Isaiah Terry and Morrison both captured 6A individual titles and teamed with Chooncharoen and '25 grad Matthew Houser to set a state meet record in the 4x400-meter relay, Rural's second straight state crown in that event.
Here's a look at TopSports.news' Top 10 Shawnee County boys prep stories of 2025:
Washburn Rural soccer celebrates its first Class 6A state championship since 2012 after its 3-2 win over Shawnee Mission East in PKs. [Photo by Rick Peterson Jr./KSHSAA Covered]
1. RURAL RULES -- Led by an outstanding senior class, perennial state soccer power Washburn Rural capped a 19-1-1 2025 season with its first Class 6A state championship since 2012, taking a 3-2 win over Shawnee Mission East with a 4-2 edge in penalty kicks. Senior Dylan Willingham ended his high school career with Washburn Rural's single-season and career scoring records.
Washburn Rural wrestling star Easton Broxterman capped his high school career in 2025 with his third straight Class 6A state title and fourth trip to the state finals. [File photo/TSN]
2. MAT MASTER -- Washburn Rural superstar wrestler Easton Broxterman put the capper on one of the top high school careers in Shawnee County history with his third straight Class 6A state championship in his fourth straight trip to the state finals, helping lead the Junior Blues to a third-place team finish in the 6A state tournament in Overland Park. Broxterman, who is wrestling collegiately at Army, finished off a 41-2 senior season with the 145-pound state title.
Washburn Rural cross country celebrates its 2025 Class 6A state championship after winning by a single point over Blue Valley. [Photo courtesy of Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports]
3. STRENGTH IN THE PACK -- Washburn Rural cross country didn't have an individual medalist (top 20) in the 2025 Class 6A state meet at Rim Rock Farm, but the Junior Blues put four runners in the top 28 places to lead the way as Rural captured the team championship by a single point (100-101) over Blue Valley. Rural got a team-high 22nd-place finish from sophomore Henry Laubach while senior Brooks Kehoe was 25th, sophomore Clayton Fink 26th, sophomore Duke Graf 28th, sophomore Jaxson Adams 42nd, senior Wyatt Shorb 52nd and sophomore Brady Meek 84th.
Hayden won its first ever state bowling championship in the 2025 season, winning the Class 4A-1A state crown by a 3,666-3,571 margin over Mulvane. [File photo/TSN]
4. STRIKING GOLD -- Hayden garnered the first state bowling championship in school history, winning the Class 4A-1A state event by a 3,666-3,571 margin over Mulvane as four Wildcats earned individual state medals. Trevor Christy rolled a 698 series to finish third individually while John Strickland finished fifth with a 685, Chase Blaser was seventh with a 676 and Reese Renyer placed 16th with a 636.
Washburn Rural 2025 grad Kristjan Marshall won back-to-back Class 6A state wrestling titles in '24 and '25.'[File photo/TSN]
Washburn Rural senior Landen Kocher-Munoz won his second career Class 6A state wrestling title in '25 with his third trip to the state finals. [File photo/TSN]
5. REPEAT FEAT -- Washburn Rural wrestling stars Kristjan Marshall and Landen Kocher-Munoz captured the second Class 6A state titles of their careers in the 2025 state tournament as the Junior Blues finished third as a team. Marshall, a 2025 graduate, won his second straight championship, winning the 157-pound crown to finish off a 37-5 season while then-junior Kocher-Munoz won his second career championship in his third straight state final, winning at 138 pounds to finish 34-3 on the season.
Washburn Rural's Matthew Houser, Liam Morrison, Draden Chooncharoen and Isaiah Terry set the Class 6A state meet record in the 4x400 relay in the 2025 state meet. [File photo/TSN]
6. REPEAT FEAT PART II -- Washburn Rural won the Class 6A state title in the 4x400-meter relay for the second straight season in the final event of the state meet at Wichita State's Cessna Stadium as 2025 grads Matthew Houser and Isaiah Terry and then-juniors Liam Morrison and Draden Chooncharoen set a 6A state meet record in a winning time of 3 minutes, 16.23 seconds. Morrison, Chooncharoen and Terry ran on Rural's state-champion relay in both '24 and '25 while Houser won his first state title.
