Organized motorsport in the Madras region predates the permanent circuit by several decades. The Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI) was established in 1971 through the collaboration of regional clubs including the Madras Motor Sports Club, Coimbatore Auto Sports Club, Karnataka Motor Sports Club, Calcutta Motor Sports Club, and Mumbai's Indian Automotive Racing Club, with headquarters in Chennai. Prior to the circuit's construction, race meetings were held at airstrips, including the Sholavaram airstrip in Chennai, Sulur in Coimbatore, and Agara in Bangalore.
The Irungattukottai track was constructed in the late 1980s to give Indian motorsport a dedicated permanent home. Its inauguration in 1990 marked a significant milestone for Indian racing, providing a facility capable of hosting both national and international competition. The track was resurfaced in 2007. In July 2022, the venue was formally renamed the Madras International Circuit.
The main circuit is 3.717 km long, features 12 turns and three straights, with the longest straight measuring 250 m. A shorter club circuit of 2.067 km with seven turns provides an alternative configuration. Both layouts are approximately 11 m wide on average, widening to 12 m at the start line, and operate in a clockwise direction.
The track holds certification from both the FIA and FIM. In 2014, the FIA granted the circuit a Grade 2 licence, confirming its eligibility to host international-level competition up to Formula Three standard.
The Madras Motor Race Track has hosted rounds of several major regional championships. The Asia Road Racing Championship raced there in 1997, 2009–2011, 2013, and 2017–2018. The Asian Formula Three Championship visited in 2008. The circuit hosted rounds of the Formula 4 South East Asia Championship in 2018 and 2019, and the F4 Indian Championship ran there from 2023 to 2025. The MRF Challenge, a junior open-wheel series, held an annual round at the circuit until 2020, when it was discontinued because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Indian Racing League, a team-based touring car series, raced at the circuit between 2022 and 2025.
The circuit is the central venue for the Indian Racing National Championships, covering both motorcycle and car categories, as well as the Indian National Motorcycle Drag Racing Championships. Annual events include rounds of the MRF Formula 2000 series, Formula LGB 1300, and the Indian Touring Car National Championship.
The Madras Motor Sports Club added a go-kart circuit to the facility in 2023. The 1.2 km CIK-approved track, named the Madras International Karting Arena (MIKA), was inaugurated on 19 September 2024 in the presence of former Formula One world champion Mika Hakkinen, along with former F1 drivers Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok.
As India's first permanent motor racing circuit, the Madras Motor Race Track played a foundational role in developing organized motorsport on the subcontinent. The FMSCI, headquartered in Chennai, built the regulatory infrastructure for Indian racing in the years before the circuit opened, and the track gave that structure a permanent competitive home. The circuit has continued to serve as the primary venue for national championships across multiple decades, and its FIA Grade 2 certification underlines its continued relevance as Indian motorsport has grown in profile.