Prince Jefri Ibrahim's Johor Motorsports Racing (JMR) squad is making waves in the world of endurance racing, with a recent debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans under the wings of TF Sport. This marks a significant step forward for the Malaysian team, which has been a rising star in the GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS. Now, JMR is setting its sights on a full-time place in the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC), a bold move that could shape the future of the team.
JMR's journey began in 2019 with an operations partnership with Triple Eight Race Engineering. Since then, they've achieved success in the GT World Challenge Asia, but their true ambition lies in endurance racing. After a complete reinvention as a fully in-house team last year, JMR made its Le Mans debut, finishing 14th in class despite a gearbox problem that cost them four laps. This experience, however, was a dream come true for Prince Jefri, who has been working towards this goal for seven years.
The team's No. 2 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3, driven by Prince Jefri, Lorcan Hanafin, and Ben Green, showed promise, running within the top-six at times during the race. This performance, despite the setback, is a testament to JMR's rapid development and their ability to compete at the highest level.
Looking ahead, Prince Jefri is focused on endurance racing, with a particular emphasis on the WEC. He envisions a future where JMR becomes a full-time participant in the WEC, a challenging goal given the regulations that limit each manufacturer to only two cars per brand. To achieve this, JMR would need to partner with an existing team or take over a program from a manufacturer already on the grid.
One of the team's immediate priorities is the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, where they will field a single Pro-Am class Corvette entry due to the unavailability of factory Corvette drivers. This race, part of the IGTC, will be a stepping stone towards their endurance racing aspirations.
Prince Jefri's passion for endurance racing is evident, and his team's rapid growth has been exhilarating. He describes their journey as a learning process, taking it step by step with the ultimate goal of achieving major sports car success. With their sights set on the WEC, JMR is poised to make a significant impact in the world of endurance racing, leaving a lasting impression on the sport.
