JMR Go Runner Up At The Suzuka 1000...
Johor Motorsports continued its podium success at the Suzuka 1000 round of the
Intercontinental GT Challenge, with the Pro-Am team delivering an impressive, consistent performance to secure P2 in the class.
JMR owner and racer His Highness Tunku Abdul Rahman Al-Haj Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, Tunku Panglima of Johor (HH Prince Jefri Ibrahim), HH Tunku Abu Bakar Al-Haj Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, Tunku Putera of Johor (HH Prince Abu Bakar Ibrahim), and Pro driver Ben Green all executed clean stints throughout the six-and-a-half-hour race, leading them to the Pro-Am podium.
After the team qualified third in class the night before, HH Prince Jefri Ibrahim took on
starting duties on a damp Suzuka circuit. Early-race maneuvering saw the #99 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R initially drop to P5, before a strong stint from Green lifted them to P2 before the halfway point. From there, it was a matter of maintaining track position and minimizing mistakes for the rest of the race, with the team crossing the line in the runner-up spot – and 12th overall – after 1,068km of racing. The result also placed the Pro-Am team third in the Independent Cup.
Meanwhile, JMR’s pro team of Scott McLaughlin, Nicky Catsburg, and Alexander Sims battled all day to replicate their 2025 podium performance, narrowly missing the rostrum with a P4 finish.
Impressive early pace and clean pit stops saw the #2 JMR Corvette quickly rise from its
P8 qualifying position and surge into the top three. The trio remained contenders and
established themselves as front-runners throughout the day, but a class and overall podium result slipped from their grasp during the final hour of darkness.
Despite this, JMR’s class podium concludes an incredibly successful racing season; the team achieved a top-three result at the Meguiar’s Bathurst 12-Hour, a runner-up finish at the 50th anniversary of the Suzuka 1000, secured a standout victory at the Crowdstrike 24 Hours of Spa, and successfully completed the 24 Hours of Le Mans on debut.
HH Prince Jefri Ibrahim: “Achieving P2 in the class was great and I’m incredibly proud of the whole team, but now I want to come back next year and win – we have unfinished business here! Our Pro team was very close as well, but finished just off the podium. It’s not the result we wanted, but we’re here to learn and I’m sure we’ll come back stronger in the future. Nonetheless, I’m very proud of everyone involved for making it all happen in 2026. It’s been a great year for us – we had a lot of new challenges and all the races have been tough, but we proved we can give it our all, no matter the situation. I’m incredibly proud to race alongside my brother this year, achieve multiple podiums and win the 24 Hours of Spa. He’s grown as a great driver and I’m hoping we can do more in the future.”
HH Prince Abu Bakar Ibrahim: “Last year we finished third here, and to go one step better, to second, at the 50th anniversary of the Suzuka 1000 is an amazing achievement for the team. In 2026 we achieved a podium or a win at every Intercontinental GT Challenge event we entered. It’s been amazing and I’m very proud of the team, and of my brother, who has worked very hard for the JMR’s success.”
Ben Green: “This was my debut at Suzuka, and it was great to finish second in the Pro-Am class and come close to the top step of the podium. Our Corvette was fantastic all race, and it just got faster and faster as the event went on.
This has been a year of iconic tracks – Bathurst, Le Mans, Spa, and Suzuka – and we’ve had podiums at almost every race. It’s been a fantastic year and to round it out with another strong result is a really good feeling. These results are due to the team’s and the drivers’ hard work, on and off the track.”
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