Heartland Motorsports Park’s owner will close its doors, cease operations and put the property up for sale after its racing season finishes at the end of October, his company said late Monday on the park’s Facebook site.
That company, Shelby Development LLC, can “no longer operate under such an enormous and ever-increasing tax burden,” the post said.
It expressed thanks to the park’s staff, sponsors, spectators, racers, vendors and all who took part or attended any of its events.
How did decision to close Heartland Park come about?
The park’s closing had appeared inevitable since the Kansas Court of Appeals sided with Shawnee County in July in a long-running tax dispute.
Chris Payne since early 2016 has owned Heartland Park, which hosts annual events that include the Country Stampede music festival and the Menards NHRA Nationals, a major drag racing competition.
Payne owes Shawnee County more than $2.6 million in property taxes.
Payne said he paid the track’s property taxes for 2016 but hasn’t paid them since because the county has been taxing him “to death” by appraising the facility’s value at far more than he’d be able to sell it for.
Shawnee County officials say the taxes assessed to the Heartland Park property are appropriate.
Shelby Development in 2019 initiated an 11-county lawsuit over its property’s appraisal against Shawnee County, its appraiser’s office, appraiser Steve Bauman and assistant appraiser Stacy Berry.
What happened with the Heartland Park lawsuit?
A Shawnee County District Court judge in April 2022 ruled in the county’s favor on all 11 counts.
Shelby Development appealed.
Payne said in May that he planned to close Heartland Park if his appeal failed.
A three-judge Kansas Court of Appeals panel then unanimously ruled in July that Payne and his company could not challenge the 2016 valuation of Heartland Park by the Shawnee County Appraiser’s Office because it had previously stipulated to that valuation in a settlement agreement.
What are people saying?
A public Facebook page was created in May to try to keep Heartland Park from closing.
That page’s creator, Jaimie Rice, urged all the track’s fans Monday to seek to vote all Shawnee County elected officials out of office.
But not everyone posting on the page agreed.
One, Stephen C. St Clair, wrote, “Pay your taxes dude.”
Contact Tim Hrenchir at threnchir@gannett.com or 785-213-5934.
