Heartland Park Topeka, near Topeka, Kansas, is putting the finishing touches on a $20 million renovation project that includes a complete repaving of its multi-configuration road course. All configurations of the facility’s road course have been milled down to the base (which was re-trimmed), under- and over-track drainage issues have been addressed and a new layer of competition grade asphalt was laid 45-feet wide. In addition, FIM-spec curbing was added in most corners, the radius of the 2.5-mile course’s turn one was lessened from approximately 105 degrees to 90 degrees and more camber was added to the 180-degree carousel of the 2.5-mile course, which has not been used for several years due to its deterioration. The front straightaway of the road course was separated from the drag strip (utilizing hot pit lane as the front straightaway) before the renovation project began. The revised front straight re-joined the drag strip in the shut-off area (beyond where VHT and various traction chemicals are used) with a blind, right-hand, uphill bend called “Turn Zero.” This transitional turn has had its crest shaved down to increase safety, and the electronic scoring loop embedded in the asphalt near Turn Zero has been relocated further up-track on the front straightaway to avoid racers having to race to a checkered flag, real and electronic, at the entrance of the turn. A rider impacted concrete K-rail barriers in a crash during a Formula USA race at Heartland Park in 2003. Asked if trackside barriers had been moved, removed or added, Heartland Park Topeka Director of Media/Public Relations Jamie Overocker said, “All of the above. We brought in a racetrack safety consultant, Ed Ozment, and we’ve received his input on what he feels comfortable with, not only from a road racing automobile side but also from a motorcycle standpoint.” Roadracingworld.com was unable to reach Ozment at the phone number Heartland Park Topeka provided Tuesday. The owner of Heartland Park Topeka, Raymond Irwin (who also owns Blackhawk Farms Raceway in South Beloit, Illinois) gave the new road course surface his personal seal of approval after lapping on it in his personal 800-horsepower, tube-frame racecar late last month. With the road course repaving complete, Heartland Park Topeka is concentrating on the next phase of its renovation project, which includes adding: 23 acres of paddock space (which will be paved with competition-grade asphalt so it can be used as an autocross race course) for a total of 45 acres of paved paddock, permanent garage buildings, a technical inspection building, buildings for tire vendors, a new credentials area and a 4000-square-foot, two-story timing and scoring building just for the road course. Overocker did not immediately know what or when the first motorcycle event on the newly-repaved road course would be but said 2006 will be the facility’s busiest season on record. Asked if the track had talked with AMA Pro Racing about bringing AMA Superbikes back to its road course (the AMA Superbike series raced at Heartland Park from 1989 to 1991), Overocker said, “Not yet, but we have been discussing that internally.”