Former IndyCar Owners Acquire Whiteland Track
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowA group of former IndyCar team owners has taken over control of the oldest kart track in the country. Sarah Fisher, Andy O’Gara, and Wink Hartman are the new owners of Whiteland Raceway Park and say they plan to undergo a revitalization effort to bring new life to the track.
The trio, who previously owned Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing in Speedway, acquired the nine-turn road course track from former owner Mike Swails, though financial terms of the sale are not being disclosed. The new owners say they are working through the details of the renovation effort, but the planning and cleanup process has begun.
"When Andy called to tell me that Mike had offered us the purchase of WRP," Fisher said in a news release. "We immediately agreed that investing in the karting community by reconditioning the facility was an obvious decision."
WRP will continue to run its final three races and open practice sessions for the 2018 season. A spokesperson says more work will be done over the winter ahead of a spring 2019 grand re-opening, including:
- Filling cracks in the track, resealing and striping all surfaces throughout the pits and the racing areas
- Rebuilding the banked turn wall
- Repairing and painting fences
- Repairing bleachers
- Getting a newer and updated rental kart fleet
- Working to build a new in-ground, roll-on kart scaling system
- Working to build a solid supply of on-site and in-house kart parts for our racers
Fisher and Hartman founded Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing in 2008 and the team merged with Ed Carpenter Racing in 2014. Fisher and Hartman stepped down from their ownership responsibilities after one season and Fisher and O’Gara opened Speedway Indoor Karting in 2016.