JORDAN PEPPER
31 July 1996 – Johannesburg, South Africa.
Being a racing driver would almost certainly be Jordan Pepper’s destiny. With dad Iain, a South African Touring Car driver, Jordan spent his early years heading to the track to watch his father and sister, former W-Series driver Tasmin, race.
Once old enough to realise what was going on Jordan begged his dad for a go-kart so he could go karting like his sister was and finally got into the action himself when he got his first kart at four years old.
The bug bit Jordan right away. Most weekends were spent at the track racing, watching motorsport events live or watching racing on TV. Racing was something they did together as a family. Their shared passion was ultimately what helped him develop his career in motorsports.
As a karter, he raced several international races and competed at a high level locally and internationally – usually finishing as the top South African in his age group.
Jordan was inspired and driven by his love for the sport and looked at his future as having the unique opportunity to learn from his older sibling’s mistakes. While it’s likely every race car driver’s ultimate dream to race in Formula One, it’s a dream that is unfortunately near impossible for a South African due to the financial costs associated with the sport. Through consulting with his dad, Jordan decided to go the saloon car route and target endurance racing as his niche.
Under his father’s guidance, Jordan made his debut in the VW Polo Cup in South Africa for two races in 2011 and competed in the full 2012 season, finishing as ‘Rookie of the Year’ and third place overall. This link with VW opened up an opportunity to compete in the Scirocco-R Cup in Europe the following year. Jordan ended in third place in 2013, his first year in the series and won the series the following year – opening up doors for him in the European motorsports scene.
Jordan took the step to move overseas full-time in 2015, racing for ABT Sportsline in ADAC GT Masters in an Audi and a Bentley in 2016. Competing in a limited five-race programme in 2017, Jordan impressed Bentley enough to be rewarded with a full-time factory contract for the 2018 season.
Jordan went on to represent the brand at the most prestigious GT3 races and championships around the world, including the 24hrs of Spa, Suzuka 10hr, Kyalami 9hr, and Bathurst 12hr to name a few. Having represented the brand at the highest level in GT3 racing, Jordan cemented himself not only as one of Bentley’s top gunners but also gained respect as one of the top GT drivers in the world.
In his tenure with the brand, he played a pivotal role in Bentley’s success in the GT3 era, winning the Bathurst 12hr in Feb 2020 before the global Pandemic kicked in – the pandemic ultimately having a role in the ending of Bentley’s Factory programme and the reshaping of Jordan’s Career.
Jordan looked to new opportunities and found his racing home in America aboard a Lamborghini Hurracan GT3 Evo for K-PAX Racing, a team he shared success with while with Bentley.
His 2021 season proved to be one of great success. He went on to dominate the GTWC America Championship alongside Lamborghini Factory driver Andrea Caldarelli, claiming multiple pole positions, 10 Wins and 12 Podiums, en route to the title. Jordan also went on to join Inception Racing in their Mclaren 720 GT3 for a one-off attack at the 24hrs of Spa, although mechanical issues hindered their chance at a class win.
For 2022 the focus was still on America. Jordan had his eyes firmly set on defending his title. Although falling just short of scoring back-to-back titles, he still got an impressive P2 in the GTWC America Championship and played a pivotal role in the team winning the Team Championship for the 2nd year in a row. He also represented K-PAX at the 24hrs of Spa for an attack for overall glory, but after leading the race, punctures ultimately took them out of contention.
Alongside his duties with K-PAX Racing, Jordan joined Inception Racing in their IMSA North American Endurance Cup assault where they managed to fight up front all season. Consistent results led Jordan to claim the championship in the highly competitive GTD class.
Although Jordan loved having the possibility of driving for multiple brands and had great success doing so, it was time for a change in 2023. In January, Jordan signed a multi-year deal with Lamborghini Squadra Corse, making him the first South African to become a factory driver for the Italian supercar brand.
He sealed his first year with the brand with a stellar podium spot at Monza, on Lamborghini’s home soil.
As we enter an exciting new era in the world of endurance racing, this new chapter in Jordan’s career is an opportunity he is going to grab with both hands.
