Bowmanville, ON – The Nissan Sentra Cup started 2024 with a pair of 40-minute races during the Victoria Day SpeedFest at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, where Alexandre Fortin and Nicolas Barrette found the top step of the podium.
Defending champion Fortin started on pole for Saturday’s opening race, settling into an early lead. Valérie Limoges started fourth and quickly made up ground, gaining a spot on Lap 1 before taking second-place on Lap 9. She recorded the fastest lap of the race just two circuits later and started taking up more real estate in Fortin’s rearview mirror.
The two drivers remained close as the laps wound down but Fortin was able to control the top spot, taking the win by 0.622 seconds over Limoges; Éric Chaput finished third.
“I was fast in the corners but I was slow on the straights,” said Fortin. “It’s something about the set-up we had but I had a car to fight and I managed to get the win.”
Sunday’s race got off to a dramatic start, with Fortin and Chaput on the front row. The drivers stayed side-by-side in turn three, with Fortin on the inside; the Sentra’s made contact, with the right-front of Chaput’s car briefly airborne atop the left-front of Fortin’s vehicle.
Both Sentra’s ended up in the grass before driving behind the wall at turn five. Chaput was done for the day, but Fortin was able to continue.
“I got a flat (tire), I thought I broke more things, so that’s why I got out of the car,” said Fortin. “When I saw it was only a flat, I got inside the car and drove back. My crew changed the tire pretty fast, we got to the back of the line. I was hoping to pass everyone and hoping for a yellow (flag) to be on the lead lap.”
The field was slowed by an early caution for Stephane Pouliot stuck in the gravel at turn five, but that was not enough for Fortin to catch up to the leaders. He did record the fastest lap after the restart but finished 17th, two laps down.
“I was dead last and managed to pass, I think, 15 cars in maybe 20 minutes, so I think I’m pretty fast,” said Fortin. “We work very hard with the set-up, I think we’re pretty dialed right now and we showed it on track.”
Alexandre’s dad, Daniel Fortin, inherited the lead on the opening lap and remained out front for more than half the race. Nicolas Barrette started seventh and worked his way to second on Lap 9. On Lap 13, Barrette took the lead.
Barrette went on to win by four seconds over Daniel Fortin, with Simon Vincent rounding out the podium.
“Long race to get first and as soon as I was first, there was no way that somebody was going to catch me,” said Barrette. “It was my time, my race, I love this track so much…since 2017, it was my dream to win here, (now) I just did.”
Barrette’s first career Sentra Cup win came last September at Mont-Tremblant, but his second win has sentimental value coming at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.
“My first race ever was here, I was so nervous to start racing,” said Barrette. “I knew I had the talent, I started at 25-years-old and it was my dream since I was 15-years-old. I (raced) simulator and this track was my first one; it got me into the racing world and I love this track so much. (It’s) so fast, you need to be a very good driver and (have) a lot of confidence. I want to prove myself on the hardest track, so it’s here and it’s a good way to start the season.”
Next up for the Sentra Cup is two races at Circuit ICAR on July 6-7.
