MISSISSAUGA, ONT – On Saturday night, JD Promotion & Compétition and Nissan celebrated the third season of the Nissan Micra Cup in Quebec with an annual gala event for those involved in making it a success – including drivers and their teams, partners, series organizers and staff from Nissan Canada.
At the event, Joni Paiva, president of Nissan Canada Inc., announced that Nissan Canada and JD Promotion & Compétition have extended the Nissan Micra Cup contract for three more years, with races to occur in both Ontario and Quebec once again.
“The Nissan Micra Cup has grown a lot over the past three years – we’ve preserved the exclusive, but welcoming and professional series theme, and have opened our doors to a much larger audience,” said Joni Paiva, president, Nissan Canada Inc. “The Nissan Micra Cup is more than just a motorsport series. It is a testament to the reliability; affordability; and quality inherent not only in the Micra, but all Nissans in the portfolio. The Nissan Micra Cup is also another way for us to connect on a deeper level with the general public, the fans, Nissan owners and Nissan dealers, and we’re thrilled to bring the family spirit of the Nissan Micra Cup back to Canadian tracks for three more years.”
The Nissan Micra Cup was launched in 2015 as Canada’s most affordable racing series, with all drivers using identical, almost stock Nissan Micra S race cars offering fun behind the wheel and reliability. In its inaugural year, the Nissan Micra Cup took place in Quebec only, and in 2016, it expanded to Ontario, bringing new drivers and even more excitement to the track. In 2017, the vision for the Nissan Micra Cup evolved even further. With the goal of attracting more than just racing enthusiasts, the Nissan Micra Cup put on a number of special consumer-focused events and invited Nissan Micra owners to attend the race weekends free-of-charge.
Of note is that Nissan Canada was the main automotive partner for the 2017 Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières (GP3R). About 700 Nissan customers were invited to the race weekend, and were witness to a free concert, From the Track to the Stage, featuring Nissan Micra Cup driver and Quebec comedian, Michel Barrette, as well as winner of La Voix 3, Kevin Bazinet. This initiative brought a much larger audience to the GP3R race weekend, increasing the reach of the series.
“Since its launch in 2015, the Nissan Micra Cup has been a huge success, at all levels, both in Canada and even internationally,” said Jacques Deshaies, owner of JD Promotion & Compétition and the series promoter. “In three years, the Nissan Micra Cup has become a leading racing series in the national motorsports community, while also remaining the most accessible and affordable. We are very proud of this 100 per cent Canadian achievement and look forward seeing it grow and evolve even more over the next three years.”
Over the past three years, approximately 25 cars have competed for the championship title each season, with drivers from very diverse backgrounds and varying levels of experience. To date, the entry list has included drivers ranging from 18 to 64 years-old, four women, five international drivers and representatives from 12 Nissan dealerships. Additionally, the Nissan Micra Cup races have featured a number of well-known professional drivers from NASCAR and other prestigious racing series, including Richard Spenard, Louis Philippe Montour, Karl Wittmer, Bertrand Godin, Aaron Povoledo , Patrick Dussault and Jesse Lazare, to name a few.
Several celebrities also took part in the series and competed on the track at a number of Nissan Micra Cup race weekends. In addition to Quebec comedian Michel Barrette, Canadian figure skater and Olympic medalist, Elvis Stojko, Quebec actor Jeff Boudreault and TV anchors Carl Nadeau and Benoit Gagnon, had nothing but positive things to say about their experience racing behind the wheels of their Nissan Micras.
Another highlight is that both of the Nissan Micra Cup championship winners, Olivier Bédard in 2015 and 2017, as well as Xavier Coupal in 2016, were recipients of the Gilles Villeneuve Trophy, one of the most prestigious annual awards in the world of Quebec motorsports.
“We are very excited to announce the extension of the Nissan Micra Cup in Canada,” said Michael Carcamo, global motorsports director, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. “The Nissan Micra Cup represents the most affordable racing platform in Canada. Along with competitive drivers and exciting race venues, the Nissan Micra has proven its durability and reliability in the most intense environment, motorsport racing. We look forward to more great racing in the years to come and we congratulate all the participants of the first three seasons.”
More details on the 2018 Nissan Micra Cup calendar to come in the winter.
For more information on the Nissan Micra Cup, please visit http://www.micracup.com/main.
About Nissan Canada Inc.: Nissan Canada Inc. (NCI) is the Canadian sales, marketing and distribution subsidiary of Nissan Motor Limited and Nissan North America, Inc. NCI directly employs 306 full-time staff across offices in Vancouver (BC), Mississauga (ON), and Kirkland (QC). There are 200 independent Nissan dealerships, including 45 that also act as Nissan Commercial Vehicles dealers, and 42 INFINITI retailers across Canada. A pioneer in zero emission mobility, Nissan made history with the introduction of the Nissan LEAF, the first affordable, mass-market, pure-electric vehicle and winner of numerous international accolades including the prestigious 2011 European Car of the Year and World Car of the Year awards. More information about Nissan in Canada and the complete line of Nissan and INFINITI vehicles can be found online at www.nissan.ca and www.INFINITI.ca.
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