Nissan Micra Cup driver, Stefan Rzadzinski, rallies his local community to earn coveted spot in annual Race Of Champions competition

- Edmontonian crusades to earn nearly 10,000 votes, clinching spot with Team ROC Factor North America -

MISSISSAUGA, ON, Jan. 10, 2017 /CNW/ - Yesterday, Nissan Micra Cup driver Stefan Rzadzinski won the opportunity of a lifetime to participate in the Race Of Champions – an annual event bringing together the world's finest motorsport drivers for head-to-head battles. Through an online, vote-driven contest this year, one driver from North America had the chance to take on the racing legends competing at the first Race Of Champions to take place on North American soil. After a close voting race and an onslaught of community support, Stefan was deemed the lucky winner. Stefan will represent Team ROC Factor North America in the Race Of Champions, taking place on January 21^st and 22^nd in Miami, Florida.

In addition to winning what the motorsport community calls a "racer's dream", this opportunity will help put Stefan as well as his hometown of Edmonton, Alberta on the map in the world of motorsports. The race brings together some of the world's greatest drivers from IndyCar, Formula 1, NASCAR, Le Mans, MotoGP and Rally X for one fast and furious weekend of racing. This year, the Race Of Champions offered one driver from North America the opportunity to lineup alongside Canada's IndyCar star James Hinchcliffe in the Race Of Champions Nations Cup. The winner will also have the chance to race a field including Team USA NASCAR's Kyle and Kurt Busch, Team USA IndyCar's Alexander Rossi and Ryan Hunter-Reay and Team USA Rally X's Travis Pastrana and Scott Speed – all in identical cars.

Competition for the single North American spot was extremely competitive, as Stefan was competing against a popular IndyCar driver from the U.S. who received numerous celebrity endorsements. In order to secure the winning spot, Stefan put his trust in his family, friends and his local community. To Stefan's surprise, he received an insurmountable level of support from fellow Edmonton residents, as well as from fans across Canada. Through frequent and heartfelt social media updates and media interviews, Stefan was able to rally a large number of supporters who were with him every step of the way. His supporters included Premier Rachel Notley of Alberta, Mayor Don Iveson of Edmonton, Mayor Naheed Kurban Nenshi of Calgary, the Edmonton Oilers and Andrew Ference, a former NHL player.

Following a tight race, Stefan received nearly 10,000 votes earning him the top spot ahead of nine other contestants. "I still can't quite believe that I will be representing Canada and my hometown of Edmonton, Alberta at the upcoming Race Of Champions," said Stefan Rzadzinski. "The opportunity to drive alongside racing legends is truly an honour, and a dream I could not have achieved without the love and support of my community. I'm extremely grateful and look forward to what this incredible opportunity might bring to my future in motorsports."

Stefan started kart racing at eight years old and has been chasing his dream ever since. Now an experienced driver, Stefan has also raced on the IndyCar circuit and most recently, in the Nissan Micra Cup. For the past two years, Stefan, 24, has been a frontrunner in the Nissan Micra Cup series based in Ontario and Quebec. Racing in an Ici Pneu/Tireland car and sponsored by the Groupe Touchette, Stefan finished third overall in the 2015 season and fourth overall in the 2016 season. Stefan, the only Nissan Micra Cup driver from Western Canada, has earned 13 podium places overall in the Nissan Micra Cup, including four first place wins, making him a fan favourite with high aspirations for the future.

"The Nissan Micra Cup community is very proud of Stefan's continued success and looks forward to seeing him compete at the Race Of Champions," said Jacques Deshaies, promoter of the Nissan Micra Cup. "As the most affordable racing series in Canada, the Nissan Micra Cup was created to help propel the careers of young drivers in the world of motorsports, and we can't wait to see what Stefan's future holds."

About the Nissan Micra Cup

Sanctioned by Auto Sport Québec (ASQ) and presented by JD Promotion & Compétition with the support of Nissan Canada, the 2016 Nissan Micra Cup exclusively features the stock Micra 1.6 S M/T model with minor modifications, including NISMO suspension - to render it race-ready.

Unlike most motorsport events, each competing Nissan Micra race vehicle has the exact same specifications, resulting in a competition that truly reveals the most skilled drivers. The Nissan Micra Cup race vehicles were equipped with the Nissan Micra's stock 1.6-litre DOHC 4-cylinder engine with dual fuel injection and Twin CVTC (Continuously Variable Timing Control) and stock 5-speed manual transmission. In its inaugural season last year, more than 25 Nissan Micras competed on each race weekend which included two hours of track time consisting of: a 30-minute trial, a 30-minute qualifying session and two 30-minute races.

Young karting drivers, the average Canadian looking for an entry point into motorsport competition, or anyone who wants to experience the rush of adrenaline inherent with racing cars are all well-suited to this series. In summary, the Nissan Micra Cup is for people who are passionate about motorsports, want to experience all the fun and thrills of racing, but without spending staggering amounts of money.

For more information on the Nissan Micra Cup, please go to the website www.nissan.ca/micracup.

About Nissan North America
In North America, Nissan's operations include automotive styling, engineering, consumer and corporate financing, sales and marketing, distribution and manufacturing. Nissan is dedicated to improving the environment under the Nissan Green Program and has been recognized annually by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency as an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year since 2010. More information on Nissan in North America and the complete line of Nissan and INFINITI vehicles can be found online at www.NissanUSA.com and www.INFINITIUSA.com, or visit the U.S. media sites NissanNews.com and INFINITINews.com.

About Nissan Motor Co., Ltd.
Nissan is a global full-line vehicle manufacturer that sells more than 60 models under the Nissan, INFINITI and Datsun brands. In fiscal year 2015, the company sold more than 5.4 million vehicles globally, generating revenue of 12.2 trillion yen. Nissan engineers, manufactures and markets the world's best-selling all-electric vehicle in history, the Nissan LEAF. Nissan's global headquarters in Yokohama, Japan manages operations in six regions: ASEAN & Oceania; Africa, Middle East & India; China; Europe; Latin America and North America. Nissan has been partnered with French manufacturer Renault since 1999 and Mitsubishi Motors since 2016 under the Renault-Nissan Alliance.

For more information on our products, services and commitment to sustainable mobility, visit our website at http://www.nissan-global.com/EN/. You can also follow @NissanMotor on Twitter.

About Nissan Canada Inc.
Nissan Canada Inc. (NCI) is the Canadian sales, marketing and distribution subsidiary of Nissan Motor Limited and Nissan North America, Inc. NCI directly employs 306 full-time staff across offices in Vancouver (BC), Mississauga (ON), and Kirkland (QC). There are 194 independent Nissan dealerships, 41 INFINITI retailers and 45 Nissan Commercial Vehicle dealers across Canada. A pioneer in zero emission mobility, Nissan made history with the introduction of the Nissan LEAF, the first affordable, mass-market, pure-electric vehicle and winner of numerous international accolades including the prestigious 2011 European Car of the Year and World Car of the Year awards.

More information about Nissan in Canada and the complete line of Nissan and INFINITI vehicles can be found online at www.nissan.ca and www.INFINITI.ca.

SOURCE Nissan Canada Inc.

CONTACT: Media contacts: Didier Marsaud, Director, Corporate Communications, Nissan Canada, Tel: 905-629-6400, Email: didier.marsaud@nissancanada.com; Jenn McCarthy, Cohn & Wolfe, Tel: 647-259-3305, Email: jennifer.mccarthy@cohnwolfe.ca