Quebec City, QC. – Today at the Quebec City International Auto Show, Nissan announced the 2017 race calendar for the Nissan Micra Cup’s third season. Once again, drivers will be at the wheel of the fun-to-drive almost stock Nissan Micras for 12 races taking place across six race weekends. This year, the Nissan Micra Cup will consist of two race weekends in Ontario and four race weekends in the series’ native province of Quebec. The 2017 race calendar is as follows:
Building on two successful seasons of the Nissan Micra Cup
Canada’s most affordable race series, featuring the most affordable car, the Nissan Micra, will launch its third season this May. Sanctioned by Auto Sport Québec (ASQ) and presented by JD Promotion Compétition with the support of Nissan Canada, the Nissan Micra Cup held its inaugural season in 2015 exclusively in Québec. Popularity grew with each race as seen in the stands and through engagement levels online, and in order to keep that momentum going, the Nissan Micra Cup expanded to Ontario for its second season in 2016. To-date, the Nissan Micra Cup has crowned two champions who both come from Québec: Olivier Bédard in 2015 and Xavier Coupal in 2016.
Unlike most motorsport events, each competing almost stock Nissan Micra race vehicle has the exact same specifications, resulting in a competition that truly reveals the most skilled drivers. Featuring the stock Micra 1.6 S M/T model with minor modifications, including racing suspension and racing brake pads to render it race-ready, the Nissan Micra Cup race vehicles are equipped with a 1.6-litre DOHC 4-cylinder engine with dual fuel injection and Twin CVTC (Continuously Variable Timing Control) and stock 5-speed manual transmission. Each race weekend includes two hours of track time consisting of: a 30-minute trial, a 30-minute qualifying session and two 30-minute races.
Young karting drivers, the average Canadian looking for an entry point into motorsport competition, or anyone who wants to experience the rush of adrenaline inherent with racing cars are all well-suited to this series. In summary, the Nissan Micra Cup is for people who are passionate about motorsports, want to experience all the fun and thrills of racing, but without spending staggering amounts of money.
“The level of excitement and enthusiasm for the Nissan Micra Cup, as well as interest in participating, has far exceeded our expectations,” said Joni Paiva, president, Nissan Canada Inc. “After two very successful seasons, Nissan is proud to support the Nissan Micra Cup as it grows here in Canada and we are fully committed to it as demonstrated through its inclusion in our marketing strategy. I’m thrilled to confirm the Nissan Micra Cup’s return in 2017 and look forward to fans seeing once again just how spectacular and exciting spec series racing is – the Nissan way – with the fun-to-drive Nissan Micra S, the most affordable car in Canada.”
QA with Jacques Deshaies, organizer and promoter of the Nissan Micra Cup
Q: What are your thoughts leading up to the 2017 season?
A: I am really looking forward to the third season. One of the defining characteristics of the Nissan Micra Cup series is the diversity seen on the grid. Karting champions, racing legends, and rookies – they’re all out there in identical Micras! This is a truly unique motorsport series for the masses and I’m thrilled to see it gaining traction in both Québec and Ontario. One of the things I’m most excited for is to once again witness the camaraderie between the drivers and their teams in the paddocks. The Nissan Micra Cup is a close-knit community, and it has been fantastic watching friendships emerge and grow, even amongst such intense competition – it can get very heated on the track. This year, I am pleased to once again show fans in Québec and Ontario what high-intensity, spec series racing is all about, while also welcoming new drivers to the Nissan Micra Cup family.
Q: Why did you choose to return to Ontario for the 2017 season?
A: The expansion to Ontario in 2016 was extremely successful for the Nissan Micra Cup and we look forward to building on that success in 2017. It opened up the series to the Ontario fans, and also brought forward a number of new drivers. The expansion provided us with an opportunity to effectively expose the series to tens of thousands of spectators at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP), which is known to be one of that fastest circuits in North America. This year, the Nissan Micra Cup will be returning to Ontario in 2017 for two race weekends at CTMP, to once again show fans that the Nissan Micra Cup is here to stay, and that it has a place on large, well known circuits such as CTMP.
Q: Will there be any surprises for 2017?
A: Fans of the Nissan Micra Cup will be pleased to know that a large number of their favourite drivers from the first two seasons will be returning to the track to compete for the championship title in 2017. We are also thrilled to see a lot of interest from new drivers who plan on joining the series for the 2017 season. We will be making some exciting announcements about this soon, so stay tuned! I expect the race weekends to be highly competitive and intense, which is sure to bring enjoyment to Nissan Micra Cup spectators in Québec and Ontario. Nissan will also have an even greater presence at the ever-popular Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières and we look forward to sharing more details about this soon.
More information and the complete list of drivers who will participate in what will be an exceptional season of the Nissan Micra Cup will be provided soon. In the meantime, please visit: www.nissan.ca/micracup.
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