Mississauga, Ont. – Two months ahead of the first race in the Micra Cup’s inaugural season, Nissan Canada Inc. (NCI) and JD Promotion Compétition are delighted to announce an exciting contingency program for its competitors.
Nissan, through its Parts and Accessories department, will offer over $50,000 in awards for the 2015 season.
These awards in the form of tradable dollars in Nissan dealer parts, will be awarded to the top three drivers in each race, as well as the highest-ranking Rookie (drivers in their first year of racing) category. With twelve races in total for the season – two each race weekend – an award of $3,000 will be granted for each race, $ 6,000 per weekend, as follows:
In addition, Nissan Micra Cup will award $14,000 for the final standings, broken down as follows:
“As we start the two-month countdown to the first Nissan Micra Cup season, the excitement level has reached fever pitch! Almost everyone I encounter – from Nissan employees and retailers, to fans – are all eager to experience this exciting new Canadian motorsport event,” says Christian Meunier, president of Nissan Canada Inc. “Nissan and motorsport go hand-in-hand, dating back 79 years to the infancy of our company. The passion for motorsport is a driving force for us, and we are proud of our racing heritage. I speak for everyone at Nissan Canada when I say all of the Nissan Micra Cup drivers have our complete support, and I’m thrilled we can show it through this contingency program.”
The first-ever race for the Nissan Micra Cup will take place over three days – May 22, 23, 24 – at Circuit Mont-Tremblant, one of the finest and most demanding tracks in Canada.
One of the defining traits of the Nissan Micra Cup is its level playing field. This spec series is based off the Micra’s stock S model resulting in a competition that reveals the most skilled drivers. Nissan Micra Cup is designed for anyone with a passion for racing, and all at a reasonable cost.
A former NHL hockey player, a trailblazing female racer and a karting Canadian champion –just three in this diverse group of Micra Cup competitors
Professional hockey player Marc-André Bergeron, who played for the Montreal Canadiens, New York Islanders, Anaheim Ducks, and Edmonton Oilers to name a few teams – is known as a power play specialist, and for his wicked slap shot. Marc-André Bergeron has a second passion, racing. The NHL veteran races part-time in the Canadian Touring Car Championship and was also the 2014 championship car owner for L.P. Dumoulin in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. Marc-André Bergeron will transfer his penchant for speed from the ice to the tarmac when he further develops the racing side of his career and joins the Micra Cup series. Marc-André Bergeron will drive for the Dusablon Group, owners of Nissan Shawinigan and his hometown dealership, Nissan Trois-Rivières
Valérie Chiasson’s racing career is rooted in karting, an area she participated in from 2003-2006. After proving her mettle in karting, Valérie took on the ACT and Echo Cup series. Valerie Chiasson went on to win the three Tremblant Classics in 2014 in Formula, Libre, Prototype and also finished 4th and 5th at the Canadian Grand Prix in the Canadian Touring Car Championship, where she was the first female to enter the event. Valérie Chiasson will race in the Micra Cup for Nissan Gabriel.
Signifying that the Nissan Micra Cup is for race car drivers in-the-making, Canadian kart driver and businessman, Francis Mondou will trade the kart for a Micra, hoping to exhibit his skills that brought him to Canadian Championship status in 2014. When Francis Mondou gets behind the wheel of the Micra Cup race car, he drives with a lifetime love for all-things motorsport and first-hand karting experience developed since the age of 14. Francis Mondou represented Canada twice at the World Championship Karting Rotax.
To-date, 25 cars are registered with a very well-rounded competitor group representing a variety of ages, backgrounds and experience on the grid. More information on the full roster of Micra Cup drivers will be released soon. Stay connected to news about the Micra Cup and its drivers by visiting: www.nissan.ca/micracup
Nissan Micra Cup 2015 Season Schedule
About the Nissan Micra Cup
Sanctioned by Auto Sport Québec (ASQ) and presented by JD Promotion Compétition with the support of Nissan Canada, the Nissan Micra Cup exclusively features the stock Micra 1.6 S M/T model with minor modifications, including NISMO suspension – to render it race-ready.
Unlike most motorsport events, each competing Nissan Micra race vehicle will have the exact same specifications, resulting in a competition that truly reveals the most skilled drivers. The Nissan Micra Cup race vehicles remain equipped with the Nissan Micra’s stock 1.6-litre DOHC 4-cylinder engine with dual fuel injection and Twin CVTC (Continuously Variable Timing Control) and stock 5-speed manual transmission. More than 25 Nissan Micras will compete on each race weekend which will include 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.
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.
*Excludes taxes.
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