mont tremblant

Nissan Canada announces Micra Cup involvement to extend to 2020

November 14, 2017 by Gary Grant Leave a Comment

At the season ending banquet for the popular Micra Cup Series on Saturday evening, Nissan Canada and series promoter JD Promotion & Compétition announced that their committment to the series has been extended to 2020.

With action like racing fans haven’t seen since the demise of the legendary Honda Michelin Series of the Seventies through to the early Nineties, the Micra Cup has provided incredible excitement for fans and racers alike.

The series wouldn’t have happened without the passionate involvement of automotive journalist and long time racer Jacques Deshaies and Nissan Canada’s Didier Marsaud. In a time when entry level racing has become increasingly difficult to market, the duo have worked tirelessly to create an affordable racing program that has been noticed around the world for its success.

Ontario auto journalist Brian Makse is a series regular.

Series press release

Mississauga, Ont. (November 12, 2017) – On Saturday night, JD Promotion & Compétition and Nissan celebrated the third season of the Nissan Micra Cup in Quebec with an annual gala event for those involved in making it a success – including drivers and their teams, partners, series organizers and staff from Nissan Canada. At the event, Joni Paiva, president of Nissan Canada Inc., announced that Nissan Canada and JD Promotion & Compétition have extended the Nissan Micra Cup contract for three more years, with races to occur in both Ontario and Quebec once again.

“The Nissan Micra Cup has grown a lot over the past three years – we’ve preserved the exclusive, but welcoming and professional series theme, and have opened our doors to a much larger audience,” said Joni Paiva, president, Nissan Canada Inc. “The Nissan Micra Cup is more than just a motorsport series. It is a testament to the reliability; affordability; and quality inherent not only in the Micra, but all Nissans in the portfolio. The Nissan Micra Cup is also another way for us to connect on a deeper level with the general public, the fans, Nissan owners and Nissan dealers, and we’re thrilled to bring the family spirit of the Nissan Micra Cup back to Canadian tracks for three more years.”

The Nissan Micra Cup was launched in 2015 as Canada’s most affordable racing series, with all drivers using identical, almost stock Nissan Micra S race cars offering fun behind the wheel and reliability. In its inaugural year, the Nissan Micra Cup took place in Quebec only, and in 2016, it expanded to Ontario, bringing new drivers and even more excitement to the track. In 2017, the vision for the Nissan Micra Cup evolved even further. With the goal of attracting more than just racing enthusiasts, the Nissan Micra Cup put on a number of special consumer-focused events and invited Nissan Micra owners to attend the race weekends free-of-charge.

Of note is that Nissan Canada was the main automotive partner for the 2017 Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières (GP3R). About 700 Nissan customers were invited to the race weekend, and were witness to a free concert, From the Track to the Stage, featuring Nissan Micra Cup driver and Quebec comedian, Michel Barrette, as well as winner of La Voix 3, Kevin Bazinet. This initiative brought a much larger audience to the GP3R race weekend, increasing the reach of the series.

“Since its launch in 2015, the Nissan Micra Cup has been a huge success, at all levels, both in Canada and even internationally,” said Jacques Deshaies, owner of JD Promotion & Compétition and the series promoter. “In three years, the Nissan Micra Cup has become a leading racing series in the national motorsports community, while also remaining the most accessible and affordable. We are very proud of this 100 per cent Canadian achievement and look forward seeing it grow and evolve even more over the next three years.”

Over the past three years, approximately 25 cars have competed for the championship title each season, with drivers from very diverse backgrounds and varying levels of experience. To date, the entry list has included drivers ranging from 18 to 64 years-old, four women, five international drivers and representatives from 12 Nissan dealerships. Additionally, the Nissan Micra Cup races have featured a number of well-known professional drivers from NASCAR and other prestigious racing series, including Richard Spenard, Louis Philippe Montour, Karl Wittmer, Bertrand Godin, Aaron Povoledo , Patrick Dussault and Jesse Lazare, to name a few.

Several celebrities also took part in the series and competed on the track at a number of Nissan Micra Cup race weekends. In addition to Quebec comedian Michel Barrette, Canadian figure skater and Olympic medalist, Elvis Stojko, Quebec actor Jeff Boudreault and TV anchors Carl Nadeau and Benoit Gagnon, had nothing but positive things to say about their experience racing behind the wheels of their Nissan Micras.

Another highlight is that both of the Nissan Micra Cup championship winners, Olivier Bédard in 2015 and 2017, as well as Xavier Coupal in 2016, were recipients of the Gilles Villeneuve Trophy, one of the most prestigious annual awards in the world of Quebec motorsports.

“We are very excited to announce the extension of the Nissan Micra Cup in Canada,” said Michael Carcamo, global motorsports director, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. “The Nissan Micra Cup represents the most affordable racing platform in Canada. Along with competitive drivers and exciting race venues, the Nissan Micra has proven its durability and reliability in the most intense environment, motorsport racing. We look forward to more great racing in the years to come and we congratulate all the participants of the first three seasons.”

More details on the 2018 Nissan Micra Cup calendar to come in the winter.

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

Driveteq announces 2017 event schedule at CTMP

January 14, 2017 by Gary Grant 1 Comment

As a motorsport journalist, one of the most common questions I am asked by newcomers is, “how can I get to drive on the track?”

Even fifteen years ago, the answer was not so easy. It was difficult to get a car that wasn’t a full blown race car onto a track. Today however, it seems as if there is a lapping day going on pretty much every day somewhere in Ontario. Even in the Winter, weather permitting. The challenge is finding one that offers an affordable price, driver training options and a laid back,yet safe and inviting environment.

Some track days are run like an old boys club, where newcomers are sort of welcome, but rules are loose and many of the cars are really fast. Experience levels vary. Other events are run by other newbies, who may not quite have a handle on the safety and instruction elements needed to run a track day.

Over the past couple of years however, our friends Gerry Low and Rick Morelli at Driveteq have grown their business from a handful of friends spending the day at the track to a full blown track day experience, with literally dozens of events every season. Driveteq’s days have an open and inviting vibe that comes as a result of the duo’s passion for the sport and its people. Their people include a roster of talented and experienced instructors and support staff who love to see their guests improve. This vibe means that experienced drivers with fast cars also join in the fun too.

Newcomers will receive instruction from some of the country’s top high performance driving personalities.

For 2017, Driveteq has listed thirteen events at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and Le Circuit Mont Tremblant. Once you become part of their circle though, you quickly learn that Driveteq seems to hold almost constant events throughout the year, as they snap up any date that becomes available, sometimes even within days.

Driveteq 2017 schedule

CTMP Driver Development Centre
1. Sunday, April 23
2. Friday June 16
3. Sunday, August 20

CTMP Grand Prix track
1. Tuesday, May 16
2. Tuesday, May 30
3. Friday, June 30
4. Monday, July 10
5. Wednesday, August 2
6. Monday, August 28
7. Monday, September 18
8. Thursday, October 5

Mont Tremblant
1. Wednesday, May 31
2. Thursday, June 1

To learn more, visit Driveteq online here

Camp4 proves that Porsche builds an awesome Winter car

February 26, 2011 by Gary Grant 7 Comments

Gary flicks a Cayman S sideways as the track falls away

If you are reading this, then you have seen Ken Block’s trilogy of Gymkhana videos and thought “I can do that”. Beginning your day on the skid pad at Camp4 brings on a very real ego check. You are not that good and neither am I!

To begin our day, the yellow run group took to the skid pad in brand spanking new Euro spec Porsche 911 Carrera 4 drop tops equipped with the PDK double clutch transmission. This meant there would be no focus lost while shifting gears. Believe me, if you want to get it right, you really have to focus. The first few laps come with the Porsche Stability Management turned on. Then, the Sport Plus mode is engaged, which allows for more driver input and less e-nanny input. As you become more comfortable/brave/patient, you turn off the PSM. This is the time when you realize how little talent you have behind the wheel.

I was very proud that after an hour and a half of lapping, I was able to pull off a perfect circular drift for a lap and a half, in both directions. That perfect drift means not moving the steering wheel, keeping the wheels pointed straight and modulating the throttle very gently. A lap and a half each way felt like quite an accomplishment for this guy who used to rally front wheel drive cars with a pinch over 100 horsepower. The C4S Convertible is all wheel drive and produces a pinch under 400 horsepower. Twice the drive wheels and four times the power!

Porsche Camp4 is billed as the Ultimate Winter Driving Experience. Without exaggeration, it is.
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Found on ebay: Porsche 944 Rothmans Turbo Cup driven by Ron Fellows

November 5, 2010 by Gary Grant 10 Comments

The late Eighties and early Nineties were a very special in North American road racing history. In Canada and the USA, there were several healthy showroom stock series that kept fans on their feet at race tracks across the continent. Of those series, the two most exciting were the Player’s Challenge for Camaros and Firebirds and the Rothmans Porsche series. These two series stand out not only because of the depth of talent and close fought battles, but also because of the incredible personalities driving the cars.

One of the most endearing and enduring personalities of both of those series was NASCAR road course ace Ron Fellows. As a working driver, Big Ron would often miss qualifying due to other races (he still does that today) and would work his way from the back of the grid, up to the podium. The car you see above is the car that Fellows drove in the 1990 Rothmans Turbo Cup series. In ’88 and ’89, it was raced by Ted Powell. The ’90 season ended in Halifax at the Moosehead Grand Prix. During the race, Fellows was taken out by Uli Bieri and backed the car hard into the concrete barriers. The fuel cell ruptured and the car caught fire.

Over the past 15 years, the car has been restored to as raced condition. In fact, the factory sealed engine still wears the series seals. As of this writing, there are 3 days left on the auction, where the car has a buy it now price of $130,000. To say this car is a unique piece of Canadian racing history would be an understatement. What makes it even more unique is the fact that the car comes with all of the original documentation and many of the spares that were supplied to competitors by the factory.
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The case of the missing Lotus

March 2, 2010 by Leighton Irwin 5 Comments

Forty years ago formula car racing was just beginning to become the major series in Canada that it would shortly grow into. Sports car racing, featuring sports racing cars had been the main racing with the pro events, highlighted latterly by the Can-Am. Outside of a couple of USAC races there had been no major open wheel race in Canada until the Cdn. GP in 1967. CASC decided that as of 69 the Cdn. Championship would be for formula cars. The first year of the series sponsored by Gulf Oil had been less than brilliant with low car counts and even Formula Fords in the top three on occasion. By 1970 there were quite a few FB cars and a few more 5000 cars so the fields were reasonable. Enhancing this was a Molson sponsored series in Quebec for FB cars with some money.
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A towing tale…

January 4, 2010 by Gary Magwood 2 Comments

Early Summer, 1965.

Citation Motors, Bathurst at Vaughn Road. Owner, Barry Rosenberg decides to convoy to Le Circuit for a regional event (can’t remember the organizing club in Quebec).

Barry loads up his Ginetta Mk whatever sports car… well maybe not Barry but his enthusiastic workers! Tow car is a ’56 Ford four-door with a relatively solid trailer. I load my Mini (“sponsored” by Citation Motors) onto a trailer (and yes, I load it!) and hook up to an Edsel of questionable vintage. Both the Ford and Edsel were lumps sitting on Citation’s used car lot.

Off we go. Hugh Brown, John Dobbins and other assorted helpers spread out over the two tow vehicles.

All was going just fine until we decided by using frantic hand signals to pull off into the Newcastle highway restaurant/rest stop for whatever. Ford with Ginetta leading and the Edsel following closely. As soon as I see the Ford’s brakelights I apply pressure to the Edsel’s brake pedal only to have it go straight to the floor! No amount of headlight flashing convinced the Ford to speed up and get out of the way.
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Shutter Speed: Going Detroit and more racing!

November 30, 2009 by Allan De La Plante 2 Comments

Being without wheels after the loss of the Ã¢â‚¬ËœMod-HealeyÃ¢â‚¬â„¢ presented a problem for most of the fall, but IÃ¢â‚¬â„¢d changed jobs and had moved in with Jane in Thornhill. WeÃ¢â‚¬â„¢d decided we were going to flee to Europe to ski for the winter. I took a bartenders course and got a certificate while Jane waited tables in the dining room at the Thornhill Golf and Country Club where I worked. The need for a car was not a factor as we figured weÃ¢â‚¬â„¢d be taking off for Europe in the early fall. But there suddenly was another thing we did not figure on…a little bundle that was going to make an appearance in the spring! So much for Europe! Our friend Woody helped solve the car problem. At the time he was working for a finance company and asked me if I wanted to come while he picked up a repo in Ottawa. I wasnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t interested in going to pick up any car until he said he was going to make a side trip to Mount Tremblant which had just opened for the season. Now I was interested! I was even more interested when we got to Ottawa and walked up to the door of a townhouse and asked for the keys to a nice shiny white Mustang fastback! I have never been a Detroit man, but she looked so fine in the sunlight as we piled our skis in and took off to have a few days skiing. Neither of us had ever been to Tremblant and the road up from Ottawa was a series of exciting turns, both high and low speed. We often argued about who was going to drive. When finally got there and saw the ski hill we were both amazed at itÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s size. It did not take us long to get on the chairlift to the top. At least we thought it was the top. The chairlift we rode was a single. Woody got to the top first. When I pulled in beside him after a good twenty minute ride up the mountain he was just standing there. I looked at what he was so interested in. We were only half way up the hill! Before us stretched a long double chairlift that seemed to go on forever. Craigleith were we normally skied was just under six hundred vertical feet. Tremblant was over two thousand! When we got to the top we found we could ski down both sides! This was skiing beyond both of our imaginations.
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2010 VW GTI. The spirit of the original lives on

November 2, 2009 by Gary Grant 1 Comment

A track test can be a tough review to write when it comes to a new car. First off, most new cars aren’t really meant for the track. Secondly, many writers have little or no competitive experience to aid them in starting a valid discussion about the performance of a vehicle on track. Equally challenging is the reality that the writer may have never seen the track laid out before them.

As a driver, it has been many years since I’ve driven competitively. Fortunately I had spent a bit of time playing in the forest, boogieing a rally car along stage roads. In other words, I became fairly adaptable and able to handle just about anything that could be tossed in front of me. I was just never very precise about it. For the Canadian launch of the 2010 GTI, Volkswagen herded a bunch of journalists to the famous Le Circuit Mont Tremblant. I have never been to Tremblant, but to quote Tom Cruise, “I’ve seen it on TV”. Truly a historic place, one which I was hoping to enjoy.

Also fortunate is the fact that the new GTI is no ordinary car. It is a serious testament to the work designers have done that one can head out onto a track and after a couple of familiarization laps be perfectly comfortable that the car will do exactly as the driver pleases, without any silly surprises. Just like the original GTI loved to be flung about, so does the 2010 version.
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2010 VW Golf Family Launch

October 15, 2009 by Gary Grant 6 Comments

Here in The Garage we have a long history with the VW Golf, dating back to the early Eighties. The first car I ever piloted around an autocross course was an 82 Rabbit GTI. The car was light, nimble, responsive and made the spectators giggle when the inside rear wheel lifted off the ground. The GTI responded well to fairly simple modifications that made the experience all the more fun. When the event planners at Franczak Enterprises asked if I would like to attend the launch of the all new 2010 VW Golf Family in Quebec I was more than happy to say yes.

Did I mention the black sheep of the family would be introduced at the legendary Circuit Mont Tremblant?
[Read more…]

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