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CORVETTE RACING AT BATHURST: Runner-Up Class Finish for JMR
No. 99 Corvette earns podium finish in car’s Bathurst debut; No. 2 fastest in the race
BATHURST, New South Wales, Australia (February 15, 2026) – Johor Motorsports Racing (JMR) and the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R drove to a podium finish Sunday in the Bathurst 12 Hour – the first appearance for the team and the Corvette GT3 car at the event.
The quartet of Ben Green, Jordan Love, Prince Abu Bakar Ibrahim and Prince Jefri Ibrahim placed second in the Pro Am class and 14th overall with their No. 99 Corvette. They rebounded from 25th on the grid and climbed as high as 10th in the overall order in a wild and attrition-filled race.
None of the four drivers set a foot wrong in what also served as the opening round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge. It was a large reason why three of the teammates – Green, Love and Prince Abu Bakar Ibrahim – finished on the podium for the first time in Bathurst. In addition, Prince Jefri Ibrahim recorded his best career finish in the 12 Hour after third-place class finishes each of the last three years.
Both of JMR’s Corvettes were the race’s biggest movers early. The No. 2 Z06 GT3.R of Alexander Sims, Nicky Catsburg and Earl Bamber rocketed up the standings from the start and ran toward the front for most of the event before having to retire inside the final two hours.
The No. 2 Corvette played the strategy game early and made it pay off. Bamber qualified 25th but made up six spots before the first of eight full-course yellows. The JMR team elected to stop for a fuel fill to go off-strategy which eventually cycled Bamber into the top-five at the time of the race’s second FCY near the 90-minute mark.
From that point on, the No. 2 Corvette was a constant at the front of the field. Sims stormed to the lead near the end of his stint, and Catsburg ran at the front for the entirety of his stint. The three drivers cycled back through with the Corvette part of the lead fight into the final two hours. As he did at Suzuka last year, Catsburg starred in the race’s latter half, and Sunday he posted the fastest lap of the race in his final stint.
The chase for an overall victory came to an end as Bamber stopped on track with a little more than 90 minutes left in the race.
The next race for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R is the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship on Saturday, March 21.
CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R DRIVER QUOTES
ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 2 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: "The JMR team operated on a really high level and our Corvette was fast. We had a very strong race apart from the obvious issues that raised their head. We executed a really good race and we had the speed. I honestly didn't expect the race pace to be what it was. It seemed to be when we did many laps that the tires switched on. We didn't really see that performance in practice and maybe doing lots of shorter runs was part of the reason for that. It was the same in qualifying... not having a long enough run. Earl's fastest lap was his last one. It was a what-could-have-been weekend. The win was on, so that was a huge positive. But at the same time we come here to win and you have to execute the race and finish it perfectly. A lot of good things done by the team.
"My first Bathurst has been fantastic. It took me a little bit of time to feel comfortable with the track. In the race having two stints doing fuel-saving and pushing with other cars around, I started to feel really comfortable. It's been a really enjoyable process for me to go through. There aren't so many new experiences in motor racing any more for me. To have one of those is fantastic."
NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 2 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: "We can be pretty proud. We did a good job throughout all the practice sessions to get the car into the window for the race. We clearly had a fast car. I feel like we should have been fighting for the win today. We were up and down and were close to coming away with a good result here. Unfortunately we had a mechanical issue that took us out. That's a real shame but that's part of it. The sport is like this. We are not very nice on the cars here. We're hammering them over curbs and against other cars. It's not easy but this happens. But I would have loved to have been on the podium here. It's a special event. It was good to work with the JMR guys again. I've now worked with them twice - Suzuka and now Bathurst. I feel like we were always fast. Everyone with the team is so nice, and working with Simsy and Earl is always a pleasure. It was a lot of fun but no result.
"The problem was that we didn't really have a lot of tires for practice. We needed to prep the car with pretty much one set only. The engineers did an awesome job and we made the right decisions for the race. It worked out for us, but these mechanical issues are part of it and unfortunately we had one of those today."
EARL BAMBER, NO. 2 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: "To be honest it was a really good weekend. I'm really proud we could lead so many laps with the Corvette coming here with it for the first time. We learned so much and I'm so proud of it. It's a shame we had the ending we did, but that's racing and that's the mountain for you. We'll come back again. We found a really good window with the car, and I had no complaints with it. It was great to be back in the Corvette. We just chipped away at it. A great job by the team."
BEN GREEN, NO. 99 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: "It's obviously great to get on the podium. I'm very happy to get the first podium for JMR at Bathurst with the Corvette. It's great to debut the car here. I really enjoyed it and working with JMR and GM. Big tanks to those collective groups for their hard work this week. I guess we have to come back next year to try and win it!"
JORDAN LOVE, NO. 99 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: "Obviously I always love coming back to this place so it was a very enjoyable weekend. To drive the Corvette around here for the first time around here was pretty special. It was super exciting and the race was really good. We had a few little issues with the car that cost us a little bit of time, but it was an absolute rocket. The boys did an amazing job getting the car ready and set up for the first race. It was super, super nice to drive throughout and one of the best cars I've ever driven around this track. I had really good fun and got to start the race, which I've never done before but was super exciting. After the last few weeks, it's really nice to get a good result. I'm really happy to spray a little bit of champagne at the end of the weekend."
HH PRINCE ABU BAKAR IBRAHIM, NO. 99 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: "I'm honored to be part of the debut of Corvette at Bathurst. I'm really happy to finish on the podium. It's been a tough day, but the team and all the drivers did a great job to finish second."
HH PRINCE JEFRI IBRAHIM, NO. 99 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: "It's been a long day for us with many challenges. But the team did an incredible job for both cars. We were hoping to get two cars on the podium but unfortunately our sister car had a mechanical problem and we had to retire it. I'm really grateful to the team, and thanks to GM for all the support and GM Australia as well. This is a debut for us and we couldn't ask for more. Hopefully we'll come back next year. I'm also super-proud of my younger brother doing his first-ever Bathurst 12 and getting on the podium. Kudos to all the drivers involved and everyone else. Lastly I'd like to thank everyone who came and supported us for this race in Bathurst and also elsewhere. We really appreciate the support and we hope that when we come back next time, we can give them a better result."
Ryan Smith
CORVETTE RACING AT BATHURST: Runner-Up Class Finish for JMR
No. 99 Corvette earns podium finish in car’s Bathurst debut; No. 2 fastest in the race
BATHURST, New South Wales, Australia (February 15, 2026) – Johor Motorsports Racing (JMR) and the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 GT3.R drove to a podium finish Sunday in the Bathurst 12 Hour – the first appearance for the team and the Corvette GT3 car at the event.
The quartet of Ben Green, Jordan Love, Prince Abu Bakar Ibrahim and Prince Jefri Ibrahim placed second in the Pro Am class and 14th overall with their No. 99 Corvette. They rebounded from 25th on the grid and climbed as high as 10th in the overall order in a wild and attrition-filled race.
None of the four drivers set a foot wrong in what also served as the opening round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge. It was a large reason why three of the teammates – Green, Love and Prince Abu Bakar Ibrahim – finished on the podium for the first time in Bathurst. In addition, Prince Jefri Ibrahim recorded his best career finish in the 12 Hour after third-place class finishes each of the last three years.
Both of JMR’s Corvettes were the race’s biggest movers early. The No. 2 Z06 GT3.R of Alexander Sims, Nicky Catsburg and Earl Bamber rocketed up the standings from the start and ran toward the front for most of the event before having to retire inside the final two hours.
The No. 2 Corvette played the strategy game early and made it pay off. Bamber qualified 25th but made up six spots before the first of eight full-course yellows. The JMR team elected to stop for a fuel fill to go off-strategy which eventually cycled Bamber into the top-five at the time of the race’s second FCY near the 90-minute mark.
From that point on, the No. 2 Corvette was a constant at the front of the field. Sims stormed to the lead near the end of his stint, and Catsburg ran at the front for the entirety of his stint. The three drivers cycled back through with the Corvette part of the lead fight into the final two hours. As he did at Suzuka last year, Catsburg starred in the race’s latter half, and Sunday he posted the fastest lap of the race in his final stint.
The chase for an overall victory came to an end as Bamber stopped on track with a little more than 90 minutes left in the race.
The next race for the Corvette Z06 GT3.R is the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship on Saturday, March 21.
CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R DRIVER QUOTES
ALEXANDER SIMS, NO. 2 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: "The JMR team operated on a really high level and our Corvette was fast. We had a very strong race apart from the obvious issues that raised their head. We executed a really good race and we had the speed. I honestly didn't expect the race pace to be what it was. It seemed to be when we did many laps that the tires switched on. We didn't really see that performance in practice and maybe doing lots of shorter runs was part of the reason for that. It was the same in qualifying... not having a long enough run. Earl's fastest lap was his last one. It was a what-could-have-been weekend. The win was on, so that was a huge positive. But at the same time we come here to win and you have to execute the race and finish it perfectly. A lot of good things done by the team.
"My first Bathurst has been fantastic. It took me a little bit of time to feel comfortable with the track. In the race having two stints doing fuel-saving and pushing with other cars around, I started to feel really comfortable. It's been a really enjoyable process for me to go through. There aren't so many new experiences in motor racing any more for me. To have one of those is fantastic."
NICKY CATSBURG, NO. 2 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: "We can be pretty proud. We did a good job throughout all the practice sessions to get the car into the window for the race. We clearly had a fast car. I feel like we should have been fighting for the win today. We were up and down and were close to coming away with a good result here. Unfortunately we had a mechanical issue that took us out. That's a real shame but that's part of it. The sport is like this. We are not very nice on the cars here. We're hammering them over curbs and against other cars. It's not easy but this happens. But I would have loved to have been on the podium here. It's a special event. It was good to work with the JMR guys again. I've now worked with them twice - Suzuka and now Bathurst. I feel like we were always fast. Everyone with the team is so nice, and working with Simsy and Earl is always a pleasure. It was a lot of fun but no result.
"The problem was that we didn't really have a lot of tires for practice. We needed to prep the car with pretty much one set only. The engineers did an awesome job and we made the right decisions for the race. It worked out for us, but these mechanical issues are part of it and unfortunately we had one of those today."
EARL BAMBER, NO. 2 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: "To be honest it was a really good weekend. I'm really proud we could lead so many laps with the Corvette coming here with it for the first time. We learned so much and I'm so proud of it. It's a shame we had the ending we did, but that's racing and that's the mountain for you. We'll come back again. We found a really good window with the car, and I had no complaints with it. It was great to be back in the Corvette. We just chipped away at it. A great job by the team."
BEN GREEN, NO. 99 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: "It's obviously great to get on the podium. I'm very happy to get the first podium for JMR at Bathurst with the Corvette. It's great to debut the car here. I really enjoyed it and working with JMR and GM. Big tanks to those collective groups for their hard work this week. I guess we have to come back next year to try and win it!"
JORDAN LOVE, NO. 99 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: "Obviously I always love coming back to this place so it was a very enjoyable weekend. To drive the Corvette around here for the first time around here was pretty special. It was super exciting and the race was really good. We had a few little issues with the car that cost us a little bit of time, but it was an absolute rocket. The boys did an amazing job getting the car ready and set up for the first race. It was super, super nice to drive throughout and one of the best cars I've ever driven around this track. I had really good fun and got to start the race, which I've never done before but was super exciting. After the last few weeks, it's really nice to get a good result. I'm really happy to spray a little bit of champagne at the end of the weekend."
HH PRINCE ABU BAKAR IBRAHIM, NO. 99 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: "I'm honored to be part of the debut of Corvette at Bathurst. I'm really happy to finish on the podium. It's been a tough day, but the team and all the drivers did a great job to finish second."
HH PRINCE JEFRI IBRAHIM, NO. 99 CHEVROLET CORVETTE Z06 GT3.R: "It's been a long day for us with many challenges. But the team did an incredible job for both cars. We were hoping to get two cars on the podium but unfortunately our sister car had a mechanical problem and we had to retire it. I'm really grateful to the team, and thanks to GM for all the support and GM Australia as well. This is a debut for us and we couldn't ask for more. Hopefully we'll come back next year. I'm also super-proud of my younger brother doing his first-ever Bathurst 12 and getting on the podium. Kudos to all the drivers involved and everyone else. Lastly I'd like to thank everyone who came and supported us for this race in Bathurst and also elsewhere. We really appreciate the support and we hope that when we come back next time, we can give them a better result."
Ryan Smith