Sportsland Sugo, Racing Circuit

Sportsland Sugo is a permanent road course set into a rural hillside at Murata in Miyagi Prefecture, in the northern part of Japan's main Honshu island, roughly half an hour west of Sendai. The Yamaha Motor Company conceived the venue and opened it in May 1975 as a multi-discipline test and competition facility, pairing the road circuit with kart, motocross and trials tracks across a site of more than two million square metres. The original layout measured about 2.6 km, but a major reconstruction completed in 1987 widened the track, reworked the back section and stretched the car circuit to its present length. The hillside setting gives the course pronounced elevation change and noticeably limited run-off in places, which has long lent it a reputation as a demanding and old-school venue. The car configuration runs to 12 turns while the slightly longer motorcycle version adds further corners. Sugo has hosted top-level Japanese racing throughout its life, including Super GT and Super Formula, and was a fixture of the All Japan Road Race Championship for motorcycles from its earliest days. It also staged rounds of the World Superbike Championship between 1988 and 2003. Today it remains an active FIA Grade 2 circuit and one of the busier venues in Japanese domestic motorsport.

Operated by: Yamaha Motor Company