Nissan Micra Cup
shows that
ANYONE C
by David Miller
It ’ s hard to become a professional race car driver . Many have tried and many have failed for a variety of reasons . Not only do you need the talent to compete with the big boys in Formula One , IndyCar and Nascar ; you need a lot of time , money and sponsorship . The scary part is , that system doesn ’ t just hold true for the premier racing series , but also at the Nascar Canadian Tire Series or Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge level . Connections in the sport are at the same importance level as talent , and the combination of those two is the key to a successful driving career .
But let ’ s be serious for a moment , the percentage of having a long and fulfilled driving career without your family shelling over hundreds of thousands of dollars is near impossible . And that ’ s where a series like the Nissan Micra Cup comes in .
The Micra Cup featuring the Nissan Micra road car is billed as the most affordable racing series in Canada , offering the lowest running cost of any Canadian series . Each Micra in the 25- car grid is race-specced by Motorsports In Action ( MIA ) out of St-Eustache , Quebec . Gone are the road car seats , floor , door panels and steering wheel and in its place is a MIA installed roll cage , racing seat , safety equipment and a Nismo suspension kit for a total cost of $ 19,988 . Triple that cost or more for expenses during a full Nissan Micra Cup calendar year and you ’ re a race car driver in the field .
That ’ s all it akes to enter the field and the variety of drivers you see walking around the paddock during the 8-week , 16-race schedule shows it . They come from various walks of life and they all have their own story to tell . These people range from true racers climbing up the ladder to business men to joyriders and even the odd beauty queen contestant . It ’ s a who ’ s who of regular Joes and Janes wanting to achieve their own set goals , but one things for sure , they ’ re not in it for the money , but for the pure joy of the sport .
“ The expansion into Ontario is a big opportunity for us .”
— Nicolas Touchette , CEO of Groupe Touchette and driver
This year , we had a chance to see the Nissan Micra Cup live at its inaugural Ontario race out in Calabogie . It was the kickoff race to the 2016 campaign ; a big step for the little racing series with a lot of backing from its series sponsor , Nissan Canada .
It ’ s a bold move for the Nissan brand to expand to Ontario from its roots in Quebec only after one year of competition , but Didier Marsaud , Director , Corporate Communications at Nissan Canada felt it was time to bring the excitement of the Micra Cup to Ontario , its biggest potential sales market .
“ There has been a lot of interest in Ontario , but Ontarians want to first see what the Nissan Micra Cup race is all about ,” said Marsaud . “ Once they see the excitement we provide , they will want to come back .”
8 THE DRIVER