BMW M Motorsport has a new factory driver, with 29-year-old Jordan Pepper set to contest GT programs with the M4 GT3 EVO in 2026.
Pepper and fellow BMW works drivers Sheldon and Kelvin van der Linde grew up racing against each other in South Africa, so it’s a bit of a homecoming. One of Pepper’s early experiences was in the VW Scirocco R Cup, where Kelvin van der Linde also started out.
Pepper moved into faster GT cars in the ADAC GT Masters series in 2015-2016 before expanding his racing programs into several other GT racing programs over the years, including here in the U.S. Pepper won the GT World Challenge America Championship with co-driver Andrea Caldarelli in 2021, driving a Lamborghini Huracan GT3.
Pepper won the GT World Challenge America Pro class championship in 2021. (David Haueter Photo)
Most recently, Pepper competed in the GT World Challenge Sprint Cup and DTM championships with Lamborghini in 2025 and won the Spa 24 Hour with the Grasser Racing Team. He had three podium finishes in the DTM championship, including a win at the Norisring, and finished second with Luca Engstler in the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup championship, behind BMW drivers Kelvin van der Linde and Charles Weerts.
“It’s very exciting to begin a new chapter of my career with BMW M Motorsport,” Pepper says. “In South Africa, BMW is a very prestigious brand that I grew up with and always admired. My path into professional racing in Europe, however, took me through other manufacturers. Now I have the opportunity to drive for BMW M Motorsport, and I’m extremely excited about it. Over the years, I’ve seen how strong they are as competitors, and now I’m looking forward to driving the BMW M4 GT3 EVO for the first time. I know that adapting to a new car is always a challenge, and I’ll need to get used to the car over the winter but I generally like this type of car, as I’ve spent much of my career in similar cars. I can’t wait to work with all the great drivers at BMW M Motorsport – including, of course, Sheldon and Kelvin van der Linde. We’ve known each other since we were kids and are good friends.”
Pepper’s BMW program for 2026 has yet to be announced.
—David Haueter
[Photos courtesy BMW, David Haueter]
