Built by Honda in the 1990s, the Twin Ring Motegi was over ten years in the making. The project began in 1985, when the motorcycle sales division at Honda was looking for ways to boost sales and create a network of facilities for motorcycle riders to enjoy their bikes.

Rather than sell more bikes to existing customers, the plan was to expand the motorcycle user base. In 1986, the MT (Motor Track) Project was launched as an interdepartmental undertaking.

Motegi-machi was selected as the site, in part due to being surrounded by mountains which would channel the noise upwards. Covering 6.6 million square metres, the selected could easily hold three full versions of Honda’s other circuit, Suzuka.

Construction was originally set to begin in 1991 for a 1994 opening, but disputes with the landowners regarding the sale of their land pushed progress back. The worsening economic situation in Japan at the turn of the 1990s also didn’t help.

After a project member went to the USA on a research expedition in 1993 and saw the popularity of ovals, the idea was taken back to Japan and the concept of a ‘twin ring’ was born.

In 1994, the same year that Honda entered IndyCar as an engine supplier, the construction of the ‘twin ring’ was given the green light by the Honda board.

Construction of the circuit saw over 1.3 million cubic metres of earth moved – making it the largest construction project in Japan financed by a single, private company.

The circuit opened in October 1997, and by November that year a deal was struck to bring IndyCar to Japan for 1998 – with the American series remaining on the bill for 14 years.

All bar one of those IndyCar events was on the oval: in 2011, the race had to be switched to the 4.796 km road course due to damage to the oval caused by the huge Tōhoku earthquake six months earlier.

IndyCar hasn’t returned since. In 2015 World Touring Cars visited for the first of three visits. These days, only the road course is regularly used for racing, with the main international event now being the Japanese Motorcycle Grand Prix, held every year at the track since 2004.