Mississauga, Ont. (August 13, 2017) – This past weekend, as part of the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières’ 50th anniversary, the Nissan Micra Cup held its seventh and eighth races of the 2017 season. Two action-packed races saw Albertan Stefan Rzadzinski and Quebecker Xavier Coupal take the victories, while in the paddock, Nissan Canada provided multiple activities for the excited spectators.
Both on and off the track, the Nissan Micra Cup stood out at the Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières. Following the practice sessions and qualifying on Friday and Saturday, the drivers found themselves on the stage in the heart of downtown Trois-Rivières for a public event, just ahead of the free show that Nissan Canada provided, featuring comedian Michel Barrette and winner of “La Voix 3” (The Voice 3) Kevin Bazinet. Thousands of people were on hand to enjoy the show.
Michel Barrette was not only a star on the stage, he was also behind the wheel in the Nissan Micra Cup, finishing third in the Novice class during Sunday’s race, much to the excitement of Nissan Canada’s 400 invited guests.
At the front of the pack, Olivier Bédard earned both pole positions, but neither resulted in victory for the 2015 champion. On Saturday, Stefan Rzadzinski won the race, only one second ahead of Bédard. The podium was completed by Kevin King, championship leader heading into this event, who was able to pass Coupal after an intense battle that kept the spectators on the edge of their seats from the start straight through until the end of the race.
Normand Boyer, first in Senior class, Jean-Michel Isabelle, Stéfan Gauthier, Valérie Limoges, Englishman Jake Exton (first among the Novices) and Marc-Antoine Cardin rounded out the Top 10.
With 28 drivers on the track, the Nissan Micra Cup was the series with the highest number of entries in the entire Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières program this past weekend. With such exceptional drivers on the starting grid, a little bit of contact during the peloton is expected. While Saturday’s race start went unscathed, two small incidents took place at the start of Sunday’s race, as well during another a few laps before the finish.
The second race was just as spectacular as the first. At the start, Coupal overtook Bédard and carried that through to victory. Having passed Rzadzinski, Valérie Limoges completed a three-for-three for the Total Team as she earned another Nissan Micra Cup podium.
Metod Topolnik finished in fifth overall, and first in Senior class, ahead of Normand Boyer, Stéfan Gauthier, Frédéric Bernier, Jean-Michel Isabelle and Mario Berthiaume.
Kevin King would rather forget Sunday’s race, as he was forced to retire after two incidents. As a result, his top spot in the championship was then earned by Olivier Bédard, but with small margins – an interesting end to the season is definitely in store.
The following rounds will take place in three weeks in Ontario at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park during the Labour Day long weekend (September 1st to 3rd). Many fans and Nissan owners are expected to attend what will no doubt be an exciting event. Details can be found on www.micracup.com.
About Nissan North America
In North America, Nissan’s operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized annually by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year since 2010. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and INFINITI vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.INFINITIUSA.com, or visit the U.S. media sites NissanNews.com and INFINITINews.com.
About Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
Nissan is a global full-line vehicle manufacturer that sells more than 60 models under the Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun brands. In fiscal year 2016, the company sold 5.63 million vehicles globally, generating revenue of 11.72 trillion yen. Nissan engineers, manufactures and markets the world’s best-selling all-electric vehicle in history, the Nissan LEAF. Nissan’s global headquarters in Yokohama, Japan, manages operations in six regions: Asia & Oceania; Africa, Middle East & India; China; Europe; Latin America; and North America. Nissan has a global workforce of 247,500 and has been partnered with French manufacturer Renault under the Renault-Nissan Alliance since 1999. In 2016, Nissan acquired a 34% stake in Mitsubishi Motors, which became the third member of the Alliance – a grouping with combined annual sales of almost 10 million units a year.
For more information about our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit
nissan-global.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn and see all our latest videos on YouTube.
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 194 independent Nissan dealerships, 41 INFINITI retailers and 45 Nissan Commercial Vehicle dealers 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.
Media contacts:
Didier Marsaud
Director, Corporate Communications
Nissan Canada
Telephone: 905-629-6400
Email: didier.marsaud@nissancanada.com
Jenn McCarthy
Cohn & Wolfe
Telephone: 647-259-3305
Email: jennifer.mccarthy@cohnwolfe.ca
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