Nissan Micra Cup kicks off 2020 season this weekend at Circuit Mont-Tremblant
The Nissan Micra Cup will begin its sixth season this weekend at Circuit Mont-Tremblant, Québec, one of Canada’s premier motorsports facilities. Delayed from May to July, just like all forms of racing around the globe, the 2020 season is looking promising, with no less than eight drivers who claim they’ll be fighting for the overall title and nearly ten newcomers to the Micra Cup, who are fresh out of karting or are totally new to car racing.
Drivers who have their eyes set on the title include Québec’s Kevin King (L&P Apparel / Nissan Gabriel team) and Valérie Limoges (Total Canada / H Grégoire Nissan), the second and third place finishers in last year’s Micra Cup, respectively, as well as Ontario’s Taylor Near, a rookie who claimed a top five finish in last year’s Micra Cup with team PayPal / Motorsports In Action.
This championship-winning team is back in the series this year and Near will have a new teammate., Québec’s Jesse Lazare, a highly experienced endurance driver, who won the 24 Hours of Daytona in 2017, has already collected one victory and one pole position in the two races he competed in during the Micra Cup. Lazare is filling in for Marco Signoretti who won the overall title last year in his rookie season.
After kart racing for 12 years, Signoretti immediately felt at ease behind the wheel of the small and nimble Nissan Micra S last year and clinched the title in front of King and Limoges. Signoretti’s success paved the way for other former kart racers who will surely be running in the lead pack. Ontario’s Gavin Sanders, Justin Di Benedetto and Mark Davis will be two to watch this season, along with rookies and competitors who have a solid experience in the Micra Cup, such as Sylvain Ouellet (2019 senior class champion), Frédéric Bernier and Nicolas Barrette. Barrette’s father, actor and comedian Michel Barrette will also make a welcome return to the series this weekend at Circuit Mont-Tremblant.
The 2020 Summer Classic will be held at Circuit Mont-Tremblant, located in the heart of the picturesque Laurentians in Québec, but the circuits will be closed to spectators in order to comply with public health directions. However, Micra Cup fans will enjoy several ways to follow the action during the opening rounds of the 2020 season on social media. Fans can follow along on the series’ Facebook and Instagram pages, as well as updates on its Twitter account, which will provide a wealth of information. The Micra Cup TV team will produce video clips during each weekend, and these will be quickly uploaded on the Nissan Micra Cup YouTube page. Additionally, the official website of the series – micracup.com – will post the official results of all races during each weekend of action.
Later this year, fans will also have the chance to watch a, eight-show series devoted to the 2020 Nissan Micra Cup season on Réseau Des Sports (RDS). Each show will feature race highlights, pre-race and post-race interviews as well as drivers’ profiles. The Micra Cup television show will entertain motorsports fans and those who want to discover this very affordable and family-friendly Canadian racing series.
There are 30 drivers currently entered in the 2020 season, including four women: Ontario’s Demi Chalkias and Quebec’s Valérie Limoges, Marie-Josée Massicotte and rookie Marie-Soleil Labelle. The series’ organizer predicts there will be twenty-five competitors in action this weekend at Circuit Mont-Tremblant
On Friday, competitors will be allowed to take to the track as part of a free practice day organized by the event promoter. Afterwards, the only official practice session will be held on Saturday morning. The qualifying and first race will follow in the afternoon. Sunday will consist of the second qualifying session at 9:30 a.m. and the second race at 1:20 p.m.. The two, 40-minute races of the weekend are the first of at least eight scheduled this season.