By: Nissan Micra Cup
August 26 2016

Project E.R.A.S.E.-affiliated police officer to compete in Micra Cup race next weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park

Mississauga, Ontario - Today, Nissan announced a collaboration between the Nissan Micra Cup spec series and Project E.R.A.S.E. (Eliminating Racing Activity On Streets Everywhere), to raise awareness about the dangers of street racing and encourage safe, responsible driving on public roads and race tracks. Project E.R.A.S.E. is a collaborative effort of seven Ontario police services, the Ministry of Transportation and the Ministry of the Environment.

Representing Project E.R.A.S.E. is Staff Sergeant Chuck Kaizer of the Ontario Provincial Police, Highway Safety Division, who will trade in his police uniform for a racing suit Labour Day weekend to compete in two Nissan Micra Cup races at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP), near Toronto.

The goal of the E.R.A.S.E. program is to change poor driver behaviour through education and strategic enforcement.

"Motorsport is a cornerstone of Nissan's brand identity, dating back to the 1930's in Japan. The pride we have in our motorsport heritage is matched by Nissan's commitment to safety for all drivers and passengers," says Joni Paiva, president of Nissan Canada Inc. "To that point, we saw an incredible opportunity for the Nissan Micra Cup to collaborate with Project E.R.A.S.E., to help raise awareness of the dangers of street racing, while providing a safe, regulated alternative for those with a penchant for speed and competition."

So far in 2016, three joint education and enforcement initiatives conducted by Project E.R.A.S.E. affiliated police services have resulted in 107 charges and six arrests related to street racing. This does not include the hundreds of calls for service and stunt driving charges investigated over the past several months by the involved police services independent of the specific enforcement initiatives.

"What many people fail to realize is automobile racing is not synonymous with illegal driving on public roads. We see this in the alarmingly high number of reported street racing incidents and subsequent fines," says Staff Sergeant Chuck Kaizer. "By collaborating with the Micra Cup, we're sending a clear message to Ontario drivers who feel dangerous driving on the public roadways is okay – racing does not belong on public roads - there's a safe way to satisfy the 'need for speed,' and it's more attainable than some might think."

In 2015, Nissan launched the Micra Cup, a one-make racing series featuring Canada's most affordable new car, the base Nissan Micra S. After a successful inaugural season launched exclusively in Quebec, Canada's most affordable racing series expanded to Ontario for 2016. The Micra Cup race car has a compelling value proposition for those interested in motorsport with a price of $22,900 CAD, ready-to-race.

To render it race-ready for the Micra Cup, the Micra S receives NISMO-tuned suspension and a number of enhancements to comply with FIA regulations: FIA-approved racing seat; 5-point harness; fire extinguisher; safety cage; driver protection net; front and rear towing hooks and stylized Fast-wheels wheels with Pirelli low profile high performance slick tires.

Staff Sergeant Chuck Kaizer will be the latest novice driver on the grid next weekend at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, joining a field of close to 30 Micra Cup drivers. Staff Sergeant Kaizer will drive Micra Cup race car #23 for team Project E.R.A.S.E.

For more information on the Nissan Micra Cup, please visit: www.nissan.ca/micracup

About the Nissan Micra Cup

Sanctioned by Auto Sport Québec (ASQ) and presented by JD Promotion & Compétition with the support of Nissan Canada, the 2016 Nissan Micra Cup exclusively features the stock Micra 1.6 S M/T model with minor modifications, including NISMO suspension - to render it race-ready.

Unlike most motorsport events, each competing Nissan Micra race vehicle has the exact same specifications, resulting in a competition that truly reveals the most skilled drivers. The Nissan Micra Cup race vehicles were equipped with the Nissan Micra's stock 1.6-litre DOHC 4-cylinder engine with dual fuel injection and Twin CVTC (Continuously Variable Timing Control) and stock 5-speed manual transmission. In its inaugural season last year, more than 25 Nissan Micras competed on each race weekend which included two hours of track time consisting of: a 30-minute trial, a 30-minute qualifying session and two 30-minute races.

Young karting drivers, the average Canadian looking for an entry point into motorsport competition, or anyone who wants to experience the rush of adrenaline inherent with racing cars are all well-suited to this series. In summary, the Nissan Micra Cup is for people who are passionate about motorsports, want to experience all the fun and thrills of racing, but without spending staggering amounts of money.

For more information on the Nissan Micra Cup, please go to the website www.nissan.ca/micracup.

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.

Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Japan's second-largest automotive company, is headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, and is part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance. Operating with more than 247,500 employees globally, Nissan sold 5.32 million vehicles and generated revenue of 11.38 trillion yen (USD 103.6 billion) in fiscal year 2014. Nissan delivers a comprehensive range of more than 60 models under the Nissan, Infiniti and Datsun brands. Nissan leads the world in zero-emission mobility, dominated by sales of the LEAF, the first mass-market, pure-electric vehicle. It is the best-selling EV in history with almost 50% share of the zero-emission vehicle segment.

For more information on our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit our website at http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/.

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 directly employs 306 full-time staff across offices in Vancouver (BC), Mississauga (ON), and Kirkland (QC). There are 191 independent Nissan dealerships, 39 Infiniti retailers and 45 Nissan Commercial Vehicle dealers across Canada. A pioneer in zero emission mobility, Nissan made history with the introduction of the Nissan LEAF, the first affordable, mass-market, pure-electric vehicle and winner of numerous international accolades including the prestigious 2011 European Car of the Year and World Car of the Year awards.

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.