The Jarno Saarinen Imatra Circuit is a motorsport street circuit in Imatra, Finland. Since 2022 the circuit name was additionally given Jarno Saarinen's name as a memorial homage to the 50th Anniversary of his World Championship. The circuit has existed in two versions, and has been exclusively used for the "" motorcycle road race. From 1962 to 1978 a clockwise street circuit in the east of the town of Imatra was used. The circuit ran along the Vuoksi river and a railway line that had to be crossed. From 1979 to 1986 a shorter circuit was used. This was only long and consisted mostly of the western part of the original circuit.
From the 1964 season until the 1982 season the Grand Prix of Finland was run 19 times in Imatra. From the 1983 season the "Imatranajo" lost its World Championship status due to the dangerous nature of the circuit and the death of sidecar driver Jock Taylor in 1982.
The last road race on the Imatra Circuit for many years was held in 1986 when a six-year-old boy died after falling under a running wheel, but classic races still took place. Road racing returned to Imatra in August 2016 with a round of the International Road Racing Championship, and another round was held in 2017. In the "Imatranajo" on June 15, 2019, a fatal crash occurred when a Swiss rider Mathias Gnägi with a Superbike dropped off the track in the rain and was killed. Another fatal accident occurred on the 2nd of July 2023, when former IRRC Supersport Champion Joey den Besten from the Netherlands, came off the track in a IRRC Superbike Round in the wet on a warm-up lap and struck a lighting pole.
Lap records
As of July 2025, the fastest official race lap records at the Jarno Saarinen Imatranajo Circuit are listed as:
CategoryTimeDriverVehicleEvent Jarno Saarinen Imatranajo Circuit (1979–1986, 2016–present): Superbike 1:48.743 BMW M1000RR 2025 Imatranajo IRRC SBK round Supersport 1:53.429 Richard Cooper Yamaha YZF-R6 2025 Imatranajo IRRC SSP round 500cc 1:54.000 Marco Lucchinelli Suzuki RG 500 gamma 1981 Finnish motorcycle Grand Prix 250cc 2:10.300 Gregg Hansford Kawasaki KR250 1979 Finnish motorcycle Grand Prix 125cc 2:26.800 Ricardo Tormo Bultaco 125 1979 Finnish motorcycle Grand Prix Grand Prix Circuit (1964–1978): 500cc 2:05.900 Johnny Cecotto Yamaha YZR500 1977 Finnish motorcycle Grand Prix 350cc 2:13.800 Takazumi Katayama Yamaha TZ 350 1978 Finnish motorcycle Grand Prix 250cc 2:16.600 Walter Villa Harley-Davidson RR250 1977 Finnish motorcycle Grand Prix 125cc 2:23.500 Pier Paolo Bianchi Morbidelli 125 1977 Finnish motorcycle Grand Prix 50cc 2:59.900 Julien Vanzeebroeck Kreidler 50 GP 1976 Finnish motorcycle Grand Prix
Finnish Grand Prix results From 1964 to 1972 Year Class 1st 2nd 3rd Fastest Lap 1964 50 cc Hugh Anderson (Suzuki) Hans-Georg Anscheidt (Kreidler) Luigi Taveri (Kreidler) Hugh Anderson (Suzuki) 125 cc Luigi Taveri (Honda) Ralph Bryans (Honda) Jim Redman (Honda) Jim Redman (Honda) 350 cc Jim Redman (Honda) Bruce Beale (Honda) Endel Kiisa (CKEB) Jim Redman (Honda) 500 cc Jack Ahearn (Norton) Mike Duff (Matchless) Gyula Marsovszky (Matchless) Mike Duff (Matchless) 1965 125 cc Hugh Anderson (Suzuki) Frank Perris (Suzuki) Jochen Leitert (MZ) Hugh Anderson (Suzuki) 250 cc Mike Duff (Yamaha) Heinz Rosner (MZ) Ralph Bryans (Honda) Mike Duff (Yamaha) 350 cc Giacomo Agostini (MV Agusta) Bruce Beale (Honda) František Boček (Jawa) Giacomo Agostini (MV Agusta) 500 cc Giacomo Agostini (MV Agusta) Paddy Driver (Matchless) Fred Stevens (Matchless) Giacomo Agostini (MV Agusta) 1966 125 cc Phil Read (Yamaha) Luigi Taveri (Honda) Ralph Bryans (Honda) Luigi Taveri (Honda) 250 cc Mike Hailwood (Honda) Stuart Graham (Honda) František Šťastný (Jawa) Mike Hailwood (Honda) 350 cc Mike Hailwood (Honda) Heinz Rosner (MZ) Jack Ahearn (Norton) Mike Hailwood (Honda) 500 cc Giacomo Agostini (MV Agusta) Mike Hailwood (Honda) Jack Findlay (McIntyre-Matchless) Giacomo Agostini (MV Agusta) 1967 125 cc Stuart Graham (Suzuki) Bill Ivy (Yamaha) Dave Simmonds (Kawasaki) Bill Ivy (Yamaha) 250 cc Mike Hailwood (Honda) Bill Ivy (Yamaha) Derek Woodman (MZ) Mike Hailwood (Honda) 500 cc Giacomo Agostini (MV Agusta) John Hartle (Métisse-Matchless) Billie Nelson (Norton) Giacomo Agostini (MV Agusta) Sidecars Klaus Enders/ Ralf Engelhardt (BMW) Johann Attenberger/ Josef Schillinger (BMW) Georg Auerbacher/ Eduard Dein (BMW) Klaus Enders/ Ralf Engelhardt (BMW) 1968 125 cc Phil Read (Yamaha) Bill Ivy (Yamaha) Heinz Rosner (MZ) Bill Ivy (Yamaha) 250 cc Phil Read (Yamaha) Heinz Rosner (MZ) Rodney Gould (Bultaco-Yamaha) Phil Read (Yamaha) 500 cc Giacomo Agostini (MV Agusta) Jack Findlay (McIntyre-Matchless) Derek Woodman (Seeley) Giacomo Agostini (MV Agusta) Sidecars Helmut Fath/ Wolfgang Kalauch (URS) Heinz Luthringshauser/ Geoff Hughes (BMW) Georg Auerbacher/ Hermann Hahn (BMW) Helmut Fath/ Wolfgang Kalauch (URS) 1969 125 cc Dave Simmonds (Kawasaki) Günter Bartusch (MZ) Cees van Dongen (Suzuki) Dave Simmonds (Kawasaki) 250 cc Kent Andersson (Yamaha) Günter Bartusch (MZ) Börje Jansson (Yamaha) Kent Andersson (Yamaha) 350 cc Giacomo Agostini (MV Agusta) Rodney Gould (Yamaha) Giuseppe Visenzi (Yamaha) Giacomo Agostini (MV Agusta) 500 cc Giacomo Agostini (MV Agusta) Billie Nelson (Paton) Godfrey Nash (Norton) Giacomo Agostini (MV Agusta) Sidecars Klaus Enders/ Ralf Engelhardt (BMW) Helmut Lünemann/ Johnny Bengtsson (BMW) Heinz Luthringshauser/ Geoff Hughes (BMW) Helmut Fath/ Wolfgang Kalauch (URS) 1970 125 cc Dave Simmonds (Kawasaki) Thomas Heuschkel (MZ) Hartmut Bischoff (MZ) Ángel Nieto (Derbi) 250 cc Rodney Gould (Yamaha) Kent Andersson (Yamaha) Paul Smart (Yamaha) Rodney Gould (Yamaha) 350 cc Giacomo Agostini (MV Agusta) Kent Andersson (Yamaha) Rodney Gould (Yamaha) Giacomo Agostini (MV Agusta) 500 cc Giacomo Agostini (MV Agusta) Ginger Molloy (Kawasaki) Alberto Pagani (Linto) Giacomo Agostini (MV Agusta) Sidecars Klaus Enders/ Ralf Engelhardt (BMW) Siegfried Schauzu/ Peter Rutterford (BMW) Arsenius Butscher/ Josef Huber (BMW) Klaus Enders/ Ralf Engelhardt (BMW) 1971 125 cc Barry Sheene (Suzuki) Dieter Braun (Maico) Gert Bender (Maico) Barry Sheene (Suzuki) 250 cc Rodney Gould (Yamaha) John Dodds (Yamaha) Dieter Braun (Yamaha) Jarno Saarinen (Yamaha) 350 cc Giacomo Agostini (MV Agusta) Jarno Saarinen (Yamaha) Billie Nelson (Yamaha) Giacomo Agostini (MV Agusta) 500 cc Giacomo Agostini (MV Agusta) Dave Simmonds (Kawasaki) Rob Bron (Suzuki) Giacomo Agostini (MV Agusta) Sidecars Horst Owesle/ Peter Rutterford (Münch-URS) Richard Wegener/ Adi Heinrichs (BMW) Jean-Claude Castella/ Albert Castella (BMW) Siegfried Schauzu/ Wolfgang Kalauch (BMW) 1972 125 cc Kent Andersson (Yamaha) Ángel Nieto (Derbi) Dieter Braun (Maico) Kent Andersson (Yamaha) 250 cc Jarno Saarinen (Yamaha) Silvio Grassetti (MZ) Kent Andersson (Yamaha) Jarno Saarinen (Yamaha) 350 cc Giacomo Agostini (MV Agusta) Jarno Saarinen (Yamaha) Renzo Pasolini (Aermacchi) Giacomo Agostini (MV Agusta) 500 cc Giacomo Agostini (MV Agusta) Alberto Pagani (MV Agusta) Rodney Gould (Yamaha) Giacomo Agostini (MV Agusta) Sidecars Chris Vincent/ Michael Casey (Münch-URS) Klaus Enders/ Ralf Engelhardt (Busch-BMW) Siegfried Schauzu/ Wolfgang Kalauch (BMW) Chris Vincent/ Michael Casey (Münch-URS)
From 1973 to 1982 (Coloured background = the race was boycotted by international competitors)