MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – The Nissan Micra Cup will hold its third and fourth rounds of the 2020 season this weekend at the long and technically challenging Calabogie Motorsports Park, southwest of Ottawa. It will be the fourth time the Micra Cup has visited the demanding Ontario track and the battle for victory will be a tough fight.
While the two-round event will be held behind closed doors, in compliance with public health directions, no spectators will be allowed on site, the 5.05-km long circuit will provide some close action. Kevin King (L&P Apparel / Nissan Gabriel team) is the clear favourite to win this event given his track record of winning three of the six Nissan Micra Cup races held in Calabogie in recent years. He also won the first two races of the 2020 season, but many of his rivals will not make victory so easy this time around.
Jesse Lazare (PayPal / Motorsports In Action team), an experienced racer who won the Daytona 24 Hours in 2017 and who climbed twice on the podium during the Summer Classic in July at the Mont-Tremblant circuit, is looking forward to score his first win of the season. This season, Lazare has decided to have some fun during the Nissan Micra Cup, however, he is not taking things lightly, having proved to be a very determined competitor.
This season, three female drivers are entered in the Micra Cup, and the most experienced of them is without a doubt Valérie Limoges (Total Canada / H Grégoire Nissan). Limoges scored two podium finishes in the opening two races this season, having finished in third place twice behind King and Lazare. Limoges also scored two wins in the Micra Cup last year and may capture her first victory of the season in Calabogie. Potential race winners also include Senior class racers Frédéric Bernier, Sylvain Ouellet and Éric Chaput, as well as young Ontario drivers Gavin Sanders and Justin Di Benedetto, who are also battling for the Rookie of the Year title.
Although spectators will not be at the track this weekend, fans have several ways to follow the action on social media. Both Calabogie races will be featured on television as part of a series to be broadcasted this fall on Réseau Des Sports (RDS). Featuring identical, showroom-stock Micras, the Micra Cup always provides great entertainment as the two 40-minutes races held in Calabogie promise to be as intense as ever.
A new event finds a place on the calendar
Calabogie Motorsports Park in Ontario is the second meeting of four this season. The cancellation of the Canadian Grand Prix in July led to the cancellation of the Micra Cup races scheduled on the Gilles Villeneuve circuit in Montréal. Jacques Deshaies, head of JD Promotion & Compétition and promoter of the Nissan Micra Cup, replaced the Grand Prix with a new event north of Montréal. The new event will be held at Circuit ICAR on the grounds of the Montréal–Mirabel International Airport on September 11 and 12.
"Circuit ICAR is certainly one of the most beautiful motorsport facilities in Canada. Moreover, holding both races on Saturday, September 12, will lower the costs for the teams, which fits perfectly with the philosophy of the Nissan Micra Cup: to offer maximum of fun for minimal expenses," says Deshaies. "Of course, we are very disappointed that the Canadian Grand Prix could not be kept on our race schedule this year, but we understand the difficulty the Formula 1's leaders faced with events outside of Europe. We fully support the Montréal race organizers in the current situation."
With the addition of the new event at Circuit ICAR, the 2020 Micra Cup season will include a total of eight races, making the Nissan Micra Cup the motorsport series with the most events in 2020 among all Canadian championships and classes combined.
Micra Cup competitors in Calabogie can take to the track six times during the official test day on Friday, August 28, organized by the event’s promoter. Qualifying rounds for both races will be held on Saturday, August 29, in the afternoon, before the start of the first race. The second race will begin in the afternoon on Sunday, August 30.
To follow the Nissan Micra Cup:
Facebook: Nissan Micra Cup
Instagram: @nissanmicracup
Twitter: @MicraCup
YouTube: MicraCupTV
Website: micracup.com
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Nissan Micra Cup track schedule this weekend (EDT): |
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| Free practice: | Friday, August 28 (six sessions) |
|---|---|
| Qualifications for Race 1 and 2: | Saturday, August 29, from 10:55 am to 11:25 am |
| Race 1: | Saturday, August 29, from 4:35 pm to 5:15 pm |
| Warm-up for Race 2: | Sunday, August 30, from 9:25 am to 9:40 am |
| Race 2: | Sunday, August 30, from 2:45 pm to 3:25 pm |
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Nissan Micra Cup 2020 season schedule: |
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| Summer Classic, Circuit Mont-Tremblant, Québec: | July 24 to 26 |
| Calabogie Motorsports Park, Ontario: | August 28 to 30 |
| ICAR Circuit, Mirabel, Québec : | September 11 to 12 |
| Fall Classic, Circuit Mont-Tremblant, Québec: | September 25 to 27 |
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About the Nissan Micra Cup
Presented by JD Promotion & Compétition in collaboration with Nissan Canada, the Nissan Micra Cup is now in its sixth season. This exclusive-to-Canada series is comprised of six race weekends in Ontario and Quebec. From May to September, drivers compete in Nissan Micra base model S cars which - in true spec series style - are equipped identically, allowing the most talented drivers to stand out.
The series is aimed at young karting drivers, the average Canadian looking for any entry point into motorsport competition, or anyone who wants to experience the adrenaline rush of a race. All in all, the Nissan Micra Cup is made for motorsport enthusiasts looking for the thrill and excitement of the race, without having to spend extravagant amounts of money.
For more information on the Nissan Micra Cup, please visit the website www.micracup.comOpens in a new tab..
About the Nissan Micra
In 2014, the Nissan Micra returned to Canada after 23 years as an all-new model, offering Canadians unbeatable value with the lowest starting Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) in Canada at $9,998. One item that sets the 2015 Micra apart is its agility. Micra is easy to drive and park, thanks to excellent all-round visibility and turning radius, electric power steering and a power to weight ratio that surprises. Powering the front-wheel drive Micra is a DOHC 1.6-litre 4-cylinder engine rated at 109 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm and 107 lb-ft. of torque @ 4,400 rpm.
About Nissan Canada Inc.
Nissan Canada Inc. (NCI) is the Canadian sales, marketing and distribution subsidiary of Nissan Motor Limited and Nissan North America, Inc. NCI was the first Japanese-based automaker to incorporate in Canada in 1965, and now directly employs 306 full-time staff across offices in Vancouver (BC), Mississauga (ON), and Kirkland (QC). There are 207 independent Nissan dealerships, including 81 that also act as Nissan Commercial Vehicles dealers, 114 electric vehicle-certified dealers, and 42 INFINITI retailers across Canada.
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About Nissan North America
In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized annually by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year since 2010. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and INFINITI vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.comOpens in a new tab. and www.INFINITIUSA.comOpens in a new tab., or visit the U.S. media sites NissanNews.com and INFINITINews.comOpens in a new tab.
About Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
Nissan is a global full-line vehicle manufacturer that sells more than 60 models under the Nissan, INFINITI and Datsun brands. In fiscal year 2017, the company sold 5.77 million vehicles globally, generating revenue of 11.9 trillion yen. On April 1, 2017, the company embarked on Nissan M.O.V.E. to 2022, a six-year plan targeting a 30% increase in annualized revenues to 16.5 trillion yen by the end of fiscal 2022, along with cumulative free cash flow of 2.5 trillion yen. As part of Nissan M.O.V.E. to 2022, the company plans to extend its leadership in electric vehicles, symbolized by the world's best-selling all-electric vehicle in history, the Nissan LEAF. Nissan’s global headquarters in Yokohama, Japan, manages operations in six regions: Asia & Oceania; Africa, the Middle East & India; China; Europe; Latin America; and North America. Nissan has partnered with French manufacturer Renault since 1999 and acquired a 34% stake in Mitsubishi Motors in 2016. Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi is today the world’s largest automotive partnership, with combined sales of more than 10.6 million vehicles in calendar year 2017.
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