Mississauga, Ont. - Ontarian driver Marco Signoretti, a rookie this year in the series and in closed-car racing overall, claimed the 2019 Nissan Micra Cup Championship title this weekend at Circuit Mont-Tremblant. With this win, he becomes the first rookie driver and the first Ontarian to achieve this accomplishment.
In a battle for the overall title with Quebecker Kevin King, Marco Signoretti managed to keep the lead ahead of his rival throughout the duration of the race on Saturday afternoon, despite rainy conditions, to ensure he earned enough points to be crowned 2019 champion. "I thought back at my 12 years of experience in karting and the errors I sometimes made," Signoretti said following Saturdays race. He continued "I then managed my race the best I could knowing that the ultimate goal was to claim the title, I'm very ecstatic to have won the Nissan Micra Cup in my rookie season."
After winning the pole position, the PayPal/Motorsports In Action Team driver did not take any risks while at the front of the pack. A great battle was also shaping up between Valérie Limoges (H.Grégoire Nissan), Jake Exton (Clarington Nissan) and another young karting driver, Gavin Sanders. For the numerous fans attending the 2019 Fall Classic, seeing Limoges earn the victory after 40-minutes of racing was definitely something to applaud.
The triumph for Limoges, the third in the series for the Quebec driver, was achieved after a close fight with Gavin Sanders, a standout in this race after overtaking both Jake Exton and Marco Signoretti. In the end, Limoges won by less than six-tenths of a second ahead of Sanders. Exton finished in third position in front of Éric Chaput, Signoretti, and Ben Cooper. As a former Karting World Champion, Cooper made his Nissan Micra Cup debut at this event and didn't miss a beat. Taylor Near, Kevin King, Frédéric Bernier, and Sylvain Ouellet completed the top 10.
Under sunny skies, Sunday's activities began with a new achievement for Ben Cooper. The triple world karting champion, originally from Great Britain and currently residing in Mont-Tremblant, claimed pole position at the qualifying session. During the race, the battle for first place, which included at least six drivers in the first few laps, resulted in Cooper having to end his day early following a contact with Gavin Sanders and Kevin King.
This benefited Marco Signoretti, who took over the lead despite pressure from Jake Exton. The new 2019 champion crossed the finish line first ahead of Exton and Austin Riley, the young autistic driver whose third place finish rounded out an exceptional season. Nicolas Barrette completed the top four, ahead of Sylvain Ouellet, Kevin King (following a penalty), Sacha Gagnon (another promising young driver with a karting background), Nicolas Touchette, Mario Bwerthiaume and Francis Bellerive.
Sylvain Ouellet's sixth place, combined with Frédéric Bernier's retirement after a contact with Valérie Limoges, gave Ouellet the Senior Class title. The suspense in this category lasted throughout the entire season until the very last race. Bernier, largely the favorite, eventually conceded the crown to his rival by only four points.
In the overall championship, Marco Signoretti is the champion ahead of Kevin King, Valérie Limoges, Jake Exton, Taylor Near, Austin Riley, Sylvain Ouellet, Frédéric Bernier, Nicolas Barrette, and Éric Chaput. At least 37 drivers took part in the 2019 Nissan Micra Cup season.
The Fall Classic at Circuit Mont-Tremblant marked the end of the 2019 Nissan Micra Cup. The season was once again a great success, with a record number of different drivers winning races and new entrants into the series. The sixth season of the Nissan Micra Cup will begin in May 2020.
All those who were not able to attend the race are invited to get a feel of the Nissan Micra Cup atmosphere by visiting the Micra Cup TV channel on Youtube, at : https://www.youtube.com/MicraCupTVOpens in a new tab., as well as on Facebook. The series produces and shares numerous updates on social media, including Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, in both French and English.
The weekend's two races can also be watched on the series Facebook page and on Micra Cup TV on YouTube.
For more information on the Nissan Micra Cup, please visit the official site www.micracup.comOpens in a new tab..
To follow the series on social media:
Facebook: Coupe Nissan Micra CupOpens in a new tab.
Instagram: @nissanmicracupOpens in a new tab.
Twitter: @MicraCupOpens in a new tab.
Youtube: MicraCupTVOpens in a new tab.
COMPLETE WEEKEND RACE RESULTS AND CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS :
https://www.micracup.com/2019-Results_ClassGenOpens in a new tab.
2019 Nissan Micra Cup Calendar :
May 17- 19 Victoria Day Weekend SpeedFest, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Ontario
June 1 - 2 Kyle Nash Race Weekend, Calabogie Motorsports Park, Ontario
July 26 - 28 Summer Classic, Circuit Mont-Tremblant, Québec
Aug 9 - 11 Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières, Québec
Aug 23 - 25 NASCAR Weekend, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Ontario
Sept 27 - 29 Fall Classic, Circuit Mont-Tremblant, Québec
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