By: Nissan Micra Cup 
May 17 2019 

The 2019 season of the Nissan Micra Cup kicks off May 18 and 19 at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario

The Nissan Micra Cup begins its fifth season on Victoria Day SpeedFest Weekend, between May 17 and 19, at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park north-east of Toronto in Bowmanville. The 2019 season is expected to be more captivating than ever with new drivers making up almost a quarter of the pack.

The new drivers, a mix of those brand new to motorsports and some of whom already have an impressive list of karting experience, have chosen to participate in the Nissan Micra Cup due to its family ambiance and the fact that the series is contested in identical, practically-stock cars. In their rookie season of the series, these new faces could very well present a challenge for previous season Micra Cup racers.

Among the returning Nissan Micra Cup drivers is three-time champion Olivier Bédard, naturally the series favourite and at the head of Alex Habrich’s Solid XPerts team, which will field three cars this season (the two others being earmarked for Alex and his son Michael Habrich). Kevin King, the 2018 runner-up, will be eyeing his first series title, as will Ontarian Jake Exton, the 2017 Novice champion and winner of the 50th race of the series’ at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park last August.

Valérie Limoges, fourth in the 2018 season standings and top female driver in the Nissan Micra Cup, will also attempt to improve her overall ranking this year. However, Limoges will no longer be the only female driver competing in the series. Among the new drivers this season are: Quebecker Marie-Josée Massicotte, though she will not be competing at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park later this month. Also joining the list of female drivers is Ontarian Demi Chalkias, who will be taking her start in the series at the wheel of one of the two 360 Motorsports cars with Alta Nissan as her sponsor. After winning the GT4 class title in Ontario’s Pirelli GT Sprint last year, Chalkias is among those drivers with the goal of battling in the top half of the pack. Chalkias’ 360 Motorsports teammate is Ontarian Peter Hanson, also new to the series.

Among the other new competitors is a team consisting of Ontarian drivers Marco Signoretti and Taylor Near, sponsored by Paypal, and Quebecker Xavier Lassus of El Toro Racing team, rounding out the six new drivers registered this season. The 2019 season is set to include no less than 29 competitors.

In addition to its sponsorship on the track, Paypal has also become the official payment partner of the Nissan Micra Cup and joins NISMO, Mobil 1, and Pirelli, as official series partners.

Loyal to tradition, the Nissan Micra Cup will present 12 races this season, spread out over six race weekend events. Half of these outings will take place in Ontario, with two visits to the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and one at the Calabogie track near Ottawa. The other half will take place in Quebec, with two events at the Circuit Mont-Tremblant, and the ever-popular Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières, held in the heart of the summer.

During the upcoming season opener at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, the Nissan Micra Cup drivers will not be the only Nissans on the track! Maintaining a tradition that began in 2017, Nissan Canada will allow its Micra and Z owners to drive on the popular Canadian track themselves, with a parade taking place at noon on Sunday, May 19. Online registration for this opportunity must be done in advance on the Nissan Micra Cup website: https://www.micracup.com/eventregistration, and is restricted to Canadian owners of Nissan Z and Micra cars; weekend access to the race site for these owners is also complimentary.

On location, series fans can take in a drivers’ autograph session in the paddocks on Sunday at 1:00 p.m., where fans can also get up close to the Nissan LEAF NISMO RC. This 100 per cent electric car will be the official safety car of the series.

Equipped with two electric motors situated on opposite ends of the chassis, the LEAF NISMO RC produces a combined 322 horsepower (161 each) and 472 pound-feet of instant torque to the wheels. The new 2019 Nissan LEAF’s transmission technology includes a high capacity lithium-ion battery and battery packs.

This will be the first time in the history of motorsports presented in a Canadian or North American series that a 100 per cent electric car will take to the track. The public will be able to admire the eye-catching, electric racer in the Nissan Micra paddocks throughout the entire weekend.

The Nissan Micra Cup races on MICRA CUP TV

For those who cannot attend the event, races will be broadcast live on the series YouTube channel on Saturday at 10:05 a.m. and Sunday at 3:30 p.m. on https://www.youtube.com/MicraCupTV. In addition, the series will post multiple live video interviews and weekend footage on their Facebook page throughout the event.

Social media content will be uploaded regularly in English and French on the official Nissan Micra Cup Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages.

To follow on social media

Facebook: Coupe Nissan Micra Cup
Instagram: @nissanmicracup
Twitter: @MicraCup
Youtube: MicraCupTV

Nissan Micra Cup on the track

Practice session: Friday, May 17, 11:10 a.m. - 11:40 a.m.
Qualifying: Friday, May 17, 3:20 p.m. - 3:50 p.m.
First race: Saturday, May 18, 10:05 a.m. - 10:35 a.m.
Second race: Sunday, May 19, 3:30 p.m. - 4:10 p.m.

2019 Nissan Micra Cup Calendar

May 17- 19: Victoria Day Weekend SpeedFest, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Ontario
June 1 -2: Kyle Nash Memorial, 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