2023/08/06

Mississauga - Launched on Canadian racetracks in 2021 following the success of the Nissan Micra Cup (2015 to 2020), the Nissan Sentra Cup will be extended for two more seasons, in 2024 and 2025. The announcement of this news came as positive surprise for drivers, fans of the brand and Canadian motorsport world and was made this weekend during the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières, where two races of the series were held. The former saw the victory of Alexandre Fortin on both Saturday and Sunday.

By extending the three-season program to the years 2024 and 2025, Nissan Canada and JD Promotion & Compétition, the series promoter, reaffirm their commitment to Canadian motorsport and allow fans to benefit from the spectacle of the popular series for two more seasons. With the Nissan Micra Cup that was launched on the tracks in 2015, it will be a full decade (11 seasons) that will have seen Nissan Canada sponsor a series in Canadian motorsport, which constitutes an unprecedented involvement in the country for a Road racing series.

This highly contested 2023 season also confirms the success of the series."I am very happy to confirm our involvement for the 2024 and 2025 seasons with the Nissan Sentra Cup. In addition to the interest of drivers and fans of the Nissan brand, what is particularly exceptional is that the Nissan Sentra Cup continues to attract new racing enthusiasts and customers of our brand. We witnessed this last month with the first ever Nissan Grand Prix at the Complexe ICAR; and this weekend at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières, it was a pleasure to see all these spectators in the grandstands and in our paddocks to follow the series," said Steve Milette, President of Nissan Canada Inc.

The Series' promoter Jacques Deshaies, confirms: "Since the launch of the Nissan Micra Cup in 2015, we have allowed dozens of new drivers to taste the pleasure of motorsport by evolving with almost street cars in a one-make championship where talent always comes above budget. I am very happy with this announcement and I am inviting drivers and fans to the tracks, via social media and on television, for the 2024 and 2025 seasons".

Before getting there, the 2023 season is obviously continuing and this weekend at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières, rounds 5 and 6 were presented. Two races with no less than 30 drivers entered, which marked the end of the first half of the season.

Qualified in pole position on Friday, Simon Charbonneau led all the laps of the first race on Saturday, except the last one! Taking advantage of a restart just one lap from the end, Alexandre Fortin surprised the championship leader at the first turn to take the lead and race to his second victory of the season. Charbonneau finished second, just ahead of Valérie Limoges, the defending series champion who battled for a podium spot throughout the 40-minute race.

Sylvain Ouellet, Stefan Gauthier, Nicolas Miron, André Lapointe, Paul Dargis, Marie-Soleil Labelle and Mathieu Miron complete the Top 10. In the Micra class, Frédéric Bernier crossed the finish line in first place, but was excluded from the results for using non-compliant tires. It was Nicolas Lévesque who was declared winner, ahead of Simon Vincent and Sean Scully.

Sunday, in front of full grandstands and a hot summer sun, the second race saw Charbonneau lead from the start, while remaining under pressure from Valérie Limoges then Alexandre Fortin. Contact between Charbonneau and Fortin then allowed Fortin to take the first position few turns later, while Simon Charbonneau fell to 8th place.

Alexandre Fortin won both races. 3rd Saturday, Valérie Limoges finished 2nd, ahead of Nicolas Barrette, Samuel Rowe, Daniel Fortin, Stefan Gauthier, Mathieu Miron, Simon Charbonneau, Nicolas Miron and Frédérick Chaput. In the Micra class, Simon Vincent clinched his very first career victory in the GP3R, ahead of Raphaël St-Pierre and Charles-Étienne Boucher.

In the Drivers' Championship, after six races, Simon Charbonneau remains in first place and is the honorary mid-season champion. Alexandre Fortin is second, ahead of Nicolas Barrette, Valérie Limoges and Simon Vincent.

The next event will take place on August 26th. It will be a return to the Complexe ICAR in Mirabel. After the Nissan Grand Prix and its packed grandstands last July, this time it will be another event for the general public, notably featuring the Canadian NASCAR series and the Nissan Sentra Cup. Two new races will be on the program for the day.

For more information on the Nissan Sentra Cup, visit sentracup.comOpens in a new tab. and the series' social media. To re-watch all the events of the 2022 season, visit the Nissan Sentra Cup YouTube pageOpens in a new tab..

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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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