Returning champions and drivers, new faces and Micra Cup TV all debut next weekend during the first races for the 2018 Nissan Micra Cup

Canadian Tire Motorsport Park will host the first of six 2018 events next weekend

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, May 09, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- After winning over spectators and drivers alike with spectacular races and a welcoming family-friendly atmosphere, the Nissan Micra Cup returns for its fourth season with exciting new additions. The season kicks off in Ontario at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on May 19.

Race sponsor Nissan Canada and series promoter JD Promotions & Compétition announced this winter that the Nissan Micra Cup has been extended through the end of 2020, with twelve annual races over six events. For the first time in the series' history, the races will be split evenly between Ontario and Quebec, including two visits to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, one return to Calabogie, two trips to the Circuit Mont-Tremblant and one weekend at Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières.

While the total number of events has remained unchanged, many other refreshing updates will be apparent on and off the track.

Fan-favourites return, newcomers debut
Close to 30 drivers are registered for the 2018 season, including 2015 and 2017 champion Olivier Bédard, looking to defend his title. He will be representing a new team this year, leaving last year's champions Speed ?n' Sports, and joining Solid XPerts with Nissan Micra Cup veteran Alex Habrich.

Kevin King will be leading the chase pack after a successful 2017, placing third overall and leading the team champions Speed ?n' Sports. Also returning is 2017 Senior Class champion, Normand Boyer and multi-time podium finisher, Valérie Limoges. Series newcomers Marc Héroux ? two-time Quebec Super Production Challenge champion ? and American Mike Ogren could also surprise the field as challengers.

Albertan driver Stefan Rzadzinski will be noticeably absent from this year's series as his Nissan Micra Cup success propelled his career into the Porsche GT3 Cup competition. 

As part of a three-year agreement, Mobil 1 Racing and Pirelli are joint series title sponsors, as the official oil distributer and tire supplier, respectively.

The kick-off for new Facebook live series, Micra Cup TV, hosted by Antoine Joubert
Another new addition this year is the debut of Micra Cup TV, hosted by well-known Quebec auto reporter Antoine Joubert. Micra Cup TV will allow off-site fans to follow the races live, while enjoying the ambiance of the Nissan Micra Cup. The show will be broadcast live on the Micra Cup Facebook page, beginning Saturday at 11:10 a.m. and Sunday at 3:10 p.m. The live videos and reports will be available on the Micra Cup TV YouTube channel, following the race. 

Nissan owners getting track time
A popular staple of the first race of the season is Sunday's track parade, where Nissan Micra and Nissan Z owners can take an unforgettable drive on the Ontario circuit ? formerly home to the first Formula 1 Grand Prix du Canada. To register free of charge, owners can fill out the online form at www.micracup.com/eventregistration. Nissan Canada is also offering two free tickets to the full series of events, for each Nissan Micra owner who registers on the website.

With highly anticipated races, Nissan Micra Cup driver autograph sessions, a paddock open to all spectators and live Nissan Micra Cup social media reports all weekend, the first event of the 2018 Nissan Micra Cup is shaping up to fantastic weekend!

For more information on the Nissan Micra Cup, please visit: www.micracup.com.

Nissan Micra Cup on-track sessions:

• Practice session: Friday, May 18, 8:50 a.m. to 9:20 a.m.
• Qualifying: Friday, May 18, 1:50 p.m. to 2:20 p.m.
• First race: Saturday, May 19, 11:10 a.m. to 11:40 a.m.
• Second race: Sunday, May 20, 3:10 p.m. to 3:40 p.m.

2018 Nissan Micra Cup calendar:
May 18 to 20            Victoria Day Weekend SpeedFest, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Ontario  
June 2 to 3              Kyle Nash Memorial, Calabogie Motorsports Park, Ontario
July 27 to 29            Summer Classic, Circuit Mont-Tremblant, Québec
August 10 to 12        Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières, Québec
August 24 to 26       NASCAR Weekend, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Ontario  
September 21 to 23  Fall Classic, Circuit Mont-Tremblant, Québec

About the Nissan Micra Cup
Sanctioned by Auto Sport Québec (ASQ) and presented by JD Promotion & Compétition with the support of Nissan Canada, the 2015 Nissan Micra Cup exclusively featured the stock Micra 1.6 S M/T model with minor modifications, including racing suspension ? to render it race-ready.

Unlike most motorsport events, each competing Nissan Micra race vehicle had the exact same specifications, resulting in a competition that truly revealed the most skilled drivers. The 2015 Nissan Micra Cup race vehicles were equipped with the Nissan Micra's stock 1.6-liter 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, 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 Nissan.ca/MicraCup.

About the Nissan Micra
In 2014, the Nissan Micra returned to Canada after 23 years as an all-new model, offering Canadians unbeatable value with the lowest starting Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) in Canada at $9,998. One item that sets the 2015 Micra apart is its agility. Micra is easy to drive and park, thanks to excellent all-round visibility and turning radius, electric power steering and a power to weight ratio that surprises. Powering the front-wheel drive Micra is a DOHC 1.6-litre 4-cylinder engine rated at 109 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm and 107 lb-ft. of torque @ 4,400 rpm.

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., Ltd.
Nissan is a global full-line vehicle manufacturer that sells more than 60 models under the Nissan, INFINITI and Datsun brands. In fiscal year 2016, the company sold 5.63 million vehicles globally, generating revenues of 11.72 trillion yen. In fiscal 2017, the company embarked on Nissan M.O.V.E. to 2022, a six-year plan targeting a 30% increase in annualized revenues to 16.5 trillion yen by the end of fiscal 2022, along with cumulative free cash flow of 2.5 trillion yen. As part of Nissan M.O.V.E. to 2022, the company plans to extend its leadership in electric vehicles, symbolized by the world's best-selling all-electric vehicle in history, the Nissan LEAF. Nissan's global headquarters in Yokohama, Japan, manages operations in six regions: Asia & Oceania; Africa, the Middle East & India; China; Europe; Latin America; and North America. Nissan has a global workforce of 247,500 and has been partnered with French manufacturer Renault since 1999. In 2016, Nissan acquired a 34% stake in Mitsubishi Motors. Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi is today the world's largest automotive partnership, with combined sales of more than 10.6 million vehicles in calendar year 2017.

For more information about our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit
nissan-global.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn and see all our latest videos on YouTube.

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 200 independent Nissan dealerships, including 45 that also act as Nissan Commercial Vehicles dealers, and 42 INFINITI retailers 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.

Media contacts:

Didier Marsaud
Director, Corporate Communications
Nissan Canada
Telephone: 905-629-6400
Email: [email protected] 

Roxane Barry
Specialist, Corporate Communications
Nissan Canada
Telephone: 905-629-6461
Email: [email protected]

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at

http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/3510c1bf-19d9-4663-b9ef-0a16354ed5bb

http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/c926a347-d401-4240-b9ac-410bb0b5e38d

http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/03a579ac-72ea-49b6-b7ed-2845eaf60054

http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/29a6a67d-6f8e-4f10-81be-cdebc2829cdd