Racers who competed in the Karl Performance Bracket Racing Series at Heartland Park during the 2017 season are in for a treat at the upcoming banquet where NHRA Top Fuel Dragster driver, Leah Pritchett, will be the host.  The season long bracket racing competition is part of NHRA’s Summit ET Racing Series that culminates with the NHRA Division 5 Bracket Finals and sends competitors to NHRA’s World Finals to compete for national honors in Pomona, California.
 
Pritchett, one of the most popular driver’s on the NHRA Mello Yello circuit, began her racing career like many bracket racers starting at a young age in a Junior Dragster.  Shen then worked her way up through weekly bracket racing into Alcohol and Nostalgia Funny Cars to reach drag racing’s pinnacle of Top Fuel Dragster.  When they are not competing at NHRA national events, Leah and her husband Gary continue to bracket race a supercharged Gen III HEMI 2017 Dodge Challenger at their home track in Indianapolis.
 
“The ownership group that took over Heartland Park at the beginning of the 2016 season believes in building a large bracket racing program and we look forward to recognizing all of the racers, teams, and Champions at the banquet,” said track General Manager, Jake Schmidtlein. The function will take place at Prairie Band Casino & Resort just north of Topeka off highway 75 North on Friday, January 26, 2018.  Leah will kick off the festivities by hosting an autograph session for racers, family members, and friends at 6:00pm, followed by dinner and award ceremonies that evening.  A hotel room block has also been established for attendees who want to stay at the Casino & Resort following that evening’s banquet. Racers who competed in the 2017 bracket racing series at Heartland Park need to contact the track at (785) 861-7899 to make arrangements to attend.