Tsukuba Circuit, Motorsport racing track in Shimotsuma, Japan

Tsukuba Circuit is a motorsport race track in Shimotsuma, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. Its main Course 2000 measures 2,045 m, with a 282 m home straight and a 437 m back straight; a chicane used only for motorcycle racing raises the length to 2,070 m. The layout has a wide variety of corners, from wide sweepers to hairpins. A separate oval course for auto race driver training sits between the first corner and the second hairpin, and Course 1000, a roughly 1,000 m circuit, lies within the grounds.

The track was conceived in 1966 to draw young people into motorsport, and its basic 2 km course was paved in June 1969 in what is now Shimotsuma. It opened officially on 22 June 1970, the third circuit in Japan after Suzuka and Fuji. All-Japan F3 and JTCC rounds were held here, and Course 1000 opened in 2001.

Tsukuba is the birthplace of Japanese time attack: tuning magazines organised timed laps here, and the HKS CT230R Lancer Evolution was built with a carbon-fibre body to win them. The paddock restaurant's motsu-teishoku stewed offal set meal is a favourite, and the gas station sells circuit souvenirs.

The grounds include several pit lanes and spectator areas positioned directly along the course, offering clear views of cornering action. The facility also provides rental options and courses for drivers with different experience levels.

Kazuyoshi Hoshino drove the fastest lap here in around 50 seconds during the 1979 Tsukuba Champions race qualification in a March 792 Formula Two car. This record shows how intensely even short tracks can challenge both driver and machine.