The Nissan Micra Cup will pass the torch to the Sentra Cup as Canada’s newest affordable motorsport series and for the 2021 season, the Nissan Sentra® Cup will take place during the biggest Canadian Motorsports Events on well-established tracks in Québec and Ontario.

Created in 2015, the Nissan Micra Cup quickly emerged as the new benchmark for accessible motorsport in Canada, as well as a proving ground for burgeoning racing talent, with many drivers coming from karting, and advancing to other areas of racing after establishing themselves on the Micra Cup grid. The opportunities for passionate drivers continue to abound with the Nissan Sentra Cup, which can foster driving talent of all ages, including the ever-popular seniors’ category, for which the number of participants steadily increased from 2015-2020.

Product evolution in the showrooms, product evolution on the racetrack

“Nissan has a rich pedigree in small, fun-to-drive cars dating back to the 1930s. What better way to demonstrate a vehicle’s capability than to push these cars – in stock form – to their limits on the race track?,” says Steve Milette, president of Nissan Canada Inc.

The Nissan Sentra Cup racecar

All Nissan Sentra Cup vehicles are built from the Nissan Sentra “S” base model with the 6-speed manual transmission. The team at Motorsports In Action based in St. Eustache – which handled the development and modification of all Micra Cup vehicles – embraced the challenge to transform the tech-laden Sentra into a racing machine. However, the Sentra Cup racecar’s engine and transmission remain stock.

Modifications to the Sentra to render it race-ready include: bespoke adjustable coil-over racing suspension; Nissan performance 4 pot front calipers with 355mm x 32mm rotors; stainless steel braided brake lines; MoTeC M1 Series ECM; an adjustable front anti-roll bar and racing steering wheel with quick-release steering hub.

When it comes to safety, the Sentra Cup race car has: an FIA Spec 6 point Roll Cage; FIA- Homologated Racing Seat; FIA- homologated 6 point restraint harness; FIA- homologated window net; FIA- approved Electric 4L Fire Suppression System AFFF; solid-state electronic battery isolator and front and rear tow hooks.

On the exterior, Sentra’s existing strong stance has been enhanced with a rear spoiler from the sporty Sentra SR model, as well as rear callipers and rotors from the Sentra SV and SR. The Sentra Cup racecar has a bespoke stainless steel exhaust system; and lightweight, black 18″ x 9″ alloy racing wheels with 265/645/18 tires.

Sentra Cup drivers will even have an extra pair of eyes through Sentra’s rearview camera, and the driver actuated pit speed limiter will allow drivers to respect pit lane speed limits.

A racing machine in the guise of a sedan – stock Sentra components

The Sentra Cup racecar will have the stock 2.0-litre 4-cylinder engine, which replaces the previous generation’s 1.8-litre design. Horsepower is rated at 149, an increase of 20 per cent over the previous generation. The powerplant’s 146 lb.-ft of torque represents a 17 per cent increase.

In addition, the centre of gravity has been lowered for the current Sentra versus the previous generation, in part, through the use of the 2.0-inch wider track and 2.2-inch lower overall height. The Sentra’s coefficient of drag is 0.29, which is the same as the 370Z Sport Coupe.

For those interested in racing in the all-new racing series, the Sentra Cup racecar will be available in early 2021 at the price of $39,990 CAD.

If you’re interested in test driving a factory-equipped 2021 Nissan Sentra (not the race car), please click the button below. Depending on current conditions, traditional test drives may not be available so we’ll contact you to discuss what is possible. Thank you in advance for your understanding and patience.

Please Note: The details of this article were accurate at the time it was written. Manufacturers may change the details of any vehicle’s specifications, at any time, without notice.