Mississauga (Ontario) – The Nissan Sentra Cup returned to Ontario this weekend for its penultimate event of the 2024 season. As part of the Labour Day holiday in Canada, the series featured two new races, won by Simon Vincent and Valérie Limoges.
The event, which included the Nissan Sentra Cup and several American motorsport series, attracted thousands of spectators on Friday. Free practice and qualifying sessions took place for the twenty drivers competing in the Nissan Sentra Cup. By the end of qualifying, an unexpected hierarchy emerged, with Daniel Fortin securing pole position ahead of four title contenders: Simon Vincent, Nicolas Barrette, Valérie Limoges, and Alexandre Fortin.
On Saturday, despite summer temperatures and a track still wet from overnight storms, the first 40-minute race began. Simon Vincent, a rally champion, made a perfect start from 2nd position and led the race. After two full-course cautions due to incidents involving Jean-François Couture and Sylvain Ouellet, the final restart saw Vincent make a decisive move while Barrette and Alexandre Fortin battled for second place. On the last lap, Barrette closed to within half a second of Vincent but couldn't overtake him, securing Vincent's first-ever Nissan Sentra Cup victory.
Alexandre Fortin completed the podium, followed by Nicolas Miron, Valérie Limoges, Matthieu Miron, Daniel Fortin, and Frédérick Chaput. Éric Chaput finished ninth, and Nicolas Lévesque rounded out the top 10.
On a beautiful Sunday, the second race featured Valérie Limoges and Nicolas Barrette in the front row. Limoges maintained her lead through the initial turns, with the top three (Limoges, Barrette, and Vincent) quickly distancing themselves from the rest of the pack, initially led by Alexandre Fortin and later by brothers Nicolas and Matthieu Miron.
Despite several overtaking attempts, the leading order remained unchanged. Valérie Limoges secured her fourth victory of the season, holding off Barrette and Vincent throughout the incident-free, forty-minute race. The top three were separated by just seven-tenths of a second at the finish line. Frédérick Chaput finished fourth after an intense battle with Nicolas Miron. Matthieu Miron, Nicolas Lévesque, Éric Chaput, Jean-François Couture, and Raphaël St-Pierre rounded out the top ten.
In the Nissan Sentra Cup championship standings, Valérie Limoges is still in the lead but has not yet clinched the 2024 title, which would be her second in three seasons. She leads Nicolas Barrette, Simon Vincent, Matthieu Miron and Alexandre Fortin in points. While all five drivers remain in contention for the title, Fortin's chances are slim after a puncture relegated him to 17th place in the second race this weekend.
DRIVE FESTIVAL September 6, 7, and 8
Nissan Canada's activities at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park continue next weekend with the Drive Festival on September 6, 7, and 8. This large-scale automotive exhibition will feature many attractions, including a D-BOX Motion Zone presented by Nissan. Fans can experience cutting-edge technology and feel what it's like to be a professional driver. D-BOX creates immersive entertainment experiences using haptic technology, enhancing the way people interact with content. Prominent in sim racing, D-BOX's motion systems provide realistic racing simulations for both professional and amateur drivers. The Nissan Sentra Cup demo car will be on display in the Motion Zone.
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.
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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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