MIRABEL, QC – The second edition of the Grand Prix Nissan took place this Sunday at Complexe ICAR in Mirabel, in front of a large audience who were able to witness two spectacular Nissan Sentra Cup races, in addition to a multitude of activities presented on site – all of which were part of this free event. On the track, 2022 champion, Valérie Limoges won her first victory of the season during the morning race, followed by another win in the afternoon.
Qualifying in pole position, Limoges made a perfect start in race 1, battling Simon Vincent throughout the forty minutes of the race. The battle for third place was just as spectacular, ultimately going to Nicolas Barrette ahead of Frédérick Chaput, Alexandre Fortin, Nicolas Miron, Sylvain Ouellet, Mathieu Miron, Jean-François Couture and Jean Audet.
In front of several thousand spectators, the second qualification race gave rise to a historic first for the Nissan Sentra Cup: two drivers set the fastest time, tied at the thousandth of a second! A phenomenon worthy of Formula 1. Daniel Fortin and Valérie Limoges were both credited with the same time, with the advantage of pole position ultimately going to Fortin, who sets the time in first. Third, Nicolas Barrette conceded fourteen thousandths of a second on the record time of his rivals, confirming how ultra-competitive the series is. This suggests a 2024 season that is perhaps more uncertain and exciting than ever.
In the race, under blue skies and warm temperatures, Valérie Limoges surprised Daniel Fortin from the second turn and was able to take a lead of a few seconds to race towards the victory. Alexandre Fortin, also off to an excellent start, quickly secured second position, ahead of a group of drivers battling throughout the 40 minutes of the event. Nicolas Miron finally finished third, ahead of Nicolas Barrette and Nicolas Lévesque, author of a promising first Top 5 in the series. He was ahead of Simon Vincent and Daniel Fortin, who suffered a flat tire on the last lap. Mathieu Miron, Christian Thibault and Jean Audet completed the order of the top ten. Out of four races held this season, there were three different winners, with Valérie Limoges being the first double winner of 2024.
For the general public as well as guests of the Nissan brand, road tests (with Sentra, Rogue, Pathfinder, Ariya, Murano and Frontier models), autograph sessions, Hot Laps with the exceptional 100% electric LEAF Nismo RC, and more, were offered free of charge throughout the day, which was a great success both on a sporting and festive level.
In terms of the 2024 Nissan Sentra Cup championship, this event helped tighten up the positions at the forefront even more. Thanks to her double victory, Valérie Limoges takes the lead in the championship with 162 points. Alexandre Fortin is now second with 150 points, ahead of Nicolas Barrette, who slips to third place (144 points), tied with Simon Vincent. These four drivers are now the main contesters for the Sentra Cup title, and we will see them for the mid season event in two weeks on the Lime Rock circuit, in the United States.
