Due to the JRM Group’s extensive work with Skyline and GT-R models, the association brought with it a natural link to the Nissan brand and therefore, when the chance to form a partnership for a high-profile international campaign featuring the GT-R came up, it was an opportunity too good to miss.
The opportunity came in the form of the FIA GT1 World Championship. Organised and promoted by the SRO Group, this high-profile global sports car series was launched in spectacular style in the centre of Paris on 1st March 2010. The brand new championship included ten rounds on ten different countries, with each weekend comprising two one-hour races that featured a compulsory driver-change between 25 and 35-minutes.
To contest this exciting new series, Sumo Power GT (so-called to promote the company’s parts and tuning business) was formed in January 2010 and NISMO confirmed the team would become its official partner. Its weapon was the awesome V8-engined Nissan GT-R, NISMO supplying two identical cars that had been developed specifically for the Championship during the course of 2009.
Within hours of the agreement being reached, the operation was launched at January’s Autosport International. Then, immediately after the show, frenetic activity prevailed as team members and contracted drivers were appointed: Michael Krumm from Germany, Peter Dumbreck, Warren Hughes and Jamie Campbell-Walter from the UK.
And what a team it was, with some of the best GT drivers in the world in the cars and some of the best engineers in the sport in the pits. In fact the team manager and chief engineer was none other than Nigel Stepney, who had worked with Michael Schumacher at Ferrari for all seven of his Formula 1 titles.
The 2010 FIA GT1 World Championship season blasted off in spectacular style at Yas Marina and then, in round two at Silverstone, British drivers Warren Hughes and Jamie Campbell-Walter claimed the team’s first ever victory by winning in GT-R #22. As well as the team’s inaugural win, Warren and Jamie were also presented with the prestigious Tourist Trophy, the oldest award in the history of motorsport. It was quite a moment.
The team took its pair GT1 GT-Rs to further victory in Portugal and scored a total eight podium finishes, with drivers Michael Krumm and Peter Dumbreck in #23 ending the season an impressive fifth.
Without doubt, 2010 was a year that will be remembered by everyone involved with Sumo Power GT’s first FIA GT1 World Championship campaign. In less than ten-months from its creation, the team became a major force in international GT racing, scoring two race wins, recording eight podium finishes, claiming the coveted Tourist Trophy at Silverstone and instigating some of the best overtaking moves of the season.
Now with an impressive first season behind it, JR Motorsports made the decision to increase its involvement by entering two teams in 2011, with one target in its sights: to become world champions.
Just like 2010, the championship visited 10 different locations, but this time the two Sumo Power GT GT-Rs would be joined by an identical pair, painted in JRM Racing livery. Yet again, the team’s line-up of drivers was the envy of others, with Sumo Power GT contracting Brazilians Enrique Bernoldi and Ricardo Zonta in #20, together with David Brabham and Jamie Campbell-Walter in #21. For JRM Racing it was the all-British crew of Richard Westbrook and Peter Dumbreck that took the wheel in #22 and Germans Lucas Luhr and Michael Krumm who did likewise in #23.
Yet again, the season got off to a flying start at Yas Marina. But this time, the GT-Rs were at the front of the field. It was a position that became more and more familiar as the season progressed and, after the four cars succeeded in scoring five wins and 18 podium finishes, it all came down to the final round in Argentina.
After two races at the unique San Luis circuit, Michael and Lucas emerged as World Champions. This amazing result also provided Nissan with its first ever global crown, the Nissan GT-R beating cars from Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Ford and Chevrolet.
So what next for JR Motorsport? The team had now achieved what it had set out to do and the FIA GT1 Championship was changing, to GT3. As it was, the question was already answered…LMP1 and the FIA World Endurance Championship.
See the JRM Racing LMP1 section on this website for further details.