Mississauga, Ont. – The 2017 Nissan Micra Cup championship ended this past weekend during the Fall Classic, held at the Circuit Mont-Tremblant. Two races took place, and all eyes were on the overall championship duel between Olivier Bédard and Kevin King. Under intense heat and constant sun, the two races brought together thousands of motorsport enthusiasts and fans of Nissan Canada and the Nissan Micra Cup.
After earning pole position on Saturday, Olivier Bédard led from the start to the finish of a race that stopped momentarily following Kevin King’s incident, which ended King’s hopes of claiming the title. Stefan Rzadzinski and Valérie Limoges rounded out the podium after a tight battle for third place between Limoges, who started on the first line, Stéfan Gauthier, Jean-Michel Isabelle and Xavier Coupal. After multiple position changes throughout the race, they finished in that same order.
Seventh overall and winner of the senior class following Saturday’s race, Metod Topolnik diminished the senior class drivers’ championship gap between himself and Normand Boyer, who finished the race behind Topolnik and Frédéric Bernier. As a result of this finish, Boyer claimed the senior class’ championship title. Among the rookies, Fadi Mourad earned his first victory of the season, ahead of Englishman Jake Exton and Vincent Doyle.
“I would have obviously preferred to win the title at the end of another great battle with Kevin King, but unfortunately incidents are part of racing,” said Olivier Bédard. “I also had issues during the season and I’m very pleased with this title. It’s my second win in the Nissan Micra Cup, after my win in 2015. For me, it’s a special moment that I’ll never forget.”
The last race of the 2017 Nissan Micra Cup took place the following day, once again under unseasonably high temperatures. The race concluded without any pauses, setting the stage for a number of exciting battles amongst all three classes. The fight for victory played out between Olivier Bédard, who once again qualified in pole position, Valérie Limoges and Xavier Coupal. The latter claimed the win after passing Bédard on the last lap, which, with the fastest lap bonus points, gave him the runner-up title, just one point ahead of King. In fourth place, Rzadzinski finished ahead of Isabelle and Topolnik, who was at the top in the senior class.
The biggest battle of the weekend took place between 10 drivers, who were fighting for seventh place neck and neck. Jake Exton eventually succeeded, while also finishing first among the rookies. A special mention also goes to Austin Riley, the young autistic racer who put up a strong fight in the rookie championship after qualifying second. Overall, Austin finished in twelfth place in Sunday’s race.
It was at the Fall Classic at the Circuit Mont-Tremblant where 2017 champions Olivier Bédard, Normand Boyer and Jake Exton were crowned, but all Nissan Micra Cup participants, drivers, officials, and team members were celebrated as the series’ third season came to an end. A season that was intense, action-packed, and highlighted by the achievements of about 40 drivers on the track, also allowed hundreds of Canadian Nissan Micra owners to discover and appreciate the series and its events.
For full race results, visit:
http://www.micracup.com/2017-Results_Race?RID=31 (race 11)
http://www.micracup.com/2017-Results_Race?RID=32 (race 12)
Overall championship standings after 12 races:
http://www.micracup.com/2017-Results_ClassGen.
For more information on the Nissan Micra Cup, please visit: www.nissan.ca/micracup.
2017 Nissan Micra Cup Season Calendar
May 19 – 21 Victoria Day Weekend SpeedFest, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Ontario
May 26 – 28 Spring Classic, Circuit Mont-Tremblant, Québec
July 21 – 23 Summer Classic, Circuit Mont-Tremblant, Québec
August 11 – 13 Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières, Québec
September 1 – 3 NASCAR Weekend, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Ontario
September 22 – 24 Fall Classic, Circuit Mont-Tremblant, Québec
# # #