Lehdistötiedotteet - State of the Maple Leaf (SML) S17 review

State of the Maple Leaf (SML) S17 review

Season 17 was hyped as a a first big step for the 'True North' program by many but was oft ignored, as hype of this sort is commonplace here and usually fails to deliver (Edmonton Oilers anyone?). A group of young drivers, more numerous than seasons past, stood at the dawn of their careers and looked promising.


Maximus Vanderpuije, the top rated Canadian continued his progress in F1 series, his third season in the top flight. While he had been held pointless in the first two seasons, he was always fighting in the middle of the pack. Season 17 was a breakout year as he showed his grit and determination to earn 3 top 10 finishes. His 6 points for the season earned him a 15th place overall finish in F1 and looks to build on that for S18.
Fun Fact : Curiously it is reported that he has a race day superstition of eating a Durian before the race.


David Smith Jr, Canada's veteran of the F2 circuits had one of the most challenging series of all Canadians. His fourth season in F2 but his first season in the World series after competing in the North American series. He came up against a baker's dozen of highly skilled drivers. He dogged their heels all season long, earning 14 top 10 finishes and a single trip to the podium, overall finishing 9th place.
Fun Fact : Rumors persist that he will only travel to the racetrack on race day morning via left hand turns.


Danny Doucet, the Fuhrer of 'True North' has shown remarkable progress for his young age. Only 21 years old, he surprised many by jumping from F2 North America to the Indy Junior series. He put up a strong season with 14 top 10 finishes and one podium finish, his season long consistency placing him 4th place overall.
Fun Fact : Danny has been spotted several times of conducting frantic shopping sprees the day after a race.


Nigel Parr, crafty veteran of many campaigns began his second season in V8 Supercar series, one of the series boasting the best parity around. Just a touch off the pace, Parr struggled to break into the top 10, but was a model of consistency, finishing 12th overall with 6 top 10 finishes.
Fun Fact : Rumored to skip a post race bottle of milk for a full body acupuncture treatment.

Denis Matton, the senior statesman of Canadian racing now that HOF Ricky Dean has retired. After a couple of hard luck seasons in Indy Junior, Denis switched to F2 North America to find his winning ways. Always pushing to the front of the pack, he was unlucky to earn any podium finishes .. which many said was his due. 17 top 10 finishes earned him a 7th place for the season and is a favorite for the S18 campaign.
Fun Fact : A veteran spectator claims Denis is an expert worm charmer.

Alex Iginla, F2 North America series was his home, one of few that would regularly showcase multiple Canucks in the top 10. Only 22 years of age, Iginla racked up 12 top ten finishes and a podium visit on his way to a 10th place at seasons end. With this being his first season in F2 NA and only 22, he looks to challenge for more podiums in S18.
Fun Fact : He continues to deny rumors that he plans on entering professional dog sled races after his racing career.

Jeremy Letto, hard bitten veteran of Canadian racing has shown time and time again he is not afraid of anyone. Enlisting into NASC in only his 3rd season and jumping to Indy Junior USA for his 4th behind the wheel, he wants to prove his worth by racing against those thought to be better skilled. Every race is a battle and Letto comes out better than most, even with tire marks all over his chassis. He finished his first season in IJ-USA with a 15th place finish after earning 242 points and 1 top ten.
Fun Fact : Will only enter the cockpit if "Flight of the Valkyries" is playing.


Thomas Anderson, only in his second season, he decided to move up to the F3 Eastern Europe series after a respectable 4th place in the Croatian series the year before. A string of strong finishes at the end of the season saw the eternal grump take the 2nd place overall on the last weeked. Finishing with 10 podiums and 18 top tens, he was unlucky to come away winless as the season was dominated by a single driver at the top all year.
Fun Fact : Is rumored to have a hardened bunker somewhere in case of a alien invasion/zombie apocalypse.

Alexandre Tagliani, plying his trade for the first time in NASC competition has impressed as a rookie but has not been fortuitous enough for top results yet. Sitting 24th of 43 has shown his mettle and skill, promising better results in the near future.
Fun Fact : An avid and skilled poker player but is banned from tournaments as he only plays wearing nothing but socks.

Phil Whitehouse, finished 6th place overall in the inaugural season of the Canadian series. Taking home 1 win, 4 podiums and 12 top finishes along the way.
Fun Fact : A crew member claims that Phil's grandmother knits him pink race suits complete with bunny ears.

Eugene Bellamy, Canada's 20 year old phenom just keeps winning races. After winning a handful of races in the rookie series, Eugene moved up to the F3 series and continued his winning ways. Crossing the finish line first a impressive 8 times while garnering 14 podiums and 16 top tens. 3 DNF's are really the only thing that kept him from claiming the series championship.
Fun Fact : Rumored that the cause of one of his DNF's was a sleepless night filled of nightmares of giant cheese wheels chasing him.


Serge Marais, only 24 years of age is already a veteran of many campaigns. Starting his racing career early on he continues to battle his way up the rankings while challenging his skills. S17 saw him compete for the second year in F3 Europe and had a good showing, pressuring the front of the pack with 10 top ten finishes for a 11th place overall finish.
Fun Fact : Rumored to posses skills to be a Michelin star chef .. if not for the fact that every dish contains Kraft Dinner.

Ricky Young, not just another talented Canadian youngster, he has proven himself to posses some unique skills on the race track. In the F3 Brazilian series, the raw rookie showed off his raw talents by posting 1 victory, 7 podiums and 18 top ten finishes. The competition on the track was in awe of his yet untrained skills, fascinating yet scary.
Fun Fact : Rumored to begin each day by working out to Richard Simmons's "Sweating to the Oldies."


Mark Gunner, a fresh 19 year old faring off in the inaugural Canadian series, he surprised many. One after another, solid performances added up to a great season. Finishing 4th overall after collecting 6 podiums and 16 top tens. Showing his skill, he picked up a pole position as well, something that Canadians are not known for.
Fun Fact : Rumored to be a prestigious interior designer for dog houses.

Disclaimer : We cannot confirm or deny any of the above information and is simply hearsay by the reporter themselves.