2023/09/18

Mississauga (Ontario) – The grand finale of the 2023 Nissan Sentra Cup season will take place this weekend at Circuit Mont-Tremblant (QC). After ten exciting races on four different Canadian tracks, three drivers can still claim the championship title: Valérie Limoges, the defending champion, Nicolas Barrette, one of the Michel Barrette sons, and Alexandre Fortin, the driver from Quebec City.

Fortin is the clear favorite to clinch the title, as he only needs to finish one of the two races in first or second position, or both races in the Top 10. Behind the wheel of his Sentra from the Ste-Foy & Beauport Nissan team, Alexandre Fortin has secured five victories since the beginning of the season. His main challenger for the title is Nicolas Barrette, who will be striving for his first victory in the series at Circuit Mont-Tremblant. Although consistently at the top of the field this season, the Sorel-Tracy Nissan driver must hope that Fortin encounters troubles in both races to claim the coveted 2023 championship.

The situation is more complex for Valérie Limoges. Despite winning twice in the last four races (at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières and at the Complexe ICAR in August), her season had a challenging start, and the points lost in the first two events could prove crucial when the final totals are tallied. To secure her second consecutive Nissan Sentra Cup title, the Nissan Gabriel driver must win both races and rely on the hope that neither Barrette nor Fortin finish on the podium.

The battle for the title won't be the sole challenge in the 2023 edition of the Fall Classic at Circuit Mont-Tremblant. The starting grid promises to be competitive, with drivers like Daniel Fortin (Alexandre's father), Simon Vincent, and the brothers Mathieu and Nicolas Miron, currently ranked 4th, 6th, 7th, and 8th in the standings. These four drivers have come close to claiming their first Sentra victory in recent events, often finishing within tenths of a second of the top spot.

In the Micra class, Nicolas Lévesque is the favorite for the title, but Charles-Étienne Boucher can still hope to finish the season at the top of the standings. Lévesque, who has already purchased a Nissan Sentra in anticipation of the next season, could debut his new acquisition in the second race of the weekend if he manages to secure the Micra class title during the first race on Saturday.

For series fans and members of the Nissan Z Quebec club, who have been invited for the event, the 2023 Fall Classic will also provide the final opportunity this season to test their Nissan Z driving skills on the Nissan Canada simulator, which is accessible free of charge in the series paddocks.

The Nissan Sentra Cup drivers will hit the track six times at the picturesque Circuit Mont-Tremblant, where the surrounding trees may have already started to display their autumn colors. Following two free practice sessions on Friday, qualifying for the first race is scheduled for Saturday morning from 10:45 a.m. to 11:10 a.m. In the afternoon, after the mandatory formation laps behind the official series Safety Car (a Nissan Z), the drivers will embark on 40 minutes of racing, commencing at 3 p.m.

On Sunday, the day's program will commence with qualifying for the second race at 9 a.m. The second race, serving as the grand finale of the 2023 Nissan Sentra Cup championship, is scheduled for 3:15 p.m. It will be another 40-minute round, followed immediately by podium ceremonies in the series paddock.

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 2022 season, visit the Nissan Sentra Cup YouTube pageOpens in a new tab. .

2023 SCHEDULE - 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: @CoupeSentraCup Opens in a new tab.
Instagram: @nissansentracup Opens in a new tab.
Twitter: @SentraCup Opens in a new tab.
YouTube: SentraCupTV Opens in a new tab.

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