Le mans: Following a memorable podium at Bathurst 12 Hour in February, Johor Motorsports Racing (JMR) is gearing up for the 'Season of Icons' by confirming its entry in this year's 24 Hours of Le Mans, Crowdstrike 24 Hours of Spa, and Suzuka 1000.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the statement said that next week's legendary Le Mans, hailed as the world's largest and most prestigious endurance race, is the first event to see JMR partnering with TF Sport to line up the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R. JMR owner and racer Tunku Panglima of Johor Tunku Abdul Rahman Sultan Ibrahim will make his first-ever appearance at Le Mans alongside JMR regular Pro driver and fellow Le Mans debutant Ben Green, while talented 23-year old Englishman Lorcan Hanafin will complete the three-man team for what will be his second Le Mans appearance.
"The level we're racing at now is something I've envisioned from when I started in 2019, so it's rewarding to achieve the targets and goals we set. After gaining experience and achieving many successes with Corvette last year, we're now lining up for the big, iconic endurance races. I've wanted to race at Le Mans since I started racing seven years ago, and I can't wait to experience such an iconic, challenging track," Tunku Abdul Rahman said in a statement, today.
The statement said the legendary race is as gruelling as it is beautiful; a total of 62 cars across three classes will race around the clock on the 13.6 km circuit comprising public roads and purpose-built racetrack, reaching speeds of almost 320 km/h. Two weeks later, JMR will return to Belgium's iconic Spa-Francorchamps circuit for the Crowdstrike 24 Hours of Spa with the team successfully completing the notoriously brutal race in 2025, and the aim now is to push for podium contention in the GT3 class.
"The four JMR drivers confirmed for Spa all have experience racing the 7 km circuit through the night. Joining Tunku Abdul Rahman and Ben Green in the Corvette Z06 GT3.R will be Tunku Abu Bakar Sultan Ibrahim and Australian JMR regular driver Jordan Love," the statement said.
JMR's Season of Icons peaks with a return to Suzuka 1000 on Sept 11-13 after securing two standout podium results there in 2025 (with both the Pro and Pro-Am teams finishing on the box), the Malaysian-based race team is hungry for another strong result. "2025 GT World Challenge Asia runner-up Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tunku Abu Bakar, and Ben Green will helm this year's Pro-Am team, with further exciting team updates to come," the statement said.