Mississauga, Ont. - The second outing of the 2019 Nissan Micra Cup season was held as part of the Kyle Nash Race Weekend at the Calabogie Motorsports Park, southwest of Ottawa. The action-packed weekend saw Kevin King claim his first two victories of the season following two races filled with multiple position changes, spectators witnessed new drivers among the leaders, and Austin Riley, a young driver with autism, earned his first podium.
On Saturday, defending champion Olivier Bédard won his 25th series pole position, solidifying his start for the mid-afternoon race. Ontarian Marco Signoretti was once again very comfortable on the track despite being new to closed cars and the Nissan Micra Cup. He was on Bédard's heels as soon as the race started, however, 2018 runner-up Kevin King overtook him early in the race.
Qualifying in the top five was Quebec driver Frédéric Bernier, who stayed glued to the leaders' peloton from the get-go and surprised Signoretti mid-race as he began his chase of King, who was in second place. Bédard, King and Bernier crossed the finish line in that order, ahead of PayPal / Motorsports In Action teammates, Signoretti and Taylor Near.
However, after being penalized for 30 seconds by the officials for jumping the re-start after a full course yellow at one third of the race, Bédard was ranked 12th. This resulted in the victory title going to Kevin King, ahead of Frédéric Bernier and Marco Signoretti, who placed second and third, respectfully.
The race on Saturday was hotly contested to round out the top five. Multiple changes took place throughout the race, which once again demonstrated the drivers' talent at the wheel of their nearly stock Nissan Miscra S cars. Starting in 14th place was Nicolas Barrette, who was undoubtedly one of the race standouts as he climbed his way to the 6th spot on the track (5th in the final standings), finishing ahead of Valérie Limoges, Éric Chaput, Sylvain Ouellet, Jean-Michel Isabelle, Austin Riley and Mario Charette. As proof of the intensity and depth in the field, only three seconds separated Barrette to Charette!
Sunday started off with a significant feat: pole position was claimed during qualifying by novice driver Éric Chaput, ahead of Signoretti, King, and Mario Berthiaume. Kevin King had the best start to the race but Chaput managed to keep up with him until he went off the track. It wasn't an easy path to victory for King, as Signoretti and Austin Riley were closely behind up until the last few meters of the race, complete with a valiant final lap that saw all three drivers cross the finish line in the same second.
For Austin Riley, competing for the Racing With Autism team, this was his first Nissan Micra Cup podium, and his third season competing in the series after a motorsports career debut in karting in Ontario. The podium, hailed by the entire family of the Nissan Micra Cup, was certainly one of the many highlights at the second event of the 2019 season.
Sylvain Ouellet finished in fourth place ahead of Frédéric Bernier, Jean-Michel Isabelle, Nicolas Barrette, Taylor Near, Valérie Limoges and Jake Exton. Olivier Bédard's Solid XPerts team did not participate in the second race.
In the drivers' championship, Marco Signoretti is the new leader, in front of Kevin King, Olivier Bédard, Valérie Limoges, Frédéric Bernier, Taylor Near, Sylvain Ouellet and Austin Riley.
For those who are unable to attend the Nissan Micra Cup in person or want to relive the weekend's races, fans can visit the Micra Cup TV YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/MicraCupTV). In addition, the series posts multiple videos and provides updates on the official Nissan Micra Cup Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages in both English and French throughout the weekend.
For more information on the Nissan Micra Cup and its drivers, please visit their official site www.micracup.com.
To follow the series on social media:
Facebook: Coupe Nissan Micra Cup
Instagram: @nissanmicracup
Twitter: @MicraCup
YouTube: MicraCupTV
PREVIOUS RACE RESULTS AND CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: https://www.micracup.com/2019-Results_ClassGen
2019 Nissan Micra Cup Calendar:
- May 17- 19: Victoria Day Weekend SpeedFest, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Ontario
- June 1 -2: Kyle Nash Race Weekend, Calabogie Motorsports Park, Ontario
- July 26 – 28 : Summer Classic, Circuit Mont-Tremblant, Québec
- Aug 9 – 11 : Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières, Québec
- Aug 23 – 25: NASCAR Weekend, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Ontario
- Sept 27 – 29: Fall Classic, Circuit Mont-Tremblant, Québec
About the Nissan Micra Cup
Presented by JD Promotion & Compétition in collaboration with Nissan Canada, the Nissan Micra Cup is now in its fifth season. This exclusive-to-Canada series is comprised of six race weekends in Ontario and Quebec. From May to September, drivers compete in Nissan Micra base model S cars which - in true spec series style - are equipped identically, allowing the most talented drivers to stand out. The series is aimed at young karting drivers, the average Canadian looking for any entry point into motorsport competition, or anyone who wants to experience the adrenaline rush of a race. All in all, the Nissan Micra Cup is made for motorsport enthusiasts looking for the thrill and excitement of the race, without having to spend extravagant amounts of money.
For more information on the Nissan Micra Cup, please visit the website www.micracup.com.
About the Nissan Micra
In 2014, the Nissan Micra returned to Canada after 23 years as an all-new model, offering Canadians unbeatable value with the lowest starting Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) in Canada. The Micra is easy to drive and park, thanks to excellent all-round visibility and turning radius, electric power steering and a power to weight ratio that surprises. Powering the front-wheel drive Micra is a DOHC 1.6-litre 4-cylinder engine rated at 109 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm and 107 lb-ft. of torque @ 4,400 rpm.
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 was the first Japanese-based automaker to incorporate in Canada in 1965, and now directly employs 306 full-time staff across offices in Vancouver (BC), Mississauga (ON), and Kirkland (QC). There are 210 independent Nissan dealerships, including 84 that also act as Nissan Commercial Vehicles dealers, 123 electric vehicle-certified dealers, and 41 INFINITI retailers across Canada.
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.
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 2018, the company sold 5.52 million vehicles globally, generating revenue of 11.6 trillion yen. Nissan’s global headquarters in Yokohama, Japan, manages operations in six regions: Asia & Oceania; Africa, the Middle East & India; China; Europe; Latin America; and North America. Nissan has partnered with French manufacturer Renault since 1999 and acquired a 34% stake in Mitsubishi Motors in 2016. The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance sold 10.76 million vehicles combined in calendar year 2018.
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.
Media contacts:
Didier Marsaud
Director, Corporate Communications
Nissan Canada
Telephone: 905-629-6400
Email: didier.marsaud@nissancanada.com
Roxane Barry
Planner, Product Communications
Nissan Canada
Telephone: 905-629-6461