Johor Circuit
Johor Circuit at a glance
- Location
- Pasir Gudang, Johor
- Type
- historic circuit (defunct)
- Length
- 3.86 km (2.398 mi)
- Turns
- 12
- Surface
- asphalt
- Opened
- 1986
Track map and layout
Johor Circuit (also known as the Pasir Gudang Circuit) was a 3.860 km, 12-turn permanent road course built on the outskirts of the industrial port town of Pasir Gudang in Johor state. Opened in 1986, it was upgraded in the late 1990s, including a general widening of the track along with safety improvements, ahead of hosting the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle world championship. The circuit sat unused for years after 2017 and was never demolished or repurposed, with reports describing it as dormant and inaccessible rather than converted to another use.
Configurations
| Layout | Length | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Prix Circuit | 3.86 km | 3.860 km, 12 turns; the layout used for its major events |
Events and race weekends
Johor Circuit was Malaysia's top-level road racing venue through the late 1980s and 1990s, hosting the FIM Endurance World Championship (1991-1992), World Superbike Championship rounds (1992-1993) and, most notably, the 1998 Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix, the country's first FIM world championship motorcycle Grand Prix, won in the 500cc class by Mick Doohan. That race proved to be a one-off at Johor: from 1999 the Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix moved permanently to the newly built Sepang International Circuit. Johor continued hosting the Asia Road Racing Championship intermittently through the 2000s and again in 2016-2017, plus Asian Touring Car Series and Formula BMW Asia rounds in the early 2000s, before closing in 2017.
Getting there and parking
The circuit sits in Pasir Gudang, an industrial port town in Johor state on Peninsular Malaysia's southern tip, about 25-30 km east of Johor Bahru city and a similar distance from the Singapore border. There is no dedicated visitor infrastructure since the circuit has been closed and dormant since 2017; it is not open to the public.
- Senai International Airport (JHB) · about 45 min drive
The circuit is closed and inaccessible to the public; there is nothing to visit on site.
Hotels and camping near Johor Circuit
Johor Bahru, Malaysia's second-largest city and a short drive from Pasir Gudang, has the region's main concentration of hotels and is also easily reached from Singapore across the causeway, making it the natural base for anyone interested in the area's motorsport history.
Where to look
Johor Bahru city centre for the widest range of hotels in the region.
Track days, driving experiences and lap records
There is no public track-day or driving access; the circuit has been closed since 2017 and was reported as dormant and off-limits in the years since, with a proposed US$800 million redevelopment plan announced in 2016 never materialising.
Lap records
| Category | Time | Driver | Car | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outright (Formula Three) | 1:09.100 | Jan Nilsson | Reynard 883 | 1989 |
| 500cc motorcycle Grand Prix | 1:29.636 | Mick Doohan | Honda NSR500 | 1998 |
Spectator guide
There is no active spectator event at Johor Circuit today; it has not hosted racing since 2017 and has no operating grandstands or spectator facilities in current use.
Weather
- Year-round: hot and humid tropical climate typical of southern Johor, with rain possible in any month
History of Johor Circuit
Malaysia's first world-championship road racing venue
Johor Circuit, also known as the Pasir Gudang Circuit, was built in the industrial port town of Pasir Gudang in Johor state and opened in 1986 under Sultan Iskandar. Through the late 1980s and into the 1990s it became Malaysia's premier permanent road racing venue, hosting rounds of the FIM Endurance World Championship in 1991 and 1992, World Superbike Championship races in 1992 and 1993, and the Asia Road Racing Championship through much of the following decade.
A single Grand Prix, then Sepang takes over
The circuit's high-water mark came in 1998, when it hosted the inaugural Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix as part of the FIM world championship, following upgrades including a general track widening and safety improvements costing RM2.5 million. Mick Doohan won the premier 500cc class that weekend, with Valentino Rossi setting the fastest 250cc lap, but the race never returned to Johor. From 1999 the Malaysian Grand Prix moved permanently to the newly built, purpose-designed Sepang International Circuit near Kuala Lumpur, leaving Johor without its headline event.
Decline, redevelopment plans and closure
Without a marquee international date, Johor Circuit continued hosting Asia Road Racing Championship rounds intermittently, along with Asian Touring Car Series and Formula BMW Asia races in the early 2000s, but its condition and profile declined over the following years. A major US$800 million redevelopment plan was announced in 2016, but it was never realised, and the circuit closed in 2017 following its final Asia Road Racing Championship races. Since then Johor Circuit has sat dormant and closed to the public, with no confirmed plans as of 2026 to reopen or redevelop the site.
Frequently asked questions
Did MotoGP race at Johor Circuit?+
The circuit hosted the FIM 500cc Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix once, in 1998, won by Mick Doohan. From 1999 the race moved permanently to Sepang International Circuit; Johor never hosted the Grand Prix again.
Is Johor Circuit still open?+
No. The circuit closed in 2017 after its final Asia Road Racing Championship races and has been dormant and closed to the public since, with a proposed 2016 redevelopment plan never carried out.
How long was Johor Circuit?+
The Grand Prix layout was 3.860 km (2.398 miles) long with 12 turns.
Can you visit Johor Circuit today?+
No, the site is closed to the public and there is no visitor infrastructure or organised access.
Where was Johor Circuit located?+
In Pasir Gudang, an industrial port town in Johor state, about 25-30 km east of Johor Bahru on Peninsular Malaysia's southern tip.
Other tracks nearby
- Marina Bay Street Circuit · 22 km · street circuit
- Sepang International Circuit · 280 km · road course
- Putrajaya Street Circuit · 294 km · historic circuit (defunct)
- Kuala Lumpur Street Circuit · 307 km · historic circuit (defunct)
- Jakarta International E-Prix Circuit · 906 km · historic circuit (defunct)
- Jakarta National Monument Circuit (Monas, planned/never built) · 911 km · historic circuit (defunct)
Facts checked against 3 sources including the official circuit website. Last reviewed 2026-09-11.