Johor Motorsports Racing (JMR) will reunite Scott McLaughlin, Nicky Catsburg and Alexander Sims for its Pro-class challenge at the 2026 Suzuka 1000km.
The trio took JMR’s Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R to third place at Suzuka last year during the team’s first appearance with an all-Pro line-up. JMR now returns with greater experience and aims to convert that podium into victory at the 50th edition of the Japanese endurance race.
Meanwhile, His Highness Prince Jefri Ibrahim and His Highness Prince Abu Bakar Ibrahim will share JMR’s Pro-Am entry with regular Pro driver Ben Green. The crew also reached the class podium at Suzuka in 2025 and recently claimed a Pro-Am victory at the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa.
JMR builds towards stronger 2026 Suzuka 1000km challenge
JMR has continued to strengthen its GT3 programme since last year’s Suzuka appearance. The Malaysian team competed at several major endurance events with the Corvette and secured its defining result of 2026 when Prince Jefri, Prince Abu Bakar, Green and Jordan Love won the Pro-Am class at Spa.
Prince Jefri believes those experiences have helped the team mature as it prepares to enter both the Pro and Pro-Am categories at Suzuka once again.
“This year is about growing stronger together as a team. We showed good pace at Le Mans and won our class at the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, which meant an enormous amount to us. A Pro entry in the big events has always been part of JMR’s plan; last year was our first appearance at Suzuka and we had two cars on the podium, and this year we’re hoping for an even stronger result. I’m really happy to have Alexander Sims, Scott McLaughlin and Nicky Catsburg in the Pro car.
“I’ve given the drivers the freedom to be completely transparent about whatever needs working on. The most important thing is a good result, and with their experience and speed, I’m really looking forward to seeing what they can do. This is just the beginning of JMR’s future with the Pro car. We’re still a young team, but we’re heading in the right direction, and the success we’ve found with Corvette has been a great start. I just want to keep improving as a driver, improve the car, and improve the team, so we’re strong in the bigger races we want to take on in the future.”
JMR has recorded four victories with the Corvette in less than two years. Therefore, the team enters Suzuka with momentum as it pursues another major result on the Intercontinental GT Challenge stage.
McLaughlin relishes JMR reunion
McLaughlin brings experience from several disciplines to the Pro entry. The New Zealander won three successive Supercars titles between 2018 and 2020 before moving to the IndyCar Series with Team Penske.
He finished third in the 2023 and 2024 IndyCar standings and has added two runner-up finishes and a third place at the Indianapolis 500 during the 2026 campaign. However, Suzuka also holds particular appeal after he helped JMR reach the podium in 2025.
“I’m so excited to get back with the team at JMR. 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.”
McLaughlin will again combine his single-seater experience with the extensive GT knowledge that Catsburg and Sims bring to the line-up.
Catsburg targets victory after landmark season
Catsburg arrives at Suzuka during a successful year with Corvette. The Dutchman remains in contention for the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship’s GTD Pro title and claimed the LMGT3 victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with TF Sport in June.
He also knows JMR well after racing with the team at Suzuka last year and at Bathurst in February. Catsburg now hopes the returning line-up can build on its previous performance and challenge for the outright win.
“Japan is one of my favourite destinations and I’m massively looking forward to being back at Japan and with JMR – it’s a team I’ve grown very fond of after our races at Suzuka last year and Bathurst in February. It’s very cool to have Scott McLaughlin back on board, and of course, to drive with Alex Sims again. I get to race against him a lot in America, so to race with him on the same team again will be nice. Last year at Suzuka we scored a podium after some awesome battles and with a very fast car, and hopefully we can fight for the podium, and even the win, in 2026.”
Sims completes the Pro crew following a strong IMSA campaign of his own. He won the Chevrolet Detroit Sports Car Classic in May and secured pole positions at both Detroit and the season-opening Rolex 24.
Green prepares for first Suzuka appearance
While the Pro trio returns to familiar surroundings, Green will make his first appearance at Suzuka. The British driver has expanded his experience at major circuits throughout 2026, including Bathurst and Le Mans, and now adds another renowned venue to his programme.
Green will partner Prince Jefri and Prince Abu Bakar following their Pro-Am success at Spa. Together, they will target another class victory while managing the heat and humidity that traditionally challenge competitors at Suzuka.
“I’m very excited to be heading to Suzuka for the first time. I’ve made my debut at several legendary tracks this year with JMR, such as Bathurst and Le Mans, so Suzuka will be another amazing circuit to add to that list! I’m looking forward to joining Prince Jefri and Prince Abu after our success last time out in the 24 Hours of Spa, where we won the Pro-Am class. We’ll give our best to fight through the heat and humidity for the top spot in the Pro-Am class once again!”
The Pro-Am crew will also aim to improve on the class podium it secured at the 2025 event.
JMR 2026 Suzuka 1000km Pro effort backed by Corvette
Corvette Racing has welcomed JMR’s decision to return to the Pro category alongside its established Pro-Am programme. Corvette Racing Programme Manager Andrea Hidalgo highlighted the quality of the all-Pro crew and the progress that JMR has made with the Z06 GT3.R.
“It’s very exciting to see JMR step up again to the Pro class at the Suzuka 1000km with Alexander, Nicky and Scott in the Corvette Z06 GT3.R. They are three world-class drivers, and everyone at Corvette Racing and our fans are looking forward to watching them go up against the best GT teams and drivers on the Intercontinental GT Challenge’s global stage. JMR’s success – four race wins in less than two years – with the Corvette has been impressive; we’re extremely proud of the success from Prince Jefri, Prince Abu Bakar and the whole JMR team, and can’t wait to see how both entries perform at Suzuka.”
The 2026 Suzuka 1000km will form the fourth round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC) and mark the 50th running of the event. A field of 33 GTA-GT300-specification cars will compete from 11–13 September, while the GT World YouTube channel will stream the race live.
