News
Three-time Supercars champion and INDYCAR racer Scott McLaughlin, 24 Hours of Le Mans champion Nicky Catsburg, and multi-time IMSA champion Alexander Sims will return as Johor Motorsports Racing’s Pro line-up for September’s Suzuka 1000km endurance race.
The all-star team tasted podium success at last year’s running of the iconic race, guiding their Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R to an impressive third place on JMR’s debut with an all Pro driver team.
“I’m so excited to get back with the team at JMR,” commented McLaughlin. “Their operation is absolutely first class and last year I had a real blast trying to win a race with such great people! Suzuka was one of my favourite races last year, so I can’t wait to get back there with JMR, Nicky and Alex, and push for the win in 2026.”
Andrew Sims, Nicky Catsburg and Scott McLaughlin finished third in the 2025 Suzuka 1000
Armed with another year of experience racing the Corvette at the world’s toughest GT3 races – including winning the Pro-Am class at the 2026 CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa – JMR has its sights firmly fixed on reaching the top step of the rostrum at Suzuka.
At the same time, Malaysian princes and brothers – His Highness Prince Jefri Ibrahim and His Highness Prince Abu Bakar Ibrahim – will partner with JMR’s regular Pro driver Ben Green in the Pro-Am class, with the focus on improving on their hard-fought class podium at the 2025 event.
New Zealand’s Scott McLaughlin (33), won the Australian Supercars Championship three times from 2018 to 2020 before heading to the US to contest the INDYCAR Series with the renowned Team Penske. He finished third overall in the 2023 and 2024 championships, and in 2026 has achieved two runner-up results and an impressive third at the Indy 500.
2026 has been a banner year for 38-year-old Dutchman Nicky Catsburg: the Corvette Racing factory driver is in contention for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (GTD Pro class), and chalked up a career highlight in June when he won the LMGT3 class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the TF Sport team.
Meanwhile, Catsburg’s Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports team-mate, Alexander Sims (38), had a breakout win at the Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic in May, while also securing pole positions at Detroit and the Rolex 24 season-opener. He holds down fourth in the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship fight.
Green enjoyed a hugely successful outing at their last race at the 24 Hours of Spa. In just their third attempt at the world’s biggest GT3 endurance race, the team (and Australia’s Jordan Love) charged around the clock to clinch a season-defining victory.
The 2026 Suzuka 1000km marks the 50th instalment of the iconic race, as well as the fourth round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge. From 11-13 September a total of 33 GTA GT300-spec cars will take the grid for this legendary race, which will be livestreamed via the GT World YouTube channel.
