CTMP Nissan Micra cup review race 1 and 2

The first 2 races of the 2017 Nissan Micra Cup took place this Saturday and sunday afternoon on Canadian Tire Motorsport Park’s road course as part of the Victoria Day Speedfest.

The 2 races mark the the third year running of this race series.

Stefan Gauthier put his No. 96 Micra on pole position with a time of 1m46.391, beating Kevin King, Australian Keishi Ayukai, Jean-Michel Isabelle and reigning series’ champion, Xavier Coupal. Olivier Bédard, the 2015 Micra Cup champion qualified seventh.

The field got the green and Kevin King jumped into the lead while Gauthier unexpectedly lost positions. At the end of the first lap, King led from Jean-Michel Isabelle and Ayukai.

During Lap 2, an accident occurred, forcing a full-course caution. At the restart, King led again from Isabelle. However, Isabelle found a way past King and took the lead.

A second crash

However, the yellow came out again shortly after. This time, rookie driver Samuel Rowe and Frederic Bernier came together. Rowe’s car rolled several times and landed on top of the concrete safety wall. Luckily, no one was injured, but the two cars were heavily damaged.

After having covered several laps behind the safety car, the race reached its time limit of 30 minutes and the race was called.

Jean-Michel Isabelle was declared the winner. Kevin King took second place in front of rookie Keishi Ayukai.

“I’m really happy with my first win in the Cup,” said Isabelle. “My best result before that was a second place at Mont-Tremblant two years ago. I would have liked to run more laps under green, but that’s racing. I got a good start and when we exited Corner 2, Kevin [King] and I were running 1-2. I then passed him on the outside of Corner 8. It was a bit tricky because it was full of marbles. But Kevin acted like a gentleman and left me room.”

“It was important to score point early in the season,” said King. “The team is happy with the result. It’s a great start.”

Quotes from drivers after the race

Stefan radz : Micra Cup drivers, wtf?! Can’t believe the pics I’ve seen. Respect, anyone? Just a whole bunch of crash videos and pics from drivers. Guys going to hospital, etc.

Olivier Bedard : Tough racing when rookie drivers think they are F1 stars.

Kevin King: Drivers are to primed up a race is long it is not won in the first corner they have to be more patient

Race 2 Report:

The cars got off to a clean start with wet conditions and wipers on full. Bedard in second spot behind Coupal. Compared to Saturdays race where there were 2 safety cars this lets the drivers race .

Top driver in each category at the start of the race after 4 laps are

Senior over 40: Norman boyer

Rookie: Nicholas barrette

Top overall driver : Xavier Coupal

Halfway thru the race raining starting to poor down making visibility very low and making drafting a lot more difficult. And Olivier Bedard is gaining ground on his Teammate Xavier Coupal and makes the pass just after the start finish line for the lead.

Coupal not giving up and waiting for the right moment to try for a pass in these difficult conditions but looks like Olivier Bedard having troubles with his car at this stage of the race ,since King and Isabelle are catching up to them every lap bringing a four car battle for the lead. And coupal repasses Bedard for the lead ,the lap after at the same place that he got passed.

Isabelle passes King in the same fashion as did Oliver Bedard a few laps earlier on Coupal.

With the battle for 2,3 and 4 raging, Coupal starts to extend his lead by 5 car lenths over Bedard which is now fending off Isabelle.

Isabelle passes Bedard and is now chasing down Coupal seems like Isabelle has a good setup in the late stages of the race .

Coupal gets passed by the Isabelle Rocket for the lead of the event.

Winnner of the event is Jean-Michel Isabelle and rounding the podium out are Xavier Coupal and Kevin King , Olivier Bedard visully lacking power in the straights compared to the other top drivers finishes down in 5th.

Partial source : Motorports.com and Micra cup Canada