2022/07/25

Simon Charbonneau Mid-Season Nissan Sentra Cup Champion


NISSAN SENTRA CUP - 
The Nissan Sentra Cup presented this weekend at Circuit Mont-Tremblant the fifth and sixth rounds of its 2022 season. Two races were won by Alexandre Fortin on Saturday, followed by Simon Charbonneau on Sunday, which marked the mid-season.

Under a hot summer sun, Saturday morning saw young Justin Arseneau take another pole position, just over four tenths of a second ahead of championship leader Simon Charbonneau. Olivier Bédard followed in third place. Bédard, a three-time series champion during the Nissan Micra Cup era, made his debut in Sentra and immediately climbed into the front runners. Alexandre Fortin and Valérie Limoges followed.

In the afternoon, the race, which for the first time in the Series' history was run in 45 minutes, was spectacular. The race saw some drivers push very hard during the first laps, at the risk of prematurely wearing out their tires, while others were more economical in an attempt to gain a few places in the last laps.

In the end, Alexandre Fortin came back on the winners' circle, after having won in Ontario at the start of the season. The driver of the Ste-Foy and Beauport Nissan team resisted the pressure of Charbonneau in the first laps, then Arseneau. Justin Arseneau, who started fifth following a penalty, finished in Fortin's rear bumper while Olivier Bédard completed the podium.

Simon Charbonneau, Valérie Limoges, Éric Chaput, Sylvain Ouellet, André Lapointe, Mathieu Miron, Normand Boyer, Frédéric Chaput and Jean Audet followed. In the Micra class, François Angers-Routhier, Simon Vincent and Nicolas Barrette collected the Top 3.

On Sunday, under the threat of rain, the second qualifying and race were just as intense. Once again, Justin Arseneau took pole position, ahead of Simon Charbonneau, Alexandre Fortin, Valérie Limoges and Daniel Fortin, Alexandre's father.

In the race, a small contact on the first lap between Arseneau and Fortin opened the door to Charbonneau, Limoges and Fortin for victory. The three drivers swapped positions several times. Charbonneau finally won with only 187 thousandths of a second over Valérie Limoges. With this victory, Charbonneau takes the honorary title of 2022 mid-season champion.

Additionally, Olivier Bédard collects his second podium of the weekend. He finishes ahead of Normand Boyer, Éric Chaput, Sylvain Ouellet and Alexandre Fortin, who had an off-course excursion in the second half of the race. Frédéric Chaput, André Lapointe and Mathieu Miron complete the Top 10. In the Micra class, it's another success for François Angers-Routhier, ahead of Nicolas Barrette and Simon Vincent.

The next event will take place in two weeks, when the series will be featured at the infamous Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières. More than 30 drivers are expected at the Nissan Sentra Cup on August 5, 6 and 7 in Trois-Rivières, a record for the Series. The britt Freddie Hunt, the son of legendary Formula 1 champion James Hunt, will make his debut in the series at this event.

To follow the Nissan Sentra Cup on social media:
Facebook: @CoupeSentraCup
Instagram: @nissansentracup
Twitter: @SentraCup
YouTube: SentraCupTV

2022 SCHEDULE - NISSAN SENTRA CUP
May 20-22                Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Bowmanville, Ontario
June 17-19                Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada, Montréal, Québec
July 22-24                 Summer Classic, Circuit Mont-Tremblant, Québec
August 5-7                Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Québec
September 2-4          Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Bowmanville, Ontario
September 23-25       Fall Classic, Circuit Mont-Tremblant, Québec