CONCRETE REPLACEMENT BEGINS AT TOPEKA
Work began on Nov. 6 on the world-famous Heartland Park Topeka quarter-mile drag strip. Workers from Schmidtlein Excavating of Topeka began removing concrete on the drag strip to prepare the track for brand-new concrete, with work scheduled to be complete by the end of November.
“The heart and soul of Heartland Park Topeka since the facility opened almost 20 years ago has been the drag strip,” Heartland Park Topeka owner Raymond Irwin said. “We replaced every inch of asphalt in 2005, and now with the concrete replacement project we feel that our facility will be capable of hosting world-class sportsman and professional drag racing for the next 20 years.”
When the facility was originally constructed in the late 1980s concrete extended from the burnout box at the starting line to 330 feet down track. This area was extended to half track in 2000. The drag strip transitions from concrete to asphalt at 660 feet.
The project will be under the watchful eye of Professional Engineering Consultants of Topeka. Heartland Park Topeka will also rely upon the expertise of one of the National Hot Rod Association’s authorized drag strip builders, Lithko Contracting of Kansas City, Kan. to handle the pouring and finishing of the new concrete.
The project, at a cost exceeding $500,000, will also include a fiber optic timing system upgrade. The project plans also include upgrading the scoreboards, which have been in place since the track hosted its first drag race event in 1989. The plan calls for LED display scoreboards, which can withstand the vibrations of a 7,000 horsepower Top Fuel Dragster without damage. [11-9-2006]
ATHEY & IANNOTTI TEAM UP FOR ’07
Paul Athey and the Mohegan Sun Racing team have formed a partnership with the New England-based West Coast Choppers Pro Mod team of Iannotti Racing. Athey and Ron Iannotti are long-time friends.
“Ron and I had talked a little bit back in the Spring about working together and getting their team back out to the track,” Athey explained. “Ron really wanted to go racing but needed to
secure additional funding.”
This is a duo that has long been familiar to Pro Mod fans in the eastern half of the country. Iannotti, known as one of the bad boys of the class, a competitor at the first ever ADRL Dragstock event, and flying the banner of Jesse James’s West Coast Choppers will retain the tuning services of Brian Winkler. Data sharing with the additional car will be invaluable for both teams.
“This is a two car-team that makes a lot of sense,” Athey said. “These two cars were built one after another at Tommy Mauney’s shop. We’re going to be able to gain a lot of data from each other and work hard at refining both of the combinations. They are also two great looking 1941 Willys.”
Both cars will be sporting the Mohegan Sun name on the door panels, with Athey’s car carrying the Sterling Homes associate sponsorship and Iannotti’s displaying the West Coast Choppers name on the quarter panels.
“This is a win-win situation,” Athey said. “Ron and his crew get to mix it up out on the track and our cars are nearly identical in terms of the chassis, so the data we generate directly applies to both cars. We are still sketching out our exact schedules for 2007, but everyone here at Mohegan Sun Racing is excited and I know the Iannotti’s are pumped as well.” [11-9-2006]
