HERITAGE
Discover the stories behind our iconic races, the legendary drivers who paved the way, and the passionate fans who have supported us through the years. Join us in celebrating our legacy and the milestones.
1940
a rich history is born
Sultan Ismail Ibni Almarhum Sultan Ibrahim first raced a Mercedes Benz 540k Special and helped to organise the first Johor Grand Prix in 1940 when he was still Tunku Mahkota of Johor. The Sultan was the grandfather of HH Tunku Jefri Ibrahim and HH Tunku Abu Bakar.
The Grand Prix was held on a 3.7km street course in the area of the Johor Zoo, along the seafront, adjacent to the Straits of Johore separating Singapore and Johor Bahru. As well as fundraising for the WW2 effort in Europe, this helped establish motor racing in the region.
1986
establishing the Johor Circuit
The late Sultan Iskandar opened the permanent Johor Circuit in Pasir Gudang, which was soon upgraded to the strict FIM World GP homologation requirements in 1990. It went on to host the Superbike World Championship in 1992 and 1993, as well as the World Motorcycle Grand Prix Championship in 1998.
Johor Circuit has also hosted the Asian Festival of Speed and other racing series throughout Asia during the 2000s. It’s the heart of motorsport in Johor and is now being restored by the Johor Royal Family to accommodate a driving academy and motorsports museum for the grassroots community.
2017
Johor circuit closes
Sultan Ibrahim Ismail announced that the circuit would be redeveloped. In 2016, the new design plan was presented with a cost of US$800 million. However, the redevelopment plans failed, and the circuit was closed in 2017 following the Asia Road Racing Championship races. It had operated for 31 years, but work is still ongoing to reinstate this crucial piece of Malaysia’s motor racing fabric.
2019
JMR Racing established
Continuing his family’s long-standing passion for motorsports, HH Tunku Jefri Ibrahim established the JMR Racing Team, and raced the Thailand Super Series and GT World Challenge Asia Championship. In his first year of racing, the prince claimed one victory and three podiums in the Thai series then finished P4 in the World Challenge Asia, scoring one win and four podiums. The successful year set the scene for a new chapter in the family’s rich racing heritage.
2022
JMR Racing emerges and wins GT World Challenge Asia
HH Tunku Jefri Ibrahim established a partnership between established the JMR Racing Team in a partnership withand Australian Supercars Championship mainstays Triple Eight Racing. Racing the Mercedes-AMG GT3, the Triple Eight JMR team of HH Tunku Jefri Ibrahim and HH Tunkuy Abu Bakar partnered with pro drivers Nick Foster and Jazeman Jaafar. They quickly established themselves as front-runners in the GT World Challenge Asia series, ultimately winning the Pro-Am Teams’
championship in their debut year.
2023
JMR secures second in GT World Challenge Asia
The two princes were joined by Mercedes-AMG Pro driver Luca Stolz and Supercars ace Broc Feeney to again contest the GT World Challenge Asia. With multiple wins and podium performances, HH Tunku Abu Bakar shone, narrowly missing out on the driver’s championship.
2025
A new beginning with Chevrolet
JMR Racing unveiled a new partnership with Chevrolet Corvette Racing to contest the GT World Challenge Asia, equipped with the Corvette Z06 GT3.R. Backed by pro drivers Ben Green (England) and Jordan Love (Australia), JMR secured Chevrolet’s first GT World Challenge victory on debut, when HH Tunku Jefri Ibrahim charged to victory at the first round at Sepang. 2025 also saw JMR return to the legendary Crowdstrike 24 Hours of Spa, where they successfully completed the race in just their second attempt at the iconic race.