Foreclosure threat looms over Heartland Motorsports Park

Editor’s Note: This article has been updated to correct the spelling of the county spokeswoman’s name.

TOPEKA ( KSNT ) – With the possibility of foreclosure looming, what is the future looking like for Topeka’s Heartland Motorsports Park?

27 News is following up on where things stand with Heartland Motorsports Park this week with new information gathered from the owner and Shawnee County officials. Possible foreclosure of the property, mounting bills and a search for new owners are all coming to a head for the Shawnee County race track.

Shawnee County

Shelby Development, LLC is still listed as the owner of Heartland Motorsports Park and property tax bills are continuing to pile up, the county told 27 News in response to an open records request. Litigation over the property has also been settled in favor of Shawnee County.

Shawnee County spokeswoman Amanda Monhollon said the property is now eligible for the county property tax foreclosure sale, but no date is yet set. Properties become eligible for this process depending on how many years have passed with delinquent taxes and the type of property under consideration.

Shelby Development, LLC owes more than $3.2 million in taxes to Shawnee County as of April 22, 2024. The amount changes daily due to accumulating interest and other financial penalties.

Financial records obtained by 27 News show Shelby Development, LLC made its last payment to Shawnee County on Dec. 31, 2023, for the parcel of land at 7642 SW Topeka Boulevard. This is the only parcel of land Shelby Development, LLC paid taxes on each year, said Amanda Monhollon, county spokeswoman, in response to our request for information.

Shelby Development, LLC owns 28 parcels of land in Shawnee County that make up Heartland Motorsports Park and surrounding areas, according to the county’s tax records. These parcels, along with the total amount due in taxes for each up to April 22, are listed below:

• SE Gary Ormsby Drive – $190,141.18
• SE Gary Ormsby Drive – $1,536,058.36
• 8231 SE Adams Street – $380,037.31
• SE Adams Street – $113,448.69
• SE 77th Street – $150,034.48
• SE Gary Ormsby Drive – $46,914.41
• SE Gary Ormsby Drive – $29,459.34
• 135 SE Finish Line Drive – $202,080.65
• SE Gary Ormsby Drive – $24,180.87
• SE Gary Ormsby Drive – $1,430.00
• SE Gary Ormsby Drive – $1,925.34
• SE Gary Ormsby Drive – $13,059.55
• SE Gary Ormsby Drive – $31,544.14
• SE Gary Ormsby Drive – $27,846.68
• SE Gary Ormsby Drive – $20,741.48
• SE Gary Ormsby Drive – $38,517.12
• SE Gary Ormsby Drive – $31,714.78
• SE Gary Ormsby Drive – $18,321.08
• SE 77th Street – $37,364.81
• SE Gary Ormsby Drive – $7,790.53
• SE Gary Ormsby Drive – $29,513.21
• 7520 SE Adams Street – $137,541.73
• SE Adams Street – $3,591.78
• SE Adams Street – $132,756.08
• 7103 SE Gary Ormsby Drive – $20,945.42
• SE Gary Ormsby Drive – $7,226.62
• SE Gary Ormsby Drive – $5,199.41
• SE Gary Ormsby Drive – $17,919.79

Shelby Development, LLC

27 News reached out to Chris Payne, owner of Heartland Motorsports Park and Shelby Development, LLC, for comment on the situation. In a written statement, Payne says the property is still listed as for sale with an open call for offers. However, as of April 23, no offers for the property have been made.

Heartland Motorsports Park hit the real estate market on Nov. 17, 2023, according to Kansas Commercial Real Estate Services Inc . The property listing shows the race track comes with 621 acres of level and developed land, more than 89,000 square feet of indoor spaces, an NHRA-sanctioned drag strip and more.

“Shelby Development will be announcing in the coming weeks an auction later this spring of all parcels with proceeds going towards Shawnee County’s ridiculously high property tax debt. The auction will consist of selling individual and multiple parcels collectively. The goal is for sale proceeds to produce enough revenue to pay all outstanding property taxes. Shelby will cover any shortfalls as all taxes will need to be paid in full to rightfully transfer ownership of each parcel to it’s new owner.

As you are aware Shawnee County has valued the property for as much as four times it’s original purchase in 2016. The market is telling us a different story of value. With the upcoming auction, the market will give us a definitive answer of the property value. Unfortunately, Heartland Motorsports Park will most likely not be purchased as (a) racing and entertainment facility. The market is representing there’s no value with it’s current use because of the heavy tax burden. The property(s) will most likely be purchased by multiple buyers for separate redevelopments.”

Chris Payne

Heartland Motorsports Park Legal Battles

Legal battles over Heartland are nothing new. Going back to 2015, the City of Topeka made many attempts to purchase the property , causing angst among local business owners.

Another deal between Core First Bank and International Motorsports Entertainment and Development Corporation, fell flat in 2015 with Payne officially acquiring the property in the same year for $2.4 million. The name of the events venue was changed in 2017 to Heartland Motorsports Park as part of a general redesign of the property.

New legal troubles came into the open in late 2019 when lawyers for Payne filed a lawsuit against the Shawnee County Appraiser’s Office. The lawsuit was in response to Shawnee County appraising Heartland Motorsports Park for $5.5 million and for another appraisal submitted later for just above $10 million. The lawsuit was later dismissed in 2022 .

The Kansas Supreme Court allowed the City of Topeka to back out of a contract with Heartland Motorsports Park in 2021. Payne had filed the lawsuit against the City of Topeka seeking compensation after it backed out of an agreement to take up ownership of the park.

In 2023, Shawnee County commissioners said Payne hadn’t paid any taxes since 2017 . In response, Payne issued a heated letter to the community on the ongoing dispute with the county.

The Kansas Court of Appeals later ruled against Shelby Development, LLC in July 2023. This prompted Payne to announce the race track had lost the NHRA National Event .

Payne announced his intentions to sell Heartland Motorsports Park in September 2023 due to the “ever-increasing tax burden.” The park’s inventory, including show cars, Country Stampede guitars , industrial equipment and more, were put up for auction near the end of the year.

The Country Stampede, in light of the situation at the race track, also revealed it would be seeking a new place to hold its event . This would turn out to be Azura Amphitheatre in the Kansas City area for the summer of 2024.

27 News spoke with Visit Topeka President Sean Dixon on the situation in late 2023, where he commented on the economic impact of the race track in the local community. Another 27 News investigation showed the tax burden of Heartland had risen to $2.8 million in the last days of 2023 with Payne announcing his intention to use the sale of the park and auction as a way to pay off the county.

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