Heartland Park Topeka to celebrate 25th season in 2013 TOPEKA, KS – Heartland Park Topeka announced today that the multi-faceted race facility will hold a year-long celebration in 2013 commemorating the track’s silver anniversary 25th season. The 2013 season will get under way on March 23-24 with the first two rounds in the E.T. Bracket Drag Racing Series. The Super 8 at Forbes Landing Saturday Showdown Series on the BriggsAuto.com Speedway dirt track will hold its season-opening event on April 6th while the HPT Touring Club will open the road-course season on April 10th. Heartland Park Topeka’s marquee event, the NHRA Kansas Nationals, a national event in the NHRA’s Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, will be held May 17-19. On May 16th a section of downtown Topeka will be blocked off for the second annual SPEEDFEST, which will feature some of the NHRA’s top stars, along with vendors, food and entertainment. In conjunction with the 25th anniversary celebration Heartland Park has released a special 25th-season logo and HPT will also issue a commemorative souvenir coin. Heartland Park Topeka vice-president/general manager Joe Douthitt said that special events will be held for fans throughout the 25th anniversary season. “No. 1, we want to celebrate the fans who have been here through the 25 years,” Douthitt said. “For instance, as part of the NHRA Kansas Nationals we want more families to come out, so as part of the 25th anniversary we’re going to let kids 12 and under in free to the nationals race. “We’re going to have some sort of promotion at the majority of the racing activities and there will be some special things, like mini-concerts at the dirt track races and things like that. It will be evolving throughout the entire season.”