Johor bahru: Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) partnered with QSR Brands to organise Motorsports Talk 2.0 2026, giving the university's automotive and engineering students a first-hand look at the inner workings of the international motorsports scene. Held at the Raja Zarith Sofiah Library, the event was graced by Tunku Panglima of Johor Tunku Abdul Rahman Sultan Ibrahim and Tunku Putera of Johor Tunku Abu Bakar Sultan Ibrahim, who is also a racer for the Johor Motorsports Racing (JMR) team.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Tunku Abdul Rahman recounted the JMR team's journey to global success, including their recent historic win as the first Malaysian team to top the Pro-Am category at the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium. "I felt deeply moved and almost in disbelief when standing on the podium. Through the hard work and team spirit of JMR, this victory belongs to all of us," he said during a QandA session with UTM students at the programme.

QSR Brands chief executive officer and managing director Nehchal Khanna described JMR's Belgian triumph as a proud milestone for Malaysia, saying it echoes the company's commitment to building a resilient, globally competitive younger generation. "At QSR Brands, we believe that nation-building starts with developing capable, resilient human capital grounded in strong values. JMR's success highlights the importance of discipline and perseverance in shaping future leaders who will contribute to Malaysia's growth and competitiveness," he said.

Now in its seventh year of collaboration between KFC Malaysia and JMR, he said motorsports embodies innovation, technology, resilience and teamwork, the very drivers of success. "Through direct engagement with industry professionals and experienced athletes, students can see how their classroom knowledge translates into the real world. This prepares them to play a meaningful role in the nation's future development," he said.

Meanwhile, UTM vice-chancellor Prof Dr Mohd Shafry Mohd Rahim said the programme also showed students that motorsports offers opportunities across multiple disciplines-including data, AI, management, communications, marketing, business, psychology, safety and talent development. He said UTM is responsible for producing graduates who are not only knowledgeable in the classroom but also equipped to solve real-world problems. "That is why UTM is strengthening experiential learning, so students understand how their knowledge can be applied in high-performance environments," he said.

This year, JMR also made history with its debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, finishing 14th in the LMGT3 class, before going on to become the first Malaysian team to win the Pro-Am category at the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium.