Mississauga, ON – For the second time this season, the Nissan Sentra Cup will take place at Circuit ICAR in Mirabel, QC this weekend. Following the full grandstands of the Nissan Grand Prix in early July, this Saturday’s event will feature the Canadian NASCAR Pinty’s and the Nissan Sentra Cup series, in addition to other provincial and regional series.
Set upon the concrete surface of the former Montréal-Mirabel international airport, this circuit will host two new Nissan Sentra Cup races on Saturday, August 26, after free practice and qualifying sessions on the preceding day. With a recent re-design that stretched the track to 2.4 kms, the track now offers many overtaking opportunities for drivers and the many fans expected at this event will undoubtedly appreciate the show.
Championship leader, with three wins in six races this season, Simon Charbonneau had a perfect day during the Nissan Grand Prix, securing pole positions in qualifying, the fastest lap and victories in both races. He will strive to replicate this performance on Saturday, following his observation of his primary title contender, Alexandre Fortin, narrowing the championship gap through two victories at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières. The driver from Quebec, affiliated with the Ste-Foy and Beauport Nissan team, has also clinched three victories in six races this season.
The defending champion of the series, Valérie Limoges, secured two podium finishes in Trois-Rivières earlier this month. However, she still awaits her first victory in the Nissan Sentra Cup since August 15, 2021. Limoges is familiar with Circuit ICAR and has consistently achieved good results at this track. Could this be the moment when we witness the driver from the Nissan Gabriel team, who has remained loyal to the series since its inception in 2015 (when it was known as the Nissan Micra Cup), return to the Victory Circle?
Nicolas Barrette stands as another strong contender for this season, as he tries to secure his first victory, like Samuel Rowe, for whom ICAR serves as the “home” track. In sum, approximately ten drivers may be able to claim victory this Saturday, but our attention will also be focused on the progress of several Sentra rookies, such as the youthful Vincent Lalande (15-years-old) and Marie-Soleil Labelle, who notched her first Top-10 at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières.
For fans of the series, the paddock will, as usual, be accessible without restriction. In addition to observing the teams in action and meeting the series’ drivers, they can also put their driving skills to the test behind the wheel of the new Nissan Z, using the Nissan Canada racing simulator.
This Saturday, the Nissan Sentra Cup drivers will be on track for a short practice session from 8:30 a.m. to 8:40 a.m., before the start of the first race at 9:30 a.m. The second round will take place from 1:20 p.m. to 1:50 p.m.
For more information on the Nissan Sentra Cup, visit sentracup.com and the series’ social media. To watch all the events of the 2022 season, visit the Nissan Sentra Cup YouTube page.
- By Didier Marsaud/Nissan
