Stationery Archeology 3

Third in this series, I'm really excited by this find. It is a Staedtler Shorthand pencil, HB and made in Great Britain. I found this on 22 October 2010 in a stationer's in Southampton. It is salmon-pink with a white band and a red painted end-cap, and the lettering (stamped in red) says:

GREAT BRITAIN STAEDTLER SHORTHAND JET BONDED


I love the stylised typography of the words "Staedtler" and "Jet Bonded". The model number is obscured by the price label - but I think this was model number 114. This pencil is a bit scuffed from years languishing unloved and unwanted in the stationer's pencil rack, but I'd like to think that has now ended and it has found a welcome in my modest collection. I've not tried writing with this pencil, so don't ask yet how well it writes.

I did not even know that Staedtler made stenographers' pencils here in the UK, so this was a delightful surprise for me. This clearly is one of the predecessors of the rare-as-hens'-teeth Stenofix. As it happened, I found this just around the corner from where I used to work, and shared an office with a shorthand typist called Joan. That office is now a hairdresser's.

This pencil was a bargain, as it cost me only 50p! I feel like I've just unearthed Sutton Hoo. What a shame they only had one in the rack, as I'd have had the lot. Never mind, I also found a somewhat beaten-up made-in-GB Staedtler tradition 2H too.

How sweet is the Clyde?

It was time to be back on the water but to begin with, our hulls stayed dry.We took the ferry crossing to the Cowal peninsula on the west side of the Firth of Clyde. This is Western Ferries' MV Sound of Scarba which runs from McInroys Point to Hunter's Quay. If you plan to use this crossing, you can get discount tickets in Paul's Food and Wine shop at 94, Shore St, Gourock. A return ticket for

Banquet ACT-Castrol saison 2010

À tous les pilotes du RPQ. Suite à un bref échange avec le bureau de ACT AU Vermont, le banquet de fin de saison ACT-Castrol, devrait avoir lieu en janvier 2011, contrairement au mois de novembre comme dans les années passées. La date et le lieu nous  seront  confirmés plus tard. Celui de la série ACT Américaine est prévu pour le 22 janvier 2011, donc on peut penser au 15 ou le 29 janvier 2011. À mettre ces dates à votre agenda, et nous espérons vous voir en grand nombre.

 

Louis Larue, président RPQ Donald Theetge, vice-président RPQ Claude Leclerc, représentant Montréal

 

 

 

Paddle 2010, Perth

Paddle 2010, the Scottish Canoe and Kayak exhibition is on this weekend, 23rd and 24th October, at the Bells Sports Centre, Perth. It runs from Saturday 09:00 - 18:00 and Sunday 10:00 - 16:00. In addition to the trade stands, there is a really interesting progamme of talks and workshops. I will be giving a slide show "You don't have to go far, for great sea kayaking adventures." on Sunday from 13

The Garvellachs from Seil

A 32km day trip round the Garvellach islands from Ellenabeich on Seil. August 2010.the NW coast of Eileach na Naoimh.Tidal streams from Insh Island to the north end of the Sound of Luing:+0430 HW Oban (-0100 HW Dover) north-east going flood begins.-0155 HW Oban (+0500 HW Dover) south-west going ebb begins.The spring rate is 6-7 knots through the islands at the N end of the Sound of Luing. On the

A unobstructed view thanks to midges and shaggy dogs.

We passed by the south coast of Easdale......on our approach......to the little harbour at Ellenabeich, which nestles below the rocky slopes of Dun Mor, on the Island of Seil.We called in at the Oyster Brewery Bar Restaurant for a Guinness and some excellent haddock and chips. Despite being crowded when we arrived, we got the best seats. We are not sure if it was the coincidental arrival of the

Stabilo EASYgraph Right-Handed Pencil

Another quick review, this time of Stabilo's EASYgraph learner's pencil. I bought a twin-pack of these from my local stationer's for £2.00 in September 2010.



This pencil is an over-sized "ergonomic" pencil aimed at the early learner's market and is clearly in competition with Staedtler's Noris Ergosoft range. The idea here is that small children have difficulty holding a conventional pencil when learning to write, but can grip an oversize pencil more easily. Ergonomic pencils usually also feature some form of textured grip surface in addition to the larger diameter. Both pencils have the fashionable triangular cross-section pioneered by Faber-Castell. The Ergosoft pencil has a non-slip finish; the EASYgraph is painted in a cool, dark blue with a greenish tinge, and has a series of gouges in the wood, set at around 45°, to guide fingers to holding the pencil at the right angle when writing on paper. These depressions are set so that the pencil may only be held comfortably in the hand it was designed for, so that a right-hand pencil may only be held for a period in the right hand, and the left-hand model held in the left. The right-hand model has the end dipped in red paint; the left-hand model has a yellow dip. The EASYgraph also has a small panel in which the owner can write their name (presumably in ball-point pen).




The HB lead on this right-hand model has a bit of resistance to it, but leaves a dark, thick line: perfect for small children. It's not too shabby for adults who should by now know how to write, either. Some people have criticised the lead for being scratchy but I've not found this to be the case in the short time I've used this pencil.

I would probably not send my children to school armed with one though, because the EASYgraph stands out a mile compared to a conventional school pencil such as the good old Staedtler Noris HB. It would either attract ridicule from classmates for being a "learner's" pencil or would be stolen or hidden; either would be distressing. Children can also be a bit fussy about their pencils as well, and the ergonomic grip may not suit everyone.

This is one of Stabilo's more interesting pencil designs, and shows that there's still new things to be done with the wood-cased pencil. I doubt that I would use this pencil regularly, but I am glad that Stabilo have taken the risk with this design and I wish them well with it. Oh, and it works well for adults, too.

An encounter with Loti on an uneasy sea.

Long after we had left Belnahua we were still being carried north at 9-11km/hr on an uneasy sea. Wind against tide here can be an interesting experience. Fortunately there was not a breath of wind.Looking back to the Garvellachs, we could just make out the outline of Colonsay to their right side.Soon we left the isolated rocks of Dubh-fheith behind.As we approached Easdale, the evening Cal-Mac

REVSTAR: 4 nouveaux en REVSTAR - La famille de Réjean Plante passe à l'histoire

Après deux ans d'implantation au Québec, maintenant la série Revstar ABF  jouit d'une forte croissance comme le démontre l'addition de 4 nouveaux concurrents dont 2 filles.

 

Considéré comme une série de passionnés, REVSTAR peut aussi contribuer à former la relève pour le Stock Car.  Réjean Plante, ex-pilote de terre battue s'est procuré 2 bolides REVSTAR pour pouvoir se faire plaisir et initier ses enfants au Stock Car. C'est ainsi que son fils Maxime et ses deux filles Josianne et Jessica vont découvrir les sensations de pilotes de Stock Car.  Nous prévoyons que Réjean va partager le volant avec son fils et que ses deux filles vont alterner d'un programme à l'autre. C'est du moins le scénario anticipé, toutefois l'équipe pourrait faire des changements selon l'évolution de chaque pilote au cours de l'année puisque les points au championnat se cumulent, soit par voiture et/ou par pilote. Le règlement permet ainsi une plus grande flexibilité dans la composition des équipes. Réjean et sa conjointe Sylvie Hébert sont des passionnés de course automobile depuis longtemps. Réjean a débuté sa carrière de pilote en 1982 en se joignant à la classe semi-pro. Il possède un talent indéniable comme le démontre sa fiche. Dès sa deuxième année de compétition, il remporte 13 des 17 courses disputées sur les circuits de  terre battue de Drummondville, Granby et St-Grégoire. Il sera couronné champion à l'issue de l'année.   Trop fort pour la catégorie, Réjean a gradué en Late Model en 1984 où il va évoluer durant 4 ans. Il terminera vice champion la dernière année avec plusieurs victoires à son actif. En 1989, il accède à la plus prestigieuses catégorie, les DIRT Modifiés. Il sera l'auteur de plusieurs belles performances et finalement, il va se retirer après la saison 1996 pour se consacrer à sa famille et à son entreprise de construction.   "Il n'y a pas très longtemps en 2005, relate Maxime le cadet de la famille, j'ai dit à mon père que j'aimerais essayer un kart de location. À ma grande surprise mon père acceptait et il nous a amené, mes sœurs et moi, au circuit de karting SH Karting à Mont St-Hilaire. Et voilà, c'est de cette façon que tout a commencé et que nous avons développé une véritable passion pour la course.  Après avoir reçu nos licences de pilote automobile, nous avons tous les 3 amorcé la compétition dès l'année suivante."   Depuis 5 ans déjà, les 3 enfants de la famille Plante ont évolué sur les pistes de Karting avec beaucoup de succès. Ils ont remporté plusieurs des courses et même des championnats.   Bien que le Karting représente un beau défi, l'attrait du Stock Car a pris le dessus et c'était un retour aux sources pour Réjean. Une seule option s'imposait à cause des coûts abordables et de la grande diversité des circuits, c'était bien sûr la série REVSTAR. Nécessitant peu d'entretien et avec un calendrier léger d'une douzaine de courses par année, c'était suffisant pour que Réjean soit convaincu. D'ailleurs, Réjean avait déjà fait l'essai d'un STR à la fin de la saison 2009 et il se souvient des émotions qu'il a ressenti à bord de ces puissants bolides. Le 19 juillet 2010, il a l'opportunité de faire une course à Granby. Réjean s'est fait plaisir en signant une superbe remontée, sans essais au préalable, il est parti en fin de peloton et il a réussi à se hisser en 4e position avant d'être contraint à l'abandon suite à un problème de frein sur sa roue avant droite. Affichant un large sourire à la sortie de la voiture malgré les problèmes rencontrés, Réjean dit en riant : "C'est comme le bicycle, ça ne se perd pas !" Visiblement fier de sa performance. Après une bonne discussion en famille et l'accord de sa conjointe, la décision était prise, la famille Plante relèvera avec enthousiasme un nouveau défi palpitant en se joignant à la série REVSTAR. Maxime Plante 13 ans: Tous les détails sur son cheminement sur :  http://www.planteracingteam.com/maxime.php Josianne Plante 17 ans:  Tous les détails sur son cheminement sur : http://www.planteracingteam.com/josianne.php Jessica Plante 21 ans:  Tous les détails sur son cheminement sur :http://www.planteracingteam.com/jessica.php     Bonne saison à la famille Plante. Revstar ABF http://www.revstar.ca N'oubliez pas de réserver à votre agenda, samedi le 4 décembre pour le Banquet annuel de Revstar Samedi 4 décembre Banquet de Revstar à Drummondville

 

Pro All Stars Series news: PASS Sportsman Riverside Speedway race report

Dan McKeage claims PASS Sportsman win, Championship at Riverside Groveton NH (10/18) Dan McKeage got around Clyde Hennessey on lap 61 of the PASS Sportsman season finale at Riverside Speedway and held off Mike” Landry at the checkers to claim his second win of 2010. Landry crossed the finish line second and Hennessey third. McKeage’s win sealed a second PASS Sportsman Championship for the Gorham Maine racer.

 

Hennessey led the field to the green and he was in command for the majority of the laps butt McKeage was in the right place at the right time. Trouble in the low groove gave McKeage the break he needed and he was quick to take advantage.  Landry made a pass on the low side to kick Hennessey back to the third spot and the trio raced to the checkers in that order. Nate Weston and RJ Austin completed the top five. Heat race wins went to Landry, Hennessey and Rich Paradis. Unofficially there were several shifts in the final point standings. Defending Sportsman champion Carey Martin trailed McKeage by fourteen heading into the finale but Martin had an afternoon he would rather forget. He came back from a wreck to finish sixth but ran fourth in his heat while third place point man Landry claimed five markers for winning his. The three point spread was just enough to give him Landry second in the final standings. Hennessey remained in fourth and Shane Tatro fifth despite being involved in a late race wreck that left him 20th at the checkers. RJ Austin’s top five helped him make a big move from tenth to sixth, just one point back from Tatro. Look for the final official PASS Sportsman point standings on line at www.proallstarsseries.com  later this week. Unofficial Results – PASS Sportsman 75 - Riverside Speedway, Groveton NH October 17 2010 1 Dan McKeage 2 Mike Landry 3 Clyde Hennessey 4 Nate Weston 5 RJ Austin 6 Carey Martin 7 Dan Sidney 8 Kris Watson 9 Richard Paradis 10 Steve Bennett Jr. 11Shane Green 12 Frank Wear 13 Dave Otssuryk Jr. 14 Matt LeBlanc 15 Jordan Davis 16 Shawn Austin 17 Alexander Rooney 18 Bill Sprague 19 Lyman McKeage 20 Shane Tatro 21 Craig Smith 22 Tim Casey 23 Doug Laleme

 

 

 

Bear right at Belnahua!

We paddled east towards the Black Islands. Away to the south Jura and Islay lay on the horizon while Eileach an Naoimh lay closer at hand.We got a good view of Dun Chonnuil to the north. Through the gap between it and Garbh Eileach we could see the Laggan peninsula on Mull.We slipped through the reefs to the east of Eilean Dubh Beag, the smaller of the Black Islands. After a brief stop on Eilean

Alain Bergeron gave a demonstration that he's still on top of his game at Brockville...

Saint-Pie, QC …Alain Bergeron a annoncé en juillet dernier qu'il désirait se concentrer sur son rôle de pilote, même si cela signifiait la retraite. Avis aux intéressés qui pourraient le faire revenir sur sa décision, il n'a pas perdu une parcelle de son mordant et il l'a bien démontré hier soir à Brockville.

Saint-Pie, QC ... Alain Bergeron announced last July that he wanted to focus on his role as a driver, even if it meant the retirement. Notice to the interested parties who could have him back on his decision, he's still on top of his game and he showed it to the people present at Brockville yesterday.

 

Dès la séance de pratiques, il réalisait le deuxième temps le plus rapide. En qualification, sixième sur la grille de départ, il se devait de terminer parmi les quatre premiers pour aspirer faire partie de la pige pour la finale. Encore là, mission accomplie puisqu'il attaqua ses adversaires et termina au deuxième rang. Suivait donc la finale A-Main. Lors de la pige, Bergeron hérita du cinquième rang au départ. Décision tout aussi importante pour les pilotes, quels ajustements utilisés. En finale A-Main, avec sept tours à compléter à l'épreuve, Bergeron se retrouvait à la hauteur du meneur et entamait la manouvre de dépassement lorsqu'un drapeau jaune survint. Le tout était à recommencer. Même situation quelques instants plus tard, alors que le meneur et Bergeron entrent dans la circulation des retardataires, un autre drapeau jaune est déployé. Décidément, il ne l'aura pas facile encore une fois. Avec une dernière charge lors du dernier tour, il termina tout juste dans les roues du vainqueur. Lors des cérémonies d'après course, c'est un Bergeron empreint d'émotion, qui a tenu à remercier son équipe, sa famille et tous les amateurs présents pour leur support tout au long des ces années.   Photos et autres informations disponibles sur le site internet: www.teambergeron.com Merci de votre support. Source : Équipe de course Alain Bergeron

During the hot laps, he realized the second fastest time. In his heat race, sixth on the starting grid, he had to finish among the first four to be part of the draw that determine the starting positions of the A-Main. Still, mission accomplished as he attacked his opponents and completed the race in second. From the draw, Bergeron inherited the fifth place. Another important decision that the drivers had to take was... which adjustments to use. In the A-main, Bergeron started his quest to the top, with seven laps to go to the race; Bergeron was up to the leader and started the move to take the lead when a yellow flag occurred. It was, again, to start over. Same situation a few laps later, whereas the leader and a Bergeron enter circulation with the lapped cars, another yellow flag was deployed. Definitely, it was not so easy, once again. With a last charge on the last lap, Bergeron finished just behind the winner. During the post-race ceremonies, Bergeron, with emotion, thanked his team, his family and all the fans for their support throughout the years.   Details and photos available on the website: www.teambergeron.com Thank you for your support. Contact: Alain Forcier

 

Autodrome St-Eustache - Résultats de l'Enduro 250

Communiqué de presse Lors de l’Enduro 250 Oxygène 640 à l’autodrome St-Eustache Raymond Potvin Jr, premier devant 179 compétiteurs ! ST-EUSTACHE – Pour la première fois de son histoire, l’autodrome de St-Eustache, aussi incroyable que cela puisse paraître, avait 180 voitures en piste pour le départ d’une épreuve sur sa piste ovale ! Comme on l’anticipait, les premiers tours de cet Enduro 250 Oxygène 640, on a eu droit à un embouteillage monstre, même si tout se déroulait dans un ordre relatif malgré des accrochages à la douzaine.

 

Il a fallu seulement quelques secondes pour voir les premiers rejoindre les derniers. Aussi surprenant qu’on puisse l’imaginer avec autant de voitures à trois de large, il a fallu patienter 22 tours avant d’assister à la première des 15 interruptions d’une course longue de trois heures et vingt minutes. Malgré le nombre élevé de compétiteurs dans le premier tiers de cette « enduro », il y a eu seulement cinq « rouges » lors des 103 premiers tours; un autre exploit à souligner. C’est finalement un vétéran de ces compétitions, Raymond Potvin Jr avec sa Pontiac Sunfire, deuxième la semaine dernière lors du Challenge 200 Oxygène 640, qui a été déclaré vainqueur. Mais à plusieurs reprises, il a évité de justesse des incidents survenus devant lui. Vainqueur d’une épreuve similaire au printemps, le policier Jean-François Bouvrette est revenu de l’arrière avec sa puissante Camaro pour finalement compléter en deuxième place. N’eut été d’un accrochage alors qu’il était en pleine remontée, à 40 tours de l’arrivée, il aurait été un sérieux candidat à la victoire. Mario Remillard a rejoint ces deux vétérans pilotes sur le podium d’honneur après avoir complété 249 des 250 tours. Il n’a pu soutenir les efforts de Bouvrette qui l’a devancé à moins de 20 tours de l’arrivée. Derrière ce premier trio, on retrouvait Éric Chagnon, Sylvain Caron, Alain Brunet, Patrick Boucher, Michael Bouchard, Francis Gagnon et Philippe Doyon pour compléter le premier groupe de 10. Quant à la voiture la plus spectaculaire, une « limousine » conduite par Hani Chiniara elle a complété l’épreuve en 25e place avec 218 tours. Une saison plein de réussites Cette dernière présentation sur la piste ovale de l’autodrome de St-Eustache vient couronner une saison remplie de succès, principalement avec l’émergence de jeunes pilotes de 20 ans et moins dans les principales classes en compétition. C’est du moins à la principale conclusion qu’en arrive le promoteur/propriétaire, Alan Labrosse. « Pour nous, à notre troisième année à la direction de l’autodrome, ce fut de loin la plus satisfaisante. Du début à la fin, comme le public et les amateurs ont pu le constater, nous avons présenté des courses très intéressantes que ce soit au niveau de nos classes locales ou même avec les séries de l’extérieur comme l’ACT et NASCAR Canadian Tire. Tout le monde a été choyé avec la qualité des épreuves disputées. Il y a souvent eu beaucoup d’intensité. « Avant le début de la saison nous avions apporté plusieurs changements dans le déroulement des programmes. Ce fut très positif dans l’ensemble, mais il reste encore du travail à faire. Déjà, nous sommes à préparer notre saison 2011 et d’autres correctifs vont être apportés. Cela devrait plaire encore davantage, autant à nos compétiteurs qu’à nos spectateurs. » Alan Labrosse a également tenu à souligner l’émergence de plusieurs jeunes pilotes. « On a l’impression d’avoir pris un virage jeunesse très salutaire pour assurer la relève en stock-car. Probablement inspiré par la réussite d’un Andrew Ranger, on a pu couronner des « jeunes » comme Steve Côté, 19 ans, en Sportsman NASCAR Ippersiel, Dave Coursol, 16 ans, en Sport Compact NASCAR Lucas Oil, et Marc-Antoine Demers, 19 ans, en Sport Compact ANCA Lucas Oil. C’est très encourageant pour l’avenir, » de conclure Alan Labrosse. Les autres événements On clôturera l’année 2010 à l’autodrome St-Eustache avec la présentation de la première édition d’un événement spectaculaire : le « Smashfest » d’Halloween le samedi 30 octobre avec remise au lendemain en cas de pluie. Les amateurs pourront alors assister à une série de cascades en voitures, notamment avec un « derby de démolition » et une course en « huit » toujours appréciée des amateurs de sensations fortes. Selon le responsable Buddy Ford, on pourrait avoir la participation de plusieurs pilotes de renom sur la scène québécoise à cette occasion. Rappelons que le Banquet des Champions aura lieu le samedi 6 novembre prochain à Laval. On profitera alors de l’occasion pour honorer les champions pour la saison 2010 : ·         Steve Côté (Sportsman NASCAR Ippersiel) ·         Dave Coursol (Sport Compact NASCAR Lucas Oil) ·         Marc-Antoine Demers (Sport Compact ANCA Lucas Oil) ·         Stéphane Aubin (Légende Modifiée ANCA Lettrage Provan) ·         Patrick Leporé (Production ANCA Centre Chiniara) ·         Alain Tardif (Challenge 4 ANCA Meilleur Ramoneur) Les billets pour assister à cette soirée sont présentement en vente au bureau de l’autodrome St-Eustache. Source : Autodrome St-Eustache (450) 472-6222/(514) 591-4388 17 octobre 2010

 

Local Shops for Local People?

The town in the South West of England where I live is a small but lively market town with a good range of shops. One of these is a stationery store which appears to do good business; they're usually busy when I visit, at any rate. I suppose I ought to be grateful that my small town can support such a place when other towns in the district cannot. This shop sells a wide range of products with brands such as Caran d'Ache, Parker, Pilot, Staedtler, Tombow, Woerther, Letts and Clairefontaine available in stock. The shop is crammed with goods.

However, I'm ambivalent about the place. A visit to a stationers' should be a moment of joy, but there are always reasons not to celebrate. Here is a summary of the reasons why:

They never seem to have quite what I want in stock. There have been many occasions when I have asked the store manager about goods which simply are not in stock. For example:

Staedtler Mars Lumographs?. “I’ll have to order them specially. That’ll be £13 for a dozen. If you want a mixed tin, I can only order them in tens and I can’t sell them because customers think they’re too expensive.”

Highlighter pencils? “We used to have those, but I’ve not seen them for years.”

Pelikan Violett ink? “Oh, they’ve stopped making that.”

And so on.

The prices. I realise that a retail premises is likely to incur higher overheads than an online business and will therefore charge manufacturers' recommended retail prices for goods. Fair enough. The mark-ups are consistently high, and there’s no discounting that I can see. I’ve never seen this shop offer bulk discounts for anything. (I've never asked though, for fear of causing offence.) A boxed dozen pencils, for example, costs the same as twelve individual pencils. Inflation here is higher than elsewhere – understandable when most of the goods are imported and the value of Sterling is weak compared with the Euro, and most of the goods are brought in from Eurozone countries. But prices are never revised downwards. When Value Added Tax was lowered to 15% here during 2009, none of the prices dropped. However I have no doubt they will increase once it is raised to 20% at the beginning of 2011.

They’re never open when I can get there. This is one of the few shops in my town (indeed, perhaps the only shop) which, in 21^st Century England, still closes for lunch. Every day this shop closes between 1pm and 2pm, even on a Saturday, which generally is the only day of the week I can get to it. I’ve lost count of the number of occasions I’ve been unable to buy something or have had to change my plans, in order to be around when the shop is open. On one occasion I waited until after 2pm on a Saturday, only then to discover the place was closed for the afternoon for staff training. I’m only glad I do not have to make a long journey specially to visit the shop because I would be angry if I found the shop was closed if I’d come from out-of-town.

Fortunately I do not have to rely on this store for my stationery fix. It’s nice to go in and browse, when I can get in, and perhaps pick up a Tombow Brush Pen or a box of ink cartridges, but I probably buy more stationery from supermarkets than from this shop. I can get basic supplies such as pencils, index cards and notepads from my local Sainsbury’s or Tesco. For exotica I can go online to internet-based suppliers. Shops such as the one I have been describing I feel will have a hard time surviving in a retail environment experiencing a pincer movement from supermarkets on one flank, and niche internet sellers on the other. This shop seems to survive on its photocopying and printing business, which is just as well because if it had to live on its retail sales alone, I suspect it would have closed years ago.

Pro All Stars Series news - Mason Dixon Meltdown race report

Justin Wakefield wins PASS Mason-Dixon Meltdown; Preston Peltier captures  South and National Titles   Newport TN (10/16) The Pro All Stars Series (PASS) headed to Newport Speedway (TN) on Saturday, October 16th, for the “Mason-Dixon Meltdown” to close out the 2010 Super Late Model South and National championship series with both titles up for grabs.  Heading into the night’s action, Ryan Blaney led Preston Peltier by a mere four points, while Peltier led Johnny Clark by 11 in the National Championship standings.  Andy Loden set fast time, but it was Justin Wakefield taking the checkered flag first while Peltier took advantage of Blaney’s misfortune to win the South title as well as the National title.

 

“I don’t have any words for it,” said Peltier, the only South regular in series history to win the National title.  “It is cool.”   31 drivers took to the track for qualifying.  While many drivers wanted to claim the final fast time of the season, it was once again Loden on top of the charts with yet another track record, a 12.362 second lap around the Newport Speedway.   “The car is just really fast,” said Loden.  “I have never really been good at qualifying until this year.  I don’t know really what happened.  We haven’t done anything different.  We just have a fast car for qualifying now.”   Wakefield, Clark, Blaney, Trey Mitchell, Jay Fogleman, Ben Rowe, Heath Hindman, Kyle Bonsignore and Dylan Presnell rounded out the top-10 qualifiers.   11 cars lined up for the six transfer spots in the 15-lap last-chance race.  Bradley McCaskill and PASS newcomer Blake Jones started side by side with Jones getting the jump on the start.  On lap 10, a car spun in front of the leaders, collecting McCaskill and Scott Patton, taking them out of transfer positions.  On the restart, Jimmy Weller and Trevor Sanborn, who were disqualified in post-qualifying inspection, rocketed to the top-two positions and held on up front to transfer into the feature, along with Jones, Kenzie Ruston, Ed Surette and Tim Pinion.   The top-10 redraw placed Mitchell and Loden on the front row, leading Wakefield, Clark, Fogleman, Blaney, Bonsignore, Hindman, Rowe, Presnell and the rest of the field to the green flag for 200 laps of racing.  When the green flag dropped, Loden jumped out to the lead with Clark making his way to the second position.   As Wakefield passed Clark for the second position, the first yellow flew with an incident involving Jake Crum, Jody Lavender and Surette in turns one and two.  All were able to continue.   On the restart, Wakefield jumped to the lead in front of Loden and Mitchell.  As they looked to settle in, the second yellow came out on lap 25 as Jimmy Doyle and Ruston got together, which also involved Jones.  Ruston and Jones were able to continue, but Doyle’s car suffered front end damage, ending his night.   After a lap on the track, Loden went back into the lead, but the third yellow came out on lap 28 for debris after Surette’s car appeared to lose power in front of Lavender, who made contact with Surette’s machine, dispersing debris on the track.   On the outside, Wakefield powered back to the lead when the field went back to green, bringing Blaney with him around Loden.  At lap 58, Wakefield appeared to slip up in turn four, which put Blaney and Loden up in the top-two spots.  A few laps later, at lap 65, Loden passed Blaney to reassume the top spot, and Mitchell went to third as Wakefield’s car started to drop off the pace a bit.  Eventually Wakefield had to pit and lost a lap, but later would get the “lucky dog” and get back on the lead lap.   Shortly after, South points leader Blaney started showing sparks under the right side of his race car.  He stayed on the track, but dropped back through the field, finally pitting on lap 84.  He came back on the track a few laps later, but was a few laps off the lead lap, ending his bid for the South title.   “The right front went flat,” said Blaney.  “We tried to ride it out as long as we could, but we couldn’t get a break.   “We had a good year.  Hopefully we can come back next year and beat them.”   The fourth yellow flag flew on lap 93 for debris.   Loden held the lead on the restart until the competition caution, which came out on lap 115 so drivers could opt to change the two right side tires and make adjustments.  Mitchell, Clark, Rowe and Peltier rounded out the top five at the break.   When the field  went back green Loden held the lead with a hard-charging Clark on his back bumper until the yellow flew on lap 119 for a spin in turn three involving David Flynn and Weller.  Both were able to continue.   Clark decided it was his time to lead, taking  the top spot from Loden on the restart.  Loden didn’t appear satisfied with running second though as he kept the pressure on Clark, retaking the lead at lap 126.  Rowe was running third, but a few laps later, Peltier worked his way around Rowe for the third position.   The caution came out on lap 144 as Presnell appeared to have spun on his own down the backstretch, also collecting Tim Pinion.  Both drivers were ok, but their machines were not as they both had to head to the pits.   The following restart once again had Clark leading the field as Loden and Peltier battled hard for the second spot, trading the position a few times until the yellow flew for debris at lap 158.  During this yellow, Mitchell, who was running in the top five, pitted for adjustments, moving Wakefield back into the top five behind Clark, Loden, Peltier and Rowe.   Clark and Loden held the top-two spots when they restarted, but Wakefield made a bold move, moving up to the third spot before the yellow flew at lap 166 when Steve Legendre and Derek Kneeland got together in turn two.   Loden was able to snag the top spot once again when they went green, but the yellow flew on lap 178 for a single-car spin back in the pack.   Wakefield, who moved to second before that last yellow, worked his way to the lead shortly after the restart by Loden and held on to win the event.   “It was a hard-fought battle tonight,” said Wakefield.  “We had a car to win this race, and I didn’t care what anyone else thought.  We were going to win this and I wouldn’t let anyone get in my way.   “The bleeder came out of the left front caliper and I had no front brakes,” said Wakefield about his early-race issues.  “We tried to stay on the lead lap as best we could.  We got that break at the right time and were able to get it taken care of.  We got back on the lead lap and started picking them off one at a time.   “I am glad to get a Georgia boy on that thing,” said Wakefield about the trophy.  “We are in the South and that is the way it is supposed to be.”   Loden, Rowe, Peltier and Clark rounded out the top five.  Peltier’s fourth-place finish earned him the PASS South Super Late Model and National Super Late Model titles.    “I can’t thank these guys on the crew enough,” said Peltier.  “This Johnson Motorsports team was a big underdog coming into this year.  That was our goal to win this championship, and we did it.   “Earlier in the season one of my car owners told me I was racing like a girl out there and that I needed to go back to the way I was driving, so I went out and got it done tonight.   “It means a lot.  We are a low-buck team and struggle week in and week out.  To get this is really special.”   For more information on the Pro All Stars Series, visit www.proallstarsseries.com.   Unofficial Results – Mason-Dixon Meltdown 200 – Newport (TN) Speedway – October 16 2010   1 Justin Wakefield 2 Andy Loden 3 Ben Rowe 4 Preston Peltier 5 Trevor Sanborn 6 Johnny Clark 7 Trey Mitchell 8 Heath Hindman 9 Jay Fogleman 10 John Batten 11 Jimmy Weller 12 Kenzie Ruston 13 Mart Nesbitt 14 Jake Crum 15 Jeff Myers 16 Ryan Blaney 17 Derek Kneeland 18 Steve Legendre 19 Kyle Bonsignore 20 Dylan Presnell 21 David Flynn 22 Tim Pinion 23 Jody Lavender 24 Lee Tissot 25 Blake Jones 26 Jimmy Doyle 27 Mike Slone 28 Ed Surrette 29 Terry Smith

 

 

Return tickets for the Sound of Luing express.

We cut through the reefs to the SW of A' Chuli and proceeded up its SE coast until......we arrived at Garbh Eileach and its little jetty, which is used by the farmers to load and unload sheep for summer. We basked on the warm rocks and enjoyed a little refreshing amber nectar.Although it is a rocky landing this bay is sheltered from all directions except NE. Rising water announced that the flood