Tokachi International Speedway
Tokachi International Speedway at a glance
- Location
- Sarabetsu, Hokkaido, Hokkaido
- Type
- road course
- Length
- 5.091 km (3.163 mi)
- Turns
- 15
- Surface
- asphalt
- Opened
- 1993
- Owner
- MSF Corporation (since August 2009)
- Address
- Takikubo
- Website
- tokachi.msf.ne.jp
Track map and layout
Tokachi's Grand Prix Course is a 5.091 km, 15-turn road circuit in rural Hokkaido, one of the largest tracks in Japan by footprint, with a shorter 3.406 km, 10-turn Clubman Course and a 1.700 km, 7-turn Junior Course sharing the site for smaller-scale events. Built for Hokkaido's motorsport community and once the stage for Japan's best-known 24-hour endurance race, the circuit today runs a lighter calendar of local, amateur and one-make racing rather than top-tier national series. Note: sources conflict on the circuit's current operating status — Wikipedia and several racing-circuit databases describe it as continuing to run local and club events (open roughly May-December) under owner MSF Corporation, while some references imply a later closure; this guide follows the operational, sourced status pending confirmation.
Configurations
| Layout | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Prix Course | 5.09 km | 5.091 km, 15-turn full circuit, used historically for the Tokachi 24 Hours |
| Clubman Course | 3.40 km | 3.406 km, 10-turn shorter configuration |
| Junior Course | 1.70 km | 1.700 km, 7-turn configuration for smaller events |
Events and race weekends
Tokachi's marquee historical event was the Tokachi 24 Hours, a production and GT endurance race run annually from 1994 to 2008 as part of the Super Taikyu championship, notable for a hybrid Toyota Supra HV-R winning outright in 2007 — the first hybrid win in a major endurance race. The 24 Hours ended after the circuit's 2009 financial troubles and sale; since then the venue has hosted mostly local Hokkaido club racing and occasional national one-make or drift events, including a D1 Grand Prix drift round in 2018, rather than a fixed annual national-series calendar.
Getting there and parking
Tokachi International Speedway sits in rural Sarabetsu, Hokkaido, a region with limited public transport; visitors typically fly into Tokachi-Obihiro Airport and drive or taxi the remaining distance, as there is no direct rail or scheduled bus service confirmed to the circuit.
- Tokachi-Obihiro Airport (OBO)
Parking
On-site parking is available for event days; specific pricing was not confirmed from official sources.
Hotels and camping near Tokachi International Speedway
Most visitors base themselves in Obihiro, the main city in the Tokachi region and the nearest hub with meaningful hotel supply and airport access.
Where to look
Obihiro (main regional hub, nearest airport and hotel supply).
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
Specific public track-day or trackside driving-experience programmes at Tokachi were not confirmed from official sources for this guide; the circuit's current calendar leans toward local club racing rather than commercial track-day products.
Spectator guide
As a lower-key regional venue today, Tokachi draws smaller crowds than Japan's major national circuits; spectator facility details were not confirmed from official sources for this guide.
Weather
- Summer (Tokachi 24 Hours era, July): Hokkaido summers are mild by Japanese standards, with daytime highs typically around 22-25°C
History of Tokachi International Speedway
Built for Hokkaido motorsport
Tokachi International Speedway broke ground in 1992 and opened on 5 May 1993 in Sarabetsu, a rural district of Hokkaido, giving Japan's northernmost major island its own large-scale racing facility. Its 5.091 km Grand Prix Course was sized to accommodate serious national and international competition despite its remote location, far from the racing hubs of Honshu.
The Tokachi 24 Hours
From 1994, Tokachi became home to the Tokachi 24 Hours, an N1-class production and GT endurance race run each July as part of the Super Taikyu championship, drawing manufacturer and privateer teams from across Japan for a demanding round-the-clock test in Hokkaido's unpredictable weather. The race produced a landmark result in 2007, when a hybrid Toyota Supra HV-R won outright, one of the first major endurance-race victories for a hybrid vehicle anywhere in the world. Porsche was the race's most successful manufacturer over its run, and driver Tetsuya Tanaka won it a record five times.
Financial trouble and a new operator
By 2009 the circuit's operating company had accumulated significant debt and entered liquidation, forcing the cancellation of what would have been the 16th Tokachi 24 Hours and ending the race's run. Mobile-phone games company MSF Corporation bought the circuit in August 2009 and renamed it the simpler Tokachi Speedway the following year. Since then the venue has continued to operate on a smaller scale, hosting local Hokkaido club racing and occasional national one-make or drift events rather than the top-tier endurance racing that once defined it.
Frequently asked questions
Is Tokachi International Speedway still open?+
Sourced racing-circuit references describe it continuing to run local and club racing under owner MSF Corporation, generally open from May to December, though this guide could not independently confirm its current operating status beyond those secondary sources — treat this as unverified pending a direct check of the circuit's own listings.
How long is Tokachi International Speedway?+
The Grand Prix Course is 5.091 km (3.163 miles) with 15 turns; a shorter 3.406 km Clubman Course and 1.700 km Junior Course also exist on the same site.
What was the Tokachi 24 Hours?+
An annual N1-class endurance race for production and GT cars, run at Tokachi from 1994 to 2008 as part of the Super Taikyu championship, notable for a hybrid Toyota Supra's outright win in 2007.
Why did the Tokachi 24 Hours end?+
The circuit's operating company went into financial difficulty and liquidation in 2009, cancelling that year's race; the circuit was subsequently sold to MSF Corporation and renamed Tokachi Speedway.
How do you get to Tokachi International Speedway?+
The circuit is in rural Sarabetsu, Hokkaido; most visitors fly into Tokachi-Obihiro Airport and drive or taxi from there, or base themselves in nearby Obihiro city.
Other tracks nearby
- Sendai Hi-Land Raceway · 524 km · historic circuit (defunct)
- Sportsland SUGO · 546 km · road course
- Mobility Resort Motegi (formerly Twin Ring Motegi) · 727 km · road course & oval
- Tsukuba Circuit · 774 km · road course
- Fuji Speedway · 890 km · road course
Facts checked against 3 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-11.