+ Ibrahims and Green complete Corvette line-up
Scott McLaughlin, Nicky Catsburg and Alexander Sims are reuniting with JMR for a second crack at the Suzuka 1000km with JMR and Chevrolet.
The same trio finished third overall last year when the Summer Endurance Race - which celebrates its 50th edition on September 11-13 - was staged for the first time since 2019.
Unlike last season, both JMR Corvettes - the second of which features brothers Jefri and Abu Bakar Ibrahim as well as Ben Green - are eligible to score Intercontinental GT Challenge points. The Japanese event represents the penultimate round of SRO's globe-trotting GT3 series.
Its Pro entry will be amongst the favourites for overall victory thanks to a proven driver combination.
Three-time Supercars champion McLaughlin made the successful switch to IndyCar in 2021 where he competes for the Chevrolet-backed Team Penske squad, while Catsburg and Sims are both GM drivers who regularly race the Z06 GT3.R in IMSA. Catsburg also claimed class victory driving the same car at the Le Mans 24 Hours earlier this season.
He and Sims were also part of the JMR crew that contended for Meguiar's Bathurst 12 Hour victory in February before a late mechanical issue sidelined the entry.
"I’m so excited to get back with the team at JMR," said 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."
JMR's other entry will be a class contender once again thanks to the Ibrahim brothers and Green who claimed Pro-Am honours last time out at the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa. Jefri also lies second in IGTC's Independent Cup standings after scoring maximum points in Belgium, but has work to do to close down long-time leader Li Kerong who is 33 points clear.
"This year is about growing stronger together as a team," he said. "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."
