Mississauga, Ont. – This weekend at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park track northeast of Toronto, the Nissan Micra Cup held its ninth and tenth races of the 2019 season. The two events were presented as part of the NASCAR Truck Series weekend, one of the most notable of the season in Canada, and saw Marco Signoretti claim his first win in the Nissan Micra Cup series.
On Saturday, several Ontarian drivers on the track didn't miss their chance to shine in front of fans including Marco Signoretti, Austin Riley and Jake Exton who qualified in the first three positions heading into the first race on Saturday. Valérie Limoges, once again among the front-runners, qualified in fourth ahead of championship leader Kevin King and Signoretti's teammate, Taylor Near.
Saturday's action-packed race saw Signoretti and Exton occupy the front positions lap after lap, however, it was Austin Riley that impressed the crowd with his performance as the young driver with autism overtook Exton, then battled Signoretti for the victory.
The last lap of the race was particularly intense which ended with Marco Signoretti securing his first win of the series, just ahead of his PayPal/Motorsports In Action teammate, Taylor Near. Jake Exton (Clarington Nissan) finished in third place after a photo finish with Austin Riley (Racing with Autism), who were separated by a mere seven one-thousandths of a second when crossing the finish line. However, Near was penalized by one position, placing Exton in second, Near in third, and Riley in fourth.
Behind this Ontario foursome, a first in the history of the series, was Senior Class winner Sylvain Ouellet. Valérie Limoges (H Grégoire Nissan), who was involved in an intense battle for third place during the first half of the race, finished in sixth ahead of the newcomer Gavin Sanders, who had an impressive Nissan Micra Cup debut. Kevin King, André Lapointe, and Xavier Lassus followed suit rounding out the top 10.
On Sunday morning, a trio of Ontarian drivers dominated the front of the pack with the PayPal/Motorsports In Action team drivers, Signoretti and Near, earning the first starting line just ahead of Austin Riley. Limoges and King claimed fourth and fifth place, followed by Sanders.
During the lunch hour, a parade for Canadian Nissan Micra and Z owners and a Nissan Micra cup drivers' autograph session was hosted. Later in the afternoon, the exceptional 100 per cent electric Nissan LEAF NISMO RC returned to the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park as the series' pace car and led the group of Micras to start the second race.
A thrilling battle for first position quickly ensued between Signoretti, Riley, Exton and Near. By mid-race, Signoretti and Riley had distanced themselves from the rest of the group, and despite pressure from a very poised and mature Austin Riley, Signoretti didn't relent and went on to claim his second victory of the weekend.
Valérie Limoges edged out Jake Exton at the finish line by just 58 thousands of a second. Taylor Near rounded out the top five, ahead of Gavin Sanders, the top placed Senior Class Sylvain Ouellet, Frédéric Bernier, André Lapointe and Mario Berthiaume.
In the drivers' championship, Marco Signoretti took over the lead from King, who finished 11th in the second race. Valérie Limoges is currently in third place, ahead of Taylor Near, Frédéric Bernier, Sylvain Ouellet, Austin Riley and Jake Exton.
Signoretti and King remain the only two battling for the championship title, which will play out at the end of September during the grand finale in Quebec at the Circuit Mont-Tremblant.
For those who are unable to attend the Nissan Micra Cup in person or want to re-watch this weekend's races, fans can visit the Micra Cup TV YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/MicraCupTVOpens in a new tab.), as well as the series' Facebook page. In addition, the series posts videos and provides updates on the official Nissan Micra Cup Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages in both English and French throughout the weekend.
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 Memorial 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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