© 2025 JMR Racing. Powered by Orius Digital.
© 2025 JMR Racing. Powered by Orius Digital.
Intercontinental GT Challenge – Bathurst 12 Hour, NSW, Australia
In its debut showing with the Chevrolet Corvette, Johor Motorsports Racing has claimed a memorable class podium at the Meguair’s Bathurst 12 Hour endurance race.
Racing the Corvette Z06 GT3.R, the team inside the No. 99 car successfully navigated an incident-riddled day to clinch a hard-earned runner-up in the Pro-Am class.
It was a bittersweet result for the team after Pro car of Earl Bamber, Alexander Sims, Nicky Catsburg suffered a late mechanical DNF while fighting for outright honours.
After qualifying near the middle of the pack, both Corvettes came firing out of the blocks when the race began early on Sunday morning.
The Pro-Am team of His Highness Tunku Abdul Rahman Al-Haj Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, Tunku Panglima of Johor (HH Prince Jefri Ibrahim) and HH Tunku Abu Bakar Al-Haj Ibni Sultan Ibrahim, Tunku Putera of Johor (HH Prince Abu Bakar Ibrahim), Englishman Ben Green and Australian Jordan Love made excellent gains over the opening hours.
The drivers pushed themselves into the Pro-Am P2 position before one quarter of the gruelling race had elapsed, then stayed clear of the regular on-track incidents to capture the podium result and finish 14th outright.
The No. 99 car completed 261 laps of the spectacular Mt Panorama circuit over the 12 hours, showcasing the Corvette’s remarkable performance and reliability in race conditions. JMR’s Pro team was knocking on the door of an outright podium before suffering a mechanical DNF late in the race.
The No. 2 Corvette proved its race-winning pace by scything its way to the front and leading the pack most of the morning, but a poorly-timed safety car just before the halfway mark cost them dearly.
Catsburg muscled his way back to P3 after a red-flag restart, then handed the car to Bamber at the 10-hour mark. However, the decorated endurance racer’s late stint was shortlived – a mechanical failure saw him spin into a wall on his way back down the mountain and the car was forced to retire.
JMR is taking plenty of encouragement from clearly having the fastest car of the entire field; they’ll take that progress into the second round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge at Nürburgring, Germany on 14-17 May.
HH Prince Jefri Ibrahim: “This was my fourth Bathurst 12 Hour and my fourth podium. It’s been a long day for us with many challenges, but the team did an incredible job for both cars. We were hoping to get two cars on the podium, but unfortunately our sister car had a mechanical problem and had to retire. I’m really grateful to the team, and thanks to GM and GM Australia for all the support. For a debut, you couldn’t ask for more and hopefully we’ll be back next year. I’m also super-proud of my younger brother getting on the podium at his first-ever Bathurst 12 Hour. Kudos to all the drivers involved and everyone else, and I want to thank everyone who came and supported us at Bathurst and elsewhere. I was really touched by the belief and support of everyone, and hope that we can give them a better result when we come back next time.”
HH Prince Abu Bakar Ibrahim: “I’m honoured to be part of the debut of Corvette at Bathurst. I’m really happy to finish on the podium. It’s been a tough day, but the team and all the drivers did a great job to finish second.”
Ben Green: “It’s obviously great to get on the podium. I’m very happy to get the first podium for JMR at Bathurst with the Corvette, and it’s great to debut the car here. I really enjoyed it and working with JMR and GM. Big thanks to those collective groups for their hard work this week. I guess we have to come back next year to try and win it!”
Jordan Love: “I always love coming back to this place, so it was a very enjoyable weekend. To drive the Corvette around here for the first time around here was pretty special; it was super exciting and the race was really good. We had a few little issues with the car that cost us a little bit of time, but it was an absolute rocket. The boys did an amazing job getting the car ready and set up; it was super nice to drive throughout and one of the best cars I’ve ever driven around this track. After the past few weeks, it’s really nice to get a good result, and I’m really happy to spray the champagne at the end of the weekend.”
Earl Bamber: “It was a really good weekend. I’m really proud we could lead so many laps with the Corvette coming here for the first time. We learned so much and I’m so proud of it. It’s a shame we had the ending we did, but that’s racing and that’s the mountain for you. We’ll come back again. We found a really good window with the car, and I had no complaints with it. It was great to be back in the Corvette. We just chipped away at it – a great job by the team.”
Alex Sims: “The JMR team operated on a really high level and our Corvette was fast. We had a very strong race apart from the obvious issues that raised their heads. We executed a really good race and we had the speed, but was a what- could-have-been weekend. The win was on, so that was a huge positive. At the same time, we come here to win and you have to execute the race and finish it perfectly. There aren’t so many new experiences in motor racing any more for me, but my first Bathurst was fantastic.”
Nicky Catsburg: “We can be pretty proud and clearly had a fast car. I feel like we should’ve been fighting for the win today. We were up and down and were close to coming away with a good result here, but unfortunately, a mechanical issue that took us out. That’s a real shame, but the sport is like this. We’re not very nice on the cars here – we’re hammering them over curbs and against other cars, but I would’ve loved to have been on the podium at this special event. It was good to work with the JMR guys again. Everyone is so nice, and working with them is always a pleasure.”
Results – 2026 Meguair’s Bathurst 12 Hour
Qualifying:
No. 99 Pro-Am team – P4
No. 2 Pro team – P14
Race
No. 99 Pro-Am team – P2
No. 2 Pro team – DNF
