The final race weekend of the 2023 Nissan Sentra Cup season took place on the Mont Tremblant circuit from September 22 to 24. Once again, the championship was decided at the last race on the calendar. In the end, Alexandre Fortin secured his first driver's title.
Valérie Limoges, last year's champion, won the final race of the season, but had to settle for second place in the championship.
However, there was other important news. Specifically, the organizers had three announcements regarding the 2024 season.
Return of the Nissan Grand Prix
Since the early days of the series (which featured the Micra subcompact), races were held on weekends combined with other events. This year, for the first time, Nissan held an event where only Sentra Cup events (two per weekend) were held. The company took the opportunity to invite customers, organize test drives - in short, make it a Nissan party. The drivers also appreciated the contact with race fans, who turned out in large numbers for the occasion.
This Grand Prix event is back on the calendar for 2024, on the weekend of July 6-7. It will once again take place at the ICAR circuit, near Mirabel in Quebec.
The addition of a $30,000 purse
Details of how the prize money will be divided at the end of the 2024 championship are yet to be confirmed, but next season's champion will be entitled to a cash purse of $10,000, which is not to be overlooked for a series that remains affordable for those with passion and talent but not outrageous means, as series promoter Jacques Deshaies pointed out to us at Circuit Mont-Tremblant.
Added to this, of course, is the return of the reward vouchers that all podium finishers receive throughout the year. In all, $50,000 is distributed in coin certificates that racers can redeem at dealerships. The winner of each race receives a $1,500 voucher, while $750 and $450 are distributed to 2nd and 3rd place riders, respectively.
The expansion of the series to the United States
Since its beginnings with the Micra, the series has been an all-Canadian affair. But next year, on July 19 and 20, the circuit heads for Lime Rock, Connecticut. This is an extraordinary opportunity for growth for the series, but also for the drivers, who will benefit from greater visibility. It also opens the door to other events and a market with greater resources.
In short, the 2024 season looks very promising for the Nissan Sentra Cup.
