Honda constructed Twin Ring Motegi primarily to support its Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) programme and deepen corporate understanding of American open-wheel racing. The oval was modelled loosely on American superspeedway conventions but configured as a low-banked, egg-shaped course with tighter corners at turns three and four than at turns one and two. The road course was designed as an entirely separate layout sharing only the garage and grandstand infrastructure with the oval, though races on the two circuits could not take place simultaneously as the only oval access point crossed the road course pit lane.
CART staged the inaugural Indy Japan 300 at Twin Ring Motegi Speedway on 28 March 1998, with Adrian Fernandez taking the victory. CART continued to hold events at the oval through 2002, after which Honda's move to the Indy Racing League transferred the race to the IRL schedule from 2003. In 2008 the oval hosted a landmark moment when Danica Patrick became the first woman to win an IndyCar race, defeating Helio Castroneves. The 2011 season marked the last IndyCar race at Motegi; the earthquake damage to the oval that year meant the road course was used instead, and the oval was subsequently retired from competitive use. In May 2026 its demolition was confirmed, with the space to be repurposed for spectator and camping facilities.
A NASCAR presence at the facility included a single Winston Cup Series exhibition race in 1998 won by Mike Skinner in a Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, notable as the first NASCAR oval race held in Japan and the first event to see Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr. race alongside each other.
The 4.801 km road course runs clockwise and was purpose-built in a stop-start straight-hairpin style, flowing differently from many circuits of comparable size. Despite being adjacent to the oval, it operates as a fully independent layout. The course is exceptionally flat by Japanese standards, with only a slight elevation change near the hairpin. Three configurations exist: the full circuit and two shorter layouts using connecting roads, typically used for junior formula categories.
MotoGP is the road course's most prestigious regular tenant, hosting the Pacific motorcycle Grand Prix from 2000 to 2003 and the Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix continuously from 2004. Super Formula and Super GT are annual visitors. The circuit is also a hub for Honda-related cultural events, including the Honda Collection Hall showcasing historic road and racing vehicles from the company's history.
The FIA WTCC Race of Japan was held at Motegi's road course in 2015, 2016, and 2017, bringing the World Touring Car Championship to one of Asia's most notable permanent facilities. The combination of stop-start straights and tight hairpins suited the front-wheel-drive-oriented touring cars of that era, while the Honda-associated circuit provided a thematically fitting backdrop given Honda's strong WTCC presence through its Civic Type R entries.
The facility's geography presents logistical challenges: located in a rural part of Tochigi Prefecture with limited road access and very little accommodation nearby, stated capacity for events of around 65,000 is governed primarily by traffic flow rather than actual seating. Train connections are minimal. Despite this, the venue has maintained a consistent international event schedule across multiple disciplines for nearly three decades, underscoring Honda's long-term commitment to motorsport development at the site.
The track has appeared in numerous racing video games including Gran Turismo 4, Gran Turismo 5, Gran Turismo 6, Forza Motorsport 2, 3, and 4, iRacing, and RaceRoom Racing Experience, giving it broad recognition in the sim racing community beyond Japan.