GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS – Crowdstrike 24 Hours of Spa

Against the odds, the Johor Motorsports Racing Team has successfully completed one of the toughest events on the global motorsports calendar, the Crowdstrike 24 Hours of Spa in Belgium.

At what’s heralded as the biggest GT3 race in the world, the JMR team and their Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R crossed the line 12th in the Bronze Cup and 43rd overall, adding the Spa 24 Hour to their growing list of achievements in 2025.

Piloted by 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), England’s Alexander Sims and Australian Jordan Love, the team managed to stay consistent and circulating when many others failed.

The warm conditions throughout the legendary race paid a heavy toll on the field, with more than one third of the 74-strong field failing to finish.

The JMR Team wasn’t immune to difficulties: the race got off to a shaky start when a mechanical issue on the starting grid forced the crew to make some frantic repairs from pit lane. When the car finally hit the track, they were already six laps down on the rest of the field.

Despite the early set-backs, HH Prince Jefri Ibrahim put in a solid opening stunt behind the wheel of the #2 car, avoiding early chaos that claimed multiple competitors and seeing a great platform for the team to launch from for the remainder of the race.

JMR emerged from the night having moved themselves up the overall standings, running 13th in the class and 47th overall, before an extended pit-stop saw them slip back down the leaderboard.

The remaining 10 hours were a clinic in car management and savvy race-craft as the JMR drivers joined forces to put in safe, consistent laps and focus solely on completing the race.

Acer clocking 527 laps, and undertaking 27 pit-stops, the JMR team crossed the line for the first time ever in a remarkable P12. The feat helped Chevrolet wrap up a perfect return to Spa for the first time in more than a decade, with both representative Corvettes completing the demanding race.

The championship-leading JMR Team will be back in action at Fuji, Japan, on 11-13 July 2025 for rounds seven and eight of the GT World Challenge Asia.

HH Prince Jefri Ibrahim: “Completing the 24-Hour feels great and it’s not an easy thing to do. We had some hurdles at the beginning of the race, but I’m super-proud of the team – every single person did an amazing job working around the clock, and I’m very grateful to them. It was our first time here with the Corvette and to see both Corvettes finish this race is a proud moment. They’ve been a great partner, the car is amazing to drive and we look forward to having more races together. Now we begin preparing for GT World Challenge Asia in Japan in two weeks’ time, and continuing to hold our position at the top of the Pro-Am championship.”

HH Prince Abu Bakar Ibrahim: “We’re really happy to have finished the race. It’s a new car for us this year and we learnt plenty about both the race and the car over the 24 hours. As much as we wanted to push really hard for the whole race, we had to be smart and consider how the car behaved with its fuel levels, tyre wear and the long time on track. We’re really happy with the performance of the car and the support we’ve received from Corvette.”

Jordan Love: “There were a lot of highs and lows throughout the race. The team found an issue with the car while going to the grid, so we had to start from pit lane and six laps down. That meant we had a big task ahead of us and it’s a huge achievement to have made it to the finish, which was the goal we’d set for ourselves. We had many ups and downs throughout the day, but the car was mega and the entire crew did an awesome job for the 24 hours. This isn’t my first time completing the Spa 24-Hour, but it’s right up there with one of the most gruelling, tricky ones I’ve experienced.”

Results – 2025 GT World Challenge, Spa-Francorchamps
Qualifying: P17 in Bronze Cup // P69 Overall
24-Hour race: HH Prince Jefri Ibrahim/HH Prince Abu Bakar Ibrahim/Alexander Sims/Jordan Love – 12th in Bronze Cup // 43rd Overall