AutoOpinion.ca News: ICAR

2023/07/12

Simon Charbonneau wins the Nissan Grand Prix

NISSAN CANADA - The Nissan Sentra Cup presented the very first Nissan Grand Prix this Sunday at the Complexe ICAR in Mirabel. Thousands of spectators came at the invitation of Nissan Canada and among the many activities offered, the two Nissan Sentra Cup races crowned Simon Charbonneau.

Free practice, qualifying and both races took place on Sunday only. The first qualifying session allowed Simon Charbonneau to take pole position, ahead of the championship leader Nicolas Barrette. The young rookie (15 years old) Vincent Lalande completed the Top 3, ahead of Samuel Rowe and Simon Vincent who, after several consecutive victories in the Micra class, started this Sunday at the wheel of a Sentra racecar.

Presented on perfect summer weather conditions and in front of packed grandstands, the first race offered spectacular battles on this track held on the site of the former Montréal-Mirabel international airport. Simon Charbonneau led from start to finish but a full course yellow after 30 of the 40 minutes of the race changed the situation. On the restart, Charbonneau, Rowe, Alexandre Fortin, defending champion Valérie Limoges and Barrette battled for victory. They finished in that order but Samuel Rowe was later excluded from the results for using unapproved tires.

Sixth on the track, Simon Vincent completes the Top 5 in the official standings, ahead of Mathieu Miron, Christian Thibault, Vincent Lalande, André Lapointe and Nicolas Lévesque, winner of the Micra class after overtaking Charles-Étienne Boucher, leader from the start, on the last lap.

The afternoon started with the qualifying session for the second race. Charbonneau again took pole position, this time ahead of Rowe, Barrette, Alexandre Fortin, Lalande and Limoges.

The second race concluded the activities of a day that gave a great and emotion filled spectacle for the drivers and the spectators. Simon Charbonneau again dominated the 40 minutes, en route to a perfect score this Sunday: two pole positions, two lap records and two victories. After several changes of position in the peloton, Alexandre Fortin finished second, ahead of Nicolas Barrette, Mathieu Miron, Simon Vincent, Christian Thibault, André Lapointe, Jean Audet and Daniel Fortin, who was in battle with his son for second place for a few laps before losing places. In Micra class, it’s another success for Nicolas Lévesque, in front of Charles-Étienne Boucher.

For spectators and fans of the brand, this Nissan Grand Prix was also the perfect opportunity to test drive the ARIYA, Armada, Kicks, LEAF, Pathfinder, Qashqai, Rogue and Sentra models. The luckiest people won a lap with one of the series' professional drivers aboard the LEAF NISMO RC, the famous 100% electric prototype, or a Nissan Z. Nissan brand ambassador for Quebec, actress Karine Vanasse was also on site.

“I congratulate all the participants of this first Nissan Grand Prix, which was a great success. The weather obviously helped us but this event was simply magnificent with two very spectacular races, a lot of fans in the grandstands, test drives by the hundreds and lots of interaction with our customers. We have managed to bring the experience of a free motorsport event to our fans and this really connects the brand with the Nissan Sentra Cup but also with our customers and the cars they drive," said Steve Milette, CEO of Nissan Canada.

In the Nissan Sentra Cup drivers' championship, after four races contested, Simon Charbonneau (195 points) took first place ahead of Nicolas Barrette (172), Alexandre Fortin (158) and Simon Vincent (112).

The next event of the season will take place on August 4, 5 and 6 at the ever-popular Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières. Two new races will be presented, to complete the first half of the 2023 season.

For more information on the Nissan Sentra Cup, visit sentracup.com and the series' social media. To watch all the events of the 2022 season, visit the Nissan Sentra Cup YouTube page.

SCHEDULE 2023 - NISSAN SENTRA CUP

May 26, 27, 28                     Spring Classic, Circuit Mont-Tremblant, Québec
July 9                                    Nissan Grand Prix, Complexe ICAR - Mirabel, Québec
August 4, 5, 6                       Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Québec
August 26                              NASCAR Event, Complexe ICAR - Mirabel, Québec
September 1, 2, 3               Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Bowmanville, Ontario
September 22, 23, 24         Fall Classic, Circuit Mont-Tremblant, Québec

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

2023/07/03

The Nissan Grand Prix at the Complexe ICAR this Sunday: Two races and multiple activities for fans

NISSAN SENTRA CUP - For the first time since 2021, the Nissan Sentra Cup will return to the Complexe ICAR, located on the site of the former Montreal-Mirabel International Airport, this Sunday, July 9. This time, it will be for an exceptional and unprecedented event: the Nissan Grand Prix.

Two races of the Nissan Sentra Cup, the only series on the schedule, will be presented during this day in addition to free practice and qualifying sessions. Fans are invited to the event between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. free of charge with parking and paddock access included They will be able to watch both races from the grandstands and discover a multitude of Nissan models on the site, such as the all-new ARYA, the LEAF, both 100% electric propulsion cars, as well as Pathfinder, Rogue and the famous Nissan Z, one of the sporting symbols of the brand.

Fans will be able as well to book road tests, through on-site registration, and drive the ARYA, Armada, Kicks, LEAF, Pathfinder, Qashqai, Rogue and Sentra models. Between the Nissan Sentra Cup sessions fans will have the chance to win a lap with one of the series' professional drivers aboard the LEAF NISMO RC, the famous 100% electric prototype, or a Nissan Z. Fans can also get behind the wheel of a virtual Nissan Z, as Nissan Canada's racing simulator will once again be installed in the paddocks, giving everyone on site the chance to test their driving abilities.

Brand ambassador in Quebec, actress Karine Vanasse will also be present at this very first Nissan Grand Prix in the history of Canadian motorsport.

"I am happy and proud to see that, in its ninth season of presence on Canadian road tracks, the Nissan Sentra Cup and Nissan Canada are still innovating with an event like the Nissan Grand Prix which promises to be exceptional. For us, this is a very special opportunity to be able to interact more closely with our motorsports fans and our Nissan customers – who will be admitted to the site free of charge. Best of luck to the Series' drivers and a warm welcome to all the spectators," said Steve Milette, CEO of Nissan Canada.

Championship leader after two races competed, Nicolas Barrette hopes to take the opportunity to register his first victory of 2023. To do so, he will have to beat Simon Charbonneau and Alexandre Fortin, who have each won a race this season, or the defending champion Valérie Limoges. These four drivers are not the only contenders for victory, as the start of the season has shown that driving their racing Nissan Sentras, many drivers can hope to clinch top honors. We think here of Samuel Rowe, currently second in the overall standings, the young and promising (15 years old) Vincent Lalande, Daniel Fortin (Alexandre's father), Nicolas Miron, Sylvain Ouellet or the popular radio and TV host Benoît Gagnon, all among the Top 10 in the championship.

It will also be interesting to watch the progress of the second female driver registered, Marie-Soleil Labelle, who begins this season at the wheel of a Sentra after having spent the first seasons of the series in the Micra class. The 2022 Micra class defending champion Raphaël St-Pierre will try to beat the big favorite, Simon Vincent, for the first time this season.

The Nissan Sentra Cup drivers will be on the track from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. for 60 minutes of free practice. Qualifying 1 will be presented from 9:45am to 10:15am, followed by Race 1 at 11:20am for 40 minutes of action. In the afternoon, the second qualification will take place from 1:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. and race 2 from 3:30 p.m. to 4:10 p.m. Track sessions for the Nissan Z are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. and 2:15 p.m., those for the LEAF Nismo at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.