Prince Jefri Ibrahim harbors ambitions for his Johor Motorsports Racing outfit to secure a permanent FIA World Endurance Championship berth in the future after lining up for this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans under TF Sport’s umbrella.
The Malaysian squad earned a spot as an additional entry that TF arranged for Le Mans to celebrate triumphing in the LMGT3 class of the European Le Mans Series the previous year.
JMR originated in 2019, initially operating via a collaboration with Triple Eight Race Engineering, and has enjoyed success in GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS; it is now aiming to establish a foothold in endurance racing after reimagining itself with a fully in-house team last year.
The JMR-branded No. 2 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R, driven by Prince Jefri alongside Lorcan Hanafin and Ben Green, ended Le Mans in 14th place in its class after dropping four laps owing to a gearbox issue, though it had at times been positioned inside the top six during the race’s middle segment.
“It has always been the dream to compete at this event, and it has taken seven years for me to reach it, making Le Mans the absolute pinnacle of my goals,” Prince Jefri told Sportscar365.
“From the moment we established the team last year, we built everything from scratch with a fresh team, and to be here in just our second year represents a significant milestone for us.”
“I’m genuinely excited for the crew; they have put in immense effort to reach this moment.”
Looking ahead, he added: “Our wish is to return to Le Mans next year and participate in more endurance events.”
“Right now, our plan is to concentrate on the major endurance races and, perhaps someday, the World Endurance Championship—the objective would be to compete on the full calendar.”
Asked specifically about which other series might feature in those plans, he replied: “The WEC, IGTC, and predominantly the big endurance events will be our focus.”
“I have competed in sprint races with the Corvette since 2025, so from this year onward we want to emphasize that path and focus on building the team and elevating it to greater heights.”
A WEC LMGT3 entry would probably require collaboration with an existing squad or assuming a program from a current manufacturer, given the rule that only two cars per brand are permitted on the grid.
TF Sport, for instance, recently extended its agreement with Chevrolet, ensuring the British squad will continue to field the Corvettes in the WEC through at least the end of the 2027 season.
Meanwhile, Prince Jefri has also dismissed any immediate plans to tackle the Nürburgring 24, amid chatter that the Corvette could soon be homologated to contend in the Eifel endurance classic.
That event constitutes the sole IGTC round JMR is expected to miss this year, though the squad will enter only a single Pro-Am class Corvette at next weekend’s CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa because there aren’t enough factory Corvette drivers available due to a clash with the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen.
Reflecting on JMR’s rapid development, Prince Jefri described its growth so far as exciting as he now targets major sports-car success.
“It’s been a massive learning curve for us and an incredible journey to reach this point,” he said. “We’re enjoying it and taking things step by step.”
“We will strive to perform at our best at all times, and we hope that a victory will eventually be within reach as we push forward with everything we’ve got.”
Hanafin was drafted into the No. 2 Corvette lineup only a couple of weeks before the race and was impressed by what the squad achieved.
“Le Mans is one of the most physically demanding races in the world: long straights, demanding braking zones, and you have to stay on the limit for every single lap across 24 hours,” he explained.
“It’s a remarkable achievement for Prince Jefri to finish this event on his first attempt, and I feel fortunate to have played a part in it.”
Prince Jefri added: “This is our first try, and we know what to expect next time; we’ll come back stronger.”
