KUALA LUMPUR – Johor Motorsports Racing (JMR) will be looking to defend their GT World Challenge Asia title when the 2023 season kicks off this weekend at Thailand’s Chang International Circuit.
Continuing their partnership with Australia’s most successful motor racing team, Triple Eight Race Engineering, JMR will be racing against the world’s fastest cars in the powerful Mercedes-AMG GT3.
Malaysian princes Tunku Abdul Rahman Sultan Ibrahim and Tunku Abu Bakar Sultan Ibrahim will team up with Australian V8 Supercars driver Broc Feeney and German endurance racing specialist Luca Stolz in Buriram this weekend.
Last year Tunku Abdul Rahman won the Pro-Am Championship in Asia, and finished third in Australia, while JMR and Triple Eight Engineering took the overall team championship in Asia.
JMR’s 2023 season is already off to a good start as Tunku Abdul Rahman finished fourth and third in the first two GT World Challenge Australia rounds, while Tunku Abu Bakar has been consistent with a fourth- and fifth-place finish in Australia.
Ahead of the race weekend, the team has already spent four days testing at the circuit in Thailand and will take their gained knowledge of car settings and track conditions to this weekend’s opening round in the Asia series.
In a statement, Tunku Abdul Rahman said this is a big year with many challenges ahead, given that he and the team walked away with the championship last year.
“This year has started well with a class podium at the Bathurst 12 Hour and at Perth, and hopefully we can carry this momentum forward into the rest of the season.
“I have been training hard in the gym and getting as much seat time as possible in the car, as I want to take my physical performance to the next level this year,” he said.
Meanwhile Tunku Abu Bakar noted that last year was a good experience for him, but he is ready to take his performance to the next level this season.
“I’m excited by the challenge of racing both the Australian and Asian rounds of the GT World Challenge and having the support of Luca (Stolz) and Triple Eight Engineering will mean we have given ourselves the very best chance of success,” he said.
Triple Eight Engineering team principal Jamie Whincup said 2022 was an awesome year for JMR and believes the trajectory the team is on for the next couple of years could even see the Johor team on the grid for events like the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
“Within the team we improved massively and we have come a long way over the past 12 months. There are no excuses for 2023, we have got all the tools required, and plenty of experience to get the job done,” he said.
The GT World Challenge Asia championship will be held over six months and starts in Thailand this weekend, followed by four rounds of racing in Japan, before finishing the season at the Sepang International Circuit from September 22 to 24. – The Vibes, May 12, 2023
