About this event
DARANA HEARTLAND MOTORSPORTS PARK
BACK ON TRACK - HEARTLAND ENCORE
High Performance Driving Event (HPDE)
October 24 - 25, 2026
Solo Drivers Only (Novice-Solo - Expert)
Event Track Configuration: Full Course (Fast 1 - Fast 8)
Length: 2.5 mi Corners: 14
Early Bird Discount on 2-Day Registration and Garages end 10/8
Join ๐๐จ๐จ๐ค๐๐ ๐จ๐ง ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ฐ๐๐ฌ๐ญ for ๐๐๐๐ค ๐จ๐ง ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ค โ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐ซ๐ as we return to ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐๐๐ซ๐ค for one more weekend of high-performance driving before the 2026 season comes to a close.
Our August ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ celebrated something many of us had been waiting nearly three years to seeโthe return of cars to one of the Midwest's most iconic road courses. We reunited with old friends, welcomed new drivers to Heartland, and once again heard the sound of engines echoing across a facility that generations of Midwest motorsports enthusiasts have called home.
But apparently, one weekend wasn't enough.
So we're going ๐๐๐๐ค ๐จ๐ง ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ค one more time.
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐ซ๐ is a special ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐จ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ฅ๐ฒ weekend created for experienced HPDE drivers who are already approved to drive independently. With no Novice coaching groups and intentionally limited registration, the focus of this weekend is simple: quality track time, low car counts, and one more opportunity to enjoy Heartland before winter arrives.
๐๐ก๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ'๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐๐๐ค๐๐ง๐
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๐๐จ๐ฅ๐จ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ฅ๐ฒ โ a streamlined event designed specifically for experienced drivers who have already been approved to drive solo
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๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ฌ providing more room on track and more quality laps
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๐๐๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ค ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ with a schedule built around maximizing the driving experience
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๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ๐ข๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฅ๐จ ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ง ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฌ based on driver experience, pace, and passing rules
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๐๐จ ๐ข๐ง-๐๐๐ซ ๐๐จ๐๐๐ก๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฆ means a simplified schedule focused on experienced HPDE drivers
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๐๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐๐ before putting the track car away for winter
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๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐ ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ฐ๐๐ฌ๐ญ'๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ข๐๐จ๐ง๐ข๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐ฌ now that Heartland is back where it belongsโhosting motorsports
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๐๐๐๐จ๐ง๐ง๐๐๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐ฌ for another weekend at a track that means so much to the Midwest driving community
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๐ ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฒ, ๐ฅ๐๐ข๐-๐๐๐๐ค ๐ฉ๐๐๐๐จ๐๐ค ๐๐ญ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ that Hooked on Driving is known for
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๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ก ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ซ๐๐ ๐ข๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ with additional guest lunches available for advance purchase
๐๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐จ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ.
Unlike our August Homecoming, ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐ซ๐ is not a Novice instructional event. All participants must have sufficient previous HPDE experience and have been approved to drive independently with Hooked on Driving or another recognized HPDE organization.
If you haven't previously driven with Hooked on Driving Midwest, that's not necessarily a problem. Drivers with documented Solo, Intermediate, Advanced, Instructor, Competition, or equivalent experience with other recognized organizations are encouraged to register. We may contact you for additional information regarding your previous track experience before confirming your run-group placement.
The objective isn't racing, competition, or lap times.
It's simply an opportunity for experienced drivers to enjoy their cars, enjoy the track, and squeeze a few more great laps out of the 2026 driving season.
No racing. No pressure. No egos. Just great cars, great people, and plenty of track time.
๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐๐ฌ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ง๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ .
When we returned to Heartland in August, the weekend was about much more than driving cars around a racetrack. It was about bringing a community back together and celebrating the rebirth of a facility that has been part of Midwest motorsports for decades.
For many of us, ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ง๐ felt exactly like its name suggested.
We came home.
Now, just a few months later, we have an unexpected opportunity to do it again.
No grand reopening. No countdown after years of waiting.
Just one more weekend at Heartland.
One more weekend to chase that perfect lap.
One more weekend to find a little more speed through your favorite corner.
One more weekend to catch up with friends in the paddock.
And one more opportunity to enjoy a track many of us weren't sure we would ever get to drive again.
๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐๐ค๐๐ง๐. ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ง.
Because ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐ซ๐ is being added to the calendar on relatively short notice, this won't be one of our traditional full-scale HPDE weekends. Instead, we're keeping things simple and concentrating on what experienced drivers want most:
๐๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ.
๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐๐ค ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐.
๐ ๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ญ ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฉ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ.
๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐.
Registration will be intentionally limited to maintain the quality of the on-track experience, and once a run group reaches capacity, additional registrations may not be available.
If you've been looking for an excuse to get the car out one more time before winter, this is it.
If you missed Heartland Homecoming in August, here's another chance.
And if you joined us for Homecoming and drove away wishing you could have just one more weekend...
We heard you.
๐๐๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ง ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐ซ๐?
The track is back.
The community is back.
And before we close the book on the 2026 season, we're heading ๐๐๐๐ค ๐จ๐ง ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ค at Heartland one more time.
๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐๐ค๐๐ง๐. ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ง. ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐.
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ โ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐: ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐จ๐ฅ๐จ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐๐ง๐ฅ๐ฒ.
๐๐ข๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฌ.
๐๐จ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ค ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐.
๐๐๐ญ'๐ฌ ๐๐จ ๐ข๐ญ ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐.
PRICING:
๐-๐๐๐ฒ๐ฌ: $550 $475*
๐-๐๐๐ฒ: $300
Garage: $150 $125* (Fri 6PM - Sun 6PM)
*Discounted pricing reflects Early Bird pricing - valid through 10/8.
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Event requirements
Getting on track:
SA2020 or SA2025 helmets are required for the event. Motorcycle or M helmets are not allowed.
Helmets are available for rent in a variety of sizes during the online registration process.
Car numbers are mandatory at all tracks. They must be on both sides of the car, at least 6" high, and easily visible to the corner workers. HOD numbers will be available for purchase at the track.
Policies
Click Here to review the HOD policy on:
- Cancellations
- Track Damage
- Convertibles
- High Center of Gravity vehicles
- Passengers
- Minors
- Head and Neck Restraints
- LeMons and Champ Cars
- Alcohol
Click Here for a brief description of the HOD run groups.
Access to load-into the property will be available starting at 6:00 PM the day prior to the start of the event until 6:00 PM Sunday evening.
Garages are available for rent.