Teams traveling to the Kansas 5A baseball tournament this weekend in Topeka are seeking shelter in Lawrence, pushed out of the capital city by fans and others associated with the NHRA O’Reilly Summer Nationals drag races at Heartland Park Topeka.

Lawrence’s largest hotel, the Lawrence Holidome, 200 McDonald Drive, has been sold out for weeks, with the bulk of its 192 rooms booked by drag racing fans, wedding parties and – in bouts of confidence bordering on overconfidence – a handful of squads taking the field at Hummer Sports Park.

“The race has us pretty slammed – that, and the state baseball tournament,” said Brendan White, front office manager. “Several teams had already called and set up group blocks through our sales department. They must have had a good feeling they’d be in the tournament – and there was one school that didn’t make it that gave it to another team.”

The Holidome bumped up its rates this weekend in response to heavy demand, charging $109 for a standard room that normally would go for $89. Such rooms were going for $139 last weekend, as graduations at Kansas University, Baker University and Lawrence and Free State high schools were conducted Sunday.

SpringHill Suites by Marriott also sold out for this weekend, but Rosa Perez, assistant manager, said that wasn’t all that unusual. Most weekends are sellouts during the spring and summer, as weddings and other special events typically drive sufficient demand.