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Curtis Jacobson
Portland Oregon
(4576 posts)

Registered:
10/12/2007 02:16AM

Main British Car:
71 MGBGT, Buick 215

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Camping at Heartland Park, Topeka Kansas
Posted by: Moderator
Date: July 26, 2011 02:53PM

I thought it might be helpful for people to compare notes about camping facilities available at various racing venues...

I camped in a tent at Heartland Park earlier this summer during an SCCA Regional weekend. The event wasn't well attended by racers or spectators. I got the impression that most of the racers went home at night to sleep in their own beds. (A pity... because I had more cold beer than I could drink by myself.) However, it was a pleasant and easy place to camp. The staff at the gate were exceptionally friendly: put your tent anywhere you like. (The grassy part of the paddock was perfectly suitable.) Come and go as you please. No charge for anything.

Okay, it's Kansas, right? The wind was relentless. So bad in fact that it kept tipping portable toilets over. That might have been unpleasant, but my guess is no one uses them much at Heartland Park, because...

Heartland Park has the nicest and best equipped bathroom facilities of any racetrack I've been to ever. Clean. Well maintained. Free hot showers too... take your pick between rows and rows of private shower rooms. (I didn't count them, but there were more than plenty.)

The weekend I was there, the food concession was only serving lunch. Hamburgers, hot dogs, french fries and soda are pretty much all they seem to offer. I asked if they had chicken sandwiches and they volunteered to make me a turkey cold-cut sandwich, which was very nice. (It's not on the menu boards. Everyone was very hospitable.)

Bonus: Topeka is a really nice city. The track isn't far from any of the city's many gracious amenities.

What Heartland Park doesn't have is shade. There are only a half dozen trees on the whole premises. Take a hat, extra sunscreen, and plenty of beverages.


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