2023/09/25

Mississauga – The 2023 Nissan Sentra Cup season ended this weekend at Circuit Mont-Tremblant as part of the traditional Fall Classic. Two new races were on the schedule and were won by Nicolas Barrette on Saturday and Valérie Limoges Sunday.

Qualifying in pole position for the first event on Saturday, Alexandre Fortin led the race, followed by Nicolas Barrette, before retiring due to a mechanical problem. Afterwards, Barrette remarkably landed in first despite pressure from Valérie Limoges. The two drivers crossed the finish line in that order, marking Nicolas Barrette's first ever victory in the Nissan Sentra Cup.

The fight for third place was just as spectacular, with five drivers driving closely together throughout the 40-minute race. Mathieu Miron secured his spot on the podium for the second time this series by finishing third, ahead of Mathieu Miron, Simon Vincent, Vincent Lalande, Daniel Fortin and Nicolas Miron. Marie-Soleil Labelle, Jean Audet and Éric Chaput completed the Top 10.

In the Micra class, Raphaël St-Pierre dominated the race, ahead of Nicolas Lévesque and Charles-Étienne Boucher.

Drivers and fans of the series were welcomed with another beautiful day on Sunday for both the qualifying session and grand finale of the season. The finale would determine who, between Alexandre Fortin or Nicolas Barrette, will be the 2023 Nissan Sentra Cup champion.

Qualifying in pole position, ahead of Alexandre Fortin and his father Daniel Fortin, 2022 champion Valérie Limoges led the race from start to finish, en route to her third victory of the season. By finishing second, Alexandre Fortin secured the 2023 title. Behind him, after his father was slowed down by a puncture and Nicolas Barrette with mechanical problems, Simon Vincent completes the podium.

Mathieu Miron, Sylvain Ouellet, André Lapointe, Christian Thibault, Jean Audet, Nicolas Barrette and Daniel Fortin complete the final Top 10 of the season.

In the Micra class, Nicolas Lévesque won by a few tenths of a second in front of Raphaël St-Pierre and Charles-Étienne Boucher. Lévesque is the 2023 champion in this class, winning the poleposition.ca Trophy.

In the final championship standings, Alexandre Fortin finishes with 497 points, 43 more than Valérie Limoges, who secured second place, thanks to her victory this Sunday. Nicolas Barrette (443 points) completes the final podium, ahead of Simon Vincent, Mathieu Miron and Daniel Fortin.

US expansion and prize money in 2024!

Although the 2023 season has just come to an end, the series organizers and Nissan Canada are already looking towards 2024. In addition to events in Canada (Quebec and Ontario) next season will see the series hosted at the Lime Rock Park track in Connecticut, marking the first ever event in the United States, on July 19 and 20, 2024.

The Nissan Sentra Cup, which was confirmed for the 2024 and 2025 seasons last August, will also offer $30,000 in cash prizes next season, in addition to certificates from Nissan Canada for spare parts (a value of $50,000), offered to drivers who finish on the podium of each race.

“It was a magnificent season and, as always, we had to wait until the very last race to crown the champion,” said Jacques Deshaies, the series promoter. “Next year, the Nissan Sentra Cup will evolve again, this time becoming a North American series since we will have an event in the United States on the calendar, at the Lime Rock track in Connecticut. The addition of this track, located near Boston, on the schedule delighted the drivers, especially since next year, they will share $30,000 in prize money (including $10,000 for the champion), in addition to the $50,000 awarded annually by Nissan Canada through the reward check program for the Top 3 finishers of each race,” he adds.

For Nissan Canada President Steve Milette, “this 2023 season has been a great success and I congratulate the champions, all the participants and the organizers. The Nissan Grand Prix, at the beginning of July, was undoubtedly one of the best new developments of the season and I am happy to see it confirmed in 2024. The expansion to the United States is also a very exciting new development for the series, the drivers and of course Nissan Canada.”

For more information on the Nissan Sentra Cup, visit sentracup.comOpens in a new tab. and the series' social media. To watch all the events of the season, visit the Nissan Sentra Cup YouTube pageOpens in a new tab..

SCHEDULE 2023 - NISSAN SENTRA CUP

May 26, 27, 28                     Spring Classic, Circuit Mont-Tremblant, Québec
July 9                                    Nissan Grand Prix, Complexe ICAR - Mirabel, Québec
August 4, 5, 6                       Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Québec
August 26                              NASCAR Event, Complexe ICAR - Mirabel, Québec
September 1, 2, 3               Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Bowmanville, Ontario
September 22, 23, 24         Fall Classic, Circuit Mont-Tremblant, Québec

To follow the Nissan Sentra Cup on social media:

Facebook: @CoupeSentraCupOpens in a new tab.
Instagram: @nissansentracupOpens in a new tab.
Twitter: @SentraCupOpens in a new tab.
YouTube: SentraCupTVOpens in a new tab.

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