MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – The Nissan Sentra Cup had its debut in the United States this weekend, with Races 5 and 6 of the 2024 season presented at Lime Rock Park Circuit in Connecticut. The event was part of the Lime Rock SpeedTour, the largest annual event on the historic New England racetrack. The two-day event was met with sun, warm weather, along with some rain, and thousands of spectators at the edge of the track. Both Nissan Sentra Cup races were won by Mathieu Miron, his first two victories in the series.

The hierarchy set in place at the start of the season was shaken up beginning with the free practice on Friday. In qualifying, Mathieu Miron surprised the favourites, taking pole position for both races. Alexandre Fortin, the defending champion, Nicolas Barrette, Simon Vincent and Jean-François Couture completed the Top 5. For Couture, it was his best qualifying since his debut in 2023. Valérie Limoges completed the top six, identical for both qualifying.

With the summer sun shining down on the magnificent 2.4 km natural track, the Nissan Sentra Cup competitors presented their first event late Saturday morning. A group of five drivers battled for the victory the entire race, from beginning to end. Mathieu Miron resisted pressure from his competitors perfectly, preventing others from breaking the hierarchy formed from the beginning. The driver of the 191 Motorsport team won by four seconds, in front of Alexandre Fortin. Nicolas Barrette completed the podium, ahead of Simon Vincent, Valérie Limoges, Éric Chaput, Jean-François Couture, Raphaël St-Pierre, Nicolas Lévesque and Jean Audet.

"It's by coming to drive in such an event that we measure how popular and loved motorsport is in the United States. As a driver, I really liked it, not only because I won the race but because it was truly unique and it's incredible visibility for the Nissan Sentra Cup and us, as drivers," mentioned Mathieu Miron, the first driver to win the Cup in the United States.

The second race in the afternoon took place on a drying track after a brief but intense downpour. While Alexandre Fortin was able to take the lead for a few moments, Mathieu Miron regained control and raced towards another victory. The battle for second place enlivened the rest of the race, with Fortin holding off Valérie Limoges, Nicolas Barrette and Simon Vincent until the end. Nicolas Lévesque completed the Top 6 ahead of Éric Chaput, Jean Audet, Sylvain Ouellet and Jean-François Couture. The race ended under yellow flags due to Raphaël St-Pierre's off course. He was in sixth place with three laps to go.

"This was an extremely positive experience for all our competitors, our fans and Nissan Canada. We were particularly well received at Lime Rock, the atmosphere of this event was exceptional, with thousands of enthusiasts on site and we will do everything we can to come back next year." The media impact also perfectly met our expectations, it is a total success for the debut of the Nissan Sentra Cup in the United States" confides promoter Jacques Deshaies.

The conclusion of this event confirmed the mid-season champion for the 2024 Nissan Sentra Cup championship, Valérie Limoges. The honorary title holder took back first place from Nicolas Barrette at the end of the second race. The fight for the title is still very close, however, with five drivers grouped in just a few points. The next meeting of the season is the traditional and always popular Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières, on August 9, 10 and 11.

For more information on the Nissan Sentra Cup, visit the sentracup.comOpens in a new tab.  website and the series' social media channels. To relive the 2023 season events in video, visit the Nissan Sentra Cup YoutubeOpens in a new tab. page.

2024 CALENDAR – NISSAN SENTRA CUP

May 17, 18, 19                     Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Bowmanville, Ontario
July 06 and 07                      Grand Prix Nissan, Complexe ICAR - Mirabel, Québec
July 19 and 20                      Lime Rock Park, Connecticut (États-Unis)
August 09, 10, 11                 Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières, Québec
Aug. 30, 31 & Sept. 1st        Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Bowmanville, Ontario
September 27, 28, 29         Calabogie Motorsports Park, Ontario

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