As a street circuit, the Circuit Trois-Rivières uses public roads and grounds infrastructure rather than a purpose-built racing facility. The Porte Duplessis gateway at turn 3 is the circuit's most iconic feature, creating a narrow bottleneck that demands precision from drivers and adds visual drama for spectators. The setting on the Exposition grounds gives the circuit a distinctive urban character that sets it apart from most North American road courses.
The Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières (GP3R) has been held annually at the circuit since 1967, making it North America's longest-running street race. The event has served as a platform for an evolving roster of series over its decades-long history, reflecting changing priorities in North American motorsport.
The race has been headlined by the NASCAR Canada Series since 2007 (with the exception of 2020). From 2014 to 2019 the event expanded to encompass two race weekends when it was joined by the FIA World Rallycross Championship and its World RX of Canada round, adding rallycross to the facility's portfolio.
Throughout its history the Circuit Trois-Rivières has hosted an exceptionally broad range of major North American racing series. The Atlantic Championship — known variously as Formula Atlantic and the CASC/SCCA/CART Atlantic series — ran at Trois-Rivières across many seasons between 1974 and 2009, making it one of the circuit's most enduring partnerships. The Can-Am Series visited from 1977 to 1984, bringing prototype sports cars to the Quebec street circuit during that era's most competitive period.
The Trans-Am Series appeared at the circuit across multiple distinct stints: 1976, 1979–1985, 1990–1999, and 2002–2011, making Trans-Am one of the longest-running presences at the venue. The American Le Mans Series raced at Trois-Rivières in 2002 and 2003, while the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series visited in 2000 and 2001.
Open-wheel racing at higher levels included Indy Lights in 1996–1998 and again in 2011–2012, and the Pro Mazda Championship between 2005 and 2013. The North American Touring Car Championship appeared in 1996, followed by numerous Speed World Challenge seasons from 1993 to 2002 and the KONI Sports Car Challenge across multiple years from 2001 to 2010.
More recently, the Canadian Touring Car Championship has been a regular presence from 2007 onward, and the Sports Car Championship Canada series has competed at the circuit from 2022 to 2024. The Americas Rallycross Championship held events at Trois-Rivières in 2018 and 2019 following the end of the FIA World Rallycross tie-in.
From 2014 to 2019, Trois-Rivières hosted the World RX of Canada as part of the FIA World Rallycross Championship. The addition of rallycross to the circuit's annual calendar was a significant expansion that brought an international FIA-sanctioned championship to Quebec for a sustained period. The rallycross configuration used sections of the traditional circuit alongside purpose-adapted infrastructure.
The Circuit Trois-Rivières occupies a unique position in North American motorsport as home to the continent's longest-running street race. Its ability to attract diverse series — from Can-Am prototype sports cars in the 1970s and 1980s through to modern-era touring cars and rallycross — reflects both the circuit's inherent versatility and the organizational strength of the GP3R event. The Porte Duplessis gateway remains one of the most recognizable architectural features of any street circuit in North America.