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Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Barn Star Tutorial
American Tin Star
Country Style Home There are several pages of stars on this site, including smaller ones.
Jolie Primitives
I had a request for a tutorial on how to cover barn stars with paper. So here we go! If you click on the photos, they will pop-up bigger. If something isn't clear, just leave me a comment and I'll do my best to answer it.
1. Make a template of one of the sides of your star's legs. The more carefully you do this step, the easier your star will be.
2. From assorted paper, cut 10 of your templates. But make sure you do five of each direction for a total of ten. This is the hardest part...I always lay my paper out so I get the right order and the right direction out of each paper piece.
3. Next, apply a thin coat of Mod Podge to the star with a foam brush (I used matte on this project) and place a piece of the paper on the star. It is more important that the edge along the creases of the star match...we can trim the overhang a little later. The thinner you apply the Mod Podge, the quicker you need to work and the less bubbles you'll have to work out. Press the paper nice and flat. Then apply another layer of Mod Podge on top of the paper you just placed on your star. Continue on all sides of the star. Allow to dry.
4. Cut the extra paper off along all the outside edges of your star and apply another coat of Mod Podge focusing on the new edges you just created, and allow to dry.
5. When the star is dry, lightly sand along all the outside edges to make them nice and smooth and to take off any extra paper you couldn't get close enough to trim with scissors. Don't worry if the paper turns white along the edge you sanded...we'll be fixing that in the next step.
6. Using a sponge and some ink of your choice (I used Distress Ink in Brushed Corduroy) apply ink to ALL edges of the star, even in crease and anywhere two different papers meet. This will help camouflage any little mess-ups and give the star a little character. When you are happy with the way your star looks, apply one last coat of Mod Podge to seal everything.
7. When your star is dry, add some tulle or ribbon to hang and you have a paper-covered barn star!!
Can you believe that this is my 300th post?? So to celebrate, I'm having a little giveaway. Leave a comment on this post between now and Saturday morning and my non-partial 5-year-old will pick a name out of a hat to win a set of three mini-barn stars to hang on your Christmas tree or to give as gifts. And if you want to press your luck, my sister April is having a giveaway on her blog. Good luck!!
39 comments:
- millerjk said...
I love your barn stars! I might just have to try it out myself. Thanks for sharing.
- November 19, 2008 at 5:49 PM
- Lorilee said...
I am so so glad you did this tutorial!! I've been wanting to make one of these for a long time and this gives me the push to do it!! Love it hanging on your door!! Thanks Amber!
- November 19, 2008 at 5:51 PM
- Heather said...
Thank you so much for taking the time to make a tutorial. That is very generous of you! Are you using wooden stars? It seems like I have only found metal ones.
- November 19, 2008 at 7:37 PM
- Kathleen said...
thank you for the step-by-step!!! i'm going to be brave and try one out in a couple of weeks. however, tell anna that i still hope she draws my name!!!
- November 19, 2008 at 8:24 PM
- Kristofer said...
thanks for the tutorial on the barn stars! i loved your halloween ones! kristen
- November 19, 2008 at 8:27 PM
- Amber M. said...
Heather...the star I used in the tutorial is metal. I guess I should have added that. And the Mod Podge works great on it.:-)
- November 19, 2008 at 8:28 PM
- Jessica Jane said...
I love your stars! And I'm a sucker for giveaways. ( =
- November 19, 2008 at 8:50 PM
- Jeni said...
Thanks for this post!
And sign me up for the giveaway...remember...Jen, Jeni, Jenifer... :)
- November 19, 2008 at 8:56 PM
- Shell in your Pocket said...
How fun! What a super idea..I love it! I have a HUGE star made out of barn roof metal..so fun!
-sandy toes
- November 19, 2008 at 8:56 PM
Amber, once again, you are AMAZING! Love the stars. Maybe if I get up the courage I will make one myself... but I'm hoping I win one!
- November 19, 2008 at 10:17 PM
- Jeremy.Celeste said...
What a great tutorial! Thanks so much for sharing. I am going to have to try this one. It looks like so much fun!
- November 19, 2008 at 10:50 PM
It would be OK if you gave your stars to your mom--nobody would mind.
the mom
- November 19, 2008 at 11:15 PM
- Laurel @ Ducks in a Row said...
I love your stars - hope I win them!
- November 19, 2008 at 11:42 PM
- Amy said...
I love these stars!!! I found some great ones and I am so excited to make them. Thanks for posting the instructions! You are the best! :)
- November 19, 2008 at 11:53 PM
- Brenden, Lorie and Our Girls said...
I'm so glad you went into deal. I haven't made mine yet but this helps out a ton!!! My only issue is finding paper that looks good together. Thanks so much!
- November 20, 2008 at 12:19 AM
- April said...
Um, I'd like a star please! :)
- November 20, 2008 at 12:28 AM
- Cara said...
I do like your stars- count me in!
- November 20, 2008 at 8:37 AM
- Tonia said...
They are beauiful! I would love to have them in my home! Anything Amber makes is always wonderful!
- November 20, 2008 at 8:52 AM
- Cherie said...
These are really cute! Please pick me for I have no craft talent!
- November 20, 2008 at 10:12 AM
- The Brough Family said...
You make it sound so easy... even I can do it!!! Love the big star... I'm so tempted... hmmm!
- November 20, 2008 at 10:54 AM
- Becky said...
Love these! How do you find time for all your projects? Thanks for the giveaway and all the fun posts.
- November 20, 2008 at 11:59 AM
- Garrett Gang said...
- November 20, 2008 at 1:09 PM
- Our Complete Family said...
This is so neat! Thx for sharing how you made it!
Count me in for your drawing...I'm wishing myself good luck for it!!!
Hugs, Les
- November 20, 2008 at 1:23 PM
- Laurie said...
I love your STARS!!
I may have to give them a shot.
Thanks for the chance to win some.
- November 20, 2008 at 1:43 PM
- embeins said...
I love the stars. I copied you a few weeks ago and made some. I love reading your blog, you have so many cute ideas!
- November 20, 2008 at 5:16 PM
- Rosie said...
cute cute. I'm in!
- November 20, 2008 at 5:57 PM
- condiefamily said...
I'm in. Thanks for the tutorial. Love you.
- November 20, 2008 at 6:40 PM
- Felicia said...
Totally cute! And I'm in serious need of new ornaments.
- November 20, 2008 at 7:51 PM
- Montserrat said...
I ♥ these stars!
This question will show my hick-ness but where do you get the barn stars from? I thought about this today while in Reno but didn't have the faintest idea where to look. I did go to Michael's but didn't see any there. Course I didn't look too hard...got distracted by all the other goodies there. ☺
- November 20, 2008 at 10:56 PM
- Amber M. said...
I get my stars at a discount department store (like Mervyns, Gordmans, etc) in their home decor department. Hobby Lobby usually has a few, too, but Michaels generally only has little ones.
- November 21, 2008 at 4:14 AM
- Ashlee said...
you always have such cute stuff! :0) Thanks for sharing your talent with all of us.
- November 21, 2008 at 9:30 AM
- Rosanne said...
There are a bunch here too (mini ones): http://www.orientaltrading.com/ui/search/processRequest.do?Ntt=barn+stars&x=0&y=0&requestURI=searchMain&Ntk=all&Ntx=mode%2Bmatchallpartial&N=0
Thanks! :)
- November 21, 2008 at 9:33 AM
- Rosanne said...
Okay, that apparently didn't work, it cut off the entire url. They are at orientaltrading.com. :)
- November 21, 2008 at 9:35 AM
- Alaina said...
You are so talented!!! I love reading your blog and seeing all your creative ideas. What inspiration!! Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.
Alaina - Twin Falls, ID
- November 21, 2008 at 12:27 PM
- Jeni said...
YEHAW I got myself a barn star at Marshalls today for $7. Now I need to buy some new paper and wish I could buy some extra time to go with it :)
- November 21, 2008 at 2:59 PM
- Sydney said...
Okay... this looks so easy even I think I could do it!
- November 21, 2008 at 4:27 PM
- Eloise said...
Those are incredibly cute!
- November 21, 2008 at 8:09 PM
- Janean said...
You do not know me but I found out about your giveaway from April. I LOVE these and hope I win. If I do not I would love to make this for my friend for Christmas. She would love this. I hope it is as easy as it looks.
- November 22, 2008 at 6:30 AM
- Montserrat said...
Thanks for updating with links to buy the barn stars. I know my girls and I will have fun decorating for Christmas and other holidays!
- November 22, 2008 at 9:37 PM


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The President of the Rio Film Commission has finally confirmed that Breaking Dawn production is headed to Rio (google translate version):
Dawn will be shot in Rio in November. With full support of the Rio Film Commission. For security reasons I can not say when and where.
The Mayor and Governor Eduardo Paes Cabral directly engaged to enable the filming of Dawn in the River Plate Gol!We'll keep you posted as more information comes in! - Thanks Sergio (@ssl_RioFilme).
An estimated investment of U.S. $2 million into the economy of Rio seems all right to come and Dawn team is filmed here.
Can not say anything else. I count on your understanding. I think Rio is consolidating as a destination for international productions!
All security measures will be taken to ensure a smooth shoot. The City Council and Gov. of the State will provide needed support.

subset: commoncrawl


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A little doll from the past!
An unidentified photo (taken in St. Peter, Minnesota, ca. 1900) from the Victorian cabinet card album of Erik and Karen (Larson) Stallen Pedersen of Grand Forks, North Dakota.
Wonderful picture! Trying to figure out that photo studio name!
Hi Lee--thanks for your comment!
The photographer is "Ribble" of St. Peter, Minnesota. The Minnesota State Historical Society maintains a directory of MN photographers at: http://www.mnhs.org/people/photographers/
Here's what it says about Ribble:
"Ribble, G. H.
Address: Saint Peter, Minnesota
Dates of operation: 1894-1900, 1904, 1906
Decades Worked in Minnesota: 1890s; 1900s
Notes: Had a booth at Nicollet County Fair.


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|Up a level
Preetha, R and Jose, Seena and Sreedharan, P and Vijayan, K K and Jayaprakash, N S and Philip, Rosamma and Bright Singh, I S (2010) Inhibitory compound produced by Pseudomonas with effectiveness on Vibrio harveyi. Aquaculture Research, 41. pp. 1452-1461.
Vijayan, K K and Bright Singh, I S and Jayaprakash, N S and Alavandi, S V and Pai, Somnath and Preetha, R and Rajan, J J S and Santiago, T C (2006) A brackishwater isolate of Pseudomonas PS-102, a potential antagonistic bacterium against pathogenic vibrios in penaeid and non-penaeid rearing systems. Aquaculture, 251 (2-4). pp. 192-200.


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Due date: August 20th, 2018.
Credits: Pi, Ray, Marble, Flame for helping me giving up on SL3 entirely.
- ▼Basic plot
An unexperienced rookie will meet with your persona on his way to DarkDemon's HQ, taking him through a series of events that will strenghten him as he moves forward as a preparation for a fight against a villain that means harm to darkdemon's homeland.
You will animate the rookie moving somewhere, then your character shows up, after which he will take him through a series of events, to earn a clue about the unknown, horrible beast. Below is how your entry is expected to look like.
Seems fun?
- ▼Guidelines and Requirements
-21:9 aspect ratio
-At least longer than 30 seconds
-Any software is fine. Preferrably either Flash, Pivot, or Sticknodes.
-No white BG. Make sure you have some form of environment in your animation.
-Stick to the guidelines, or at least stay somewhat close to it.
-Don't add your name anywhere in the animation. You will be asked to remove it.
-Be creative!
-Cinematic shots like close shots for dialogues are encouraged. Don't keep it to a flat 2D fight for 30 seconds or more. It can get boring half way through.
-No DBZ or anime in this collab. Make sure the character the rookie fights is original.
-The rookie is supposed to be struggling with your cahracter if they're fighting.
▼For Sticknodes users
Make sure you enable the widescreen effect first before you start working on your animation.
Send the finished entry to SIFTER through pm as project file, not an image or a video.
If the entry is made of several pieces, archive them into a .rar file and send it that way.
- ▼Participants
-Pivot Gamer
- ▼Finished entries


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We've officially been back in school about a week and a half and things are absolutely crazy, but in a good way. I've got a few things I'll be posting about soon, just as soon as I get a few minutes to upload the pictures and write a few words.
As I start my year, I'm try to remember that in the greater scheme of things, there are some things that I need to be mindful of as I go about my daily teaching. I really want to take the time to listen to my students and learn from them. There is so much that can be gleaned from the child's perspective on life and if I just listen, and become a great student, it will help me be a better teacher.
I borrowed the following words of wisdom from my friend, Brenda Ballard, who is not by title a "teacher", but she often tries to help others learn some important life lessons. Although simplistic, there is great wisdom in the words of these little friends.
And a little child shall lead....
A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds ,
'What does love mean?'
The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined.
See what you think:
'When my grandmother got arthritis , she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love.'
Rebecca- age 8
'When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different.
You just know that your name is safe in their mouth.'
Billy - age 4
'Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.'
Karl - age 5
'Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.'
Chrissy - age 6
'Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.'
Terri - age 4
'Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK.'
Danny - age 7
'Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing , you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss'
Emily - age 8
'Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents
and listen.'
Bobby - age 7
'If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend who you hate , '
Nikka - age 6
(we need a few million more Nikka's on this planet)
'Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday.'
Noelle - age 7
'Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.'
Tommy - age 6
'My mommy loves me more than anybody
You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night.'
Clare - age 6
'Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken.'
Elaine-age 5
'Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford
Chris - age 7
'Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day.'
Mary Ann - age 4
'I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones.'
Lauren - age 4
'When you love somebody , your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you.'
Karen - age 7
'You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget.'
Jessica - age 8
The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said,
'Nothing, I just helped him cry'
I hope you take the time in your daily life to stop and listen. You never know what you'll learn!


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Joe's new collection of Men's graphic T-shirts and button up polo shirts is packed with music prints, bold colours, unique designs and great quality fabrics. Let your T-shirt do the talking this season!
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Youth Golf Shirts
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Youth Golf Shirts
If you're looking for a promotional products giveaway that will produce a high return on investment, look no further than youth golf shirts. Like other types of logo apparel, youth golf shirts serve as a walking billboard, helping organizations to easily and efficiently expose their brand to a large group of people (in addition to the intended recipient). That's because the recipient will likely come into contact with many other potential customers while they are wearing their youth golf shirts. Furthermore, wearing a shirt imprinted with a company logo effectively serves as a personal endorsement for the distributor's company. When friends, parents and teachers see the logo imprinted on the recipient's golf shirt, they will view that as a personal recommendation. Thus, golf shirts are an effective way for a company in any industry to promote their brand.
Personalized Youth Golf Shirts
While many people think of the golf course as a place to network and do business, golf is actually quite popular amongst the younger generation. School golf teams are increasing in popularity throughout the country and those who do not have the ability to play at school can often join a junior league at a nearby golf course. Thus, both schools and golf clubs can distribute youth golf shirts to increase brand awareness amongst this younger generation – as well as their parents and golf coaches who will take note of the imprinted logo as well. However, youth golf shirts aren't just for schools and golf clubs. Companies outside of the golf and leisure industry can use this logo apparel to promote their brand as well. Serving as a corporate sponsor for a youth golf tournament is a great way for companies to show their involvement in the local community. In addition to distributing an imprinted award to the tournament winner, organizations may want to consider giving logo golf apparel to all participants.
Finding the Right Youth Golf Shirts for your Company
There are many different types of golf apparel from which to choose- including long sleeved shirt and short sleeved polos- but the one thing that all golf shirts have in common is that they feature a collar for an extra clean and professional look. As a result, these shirts are ideal not only on the green, but off the course as well. While we offer shirts made from an assortment of materials, many purchasers opt for golf shirts made from pique knit cotton, as this fabric is known for its breathability and can keep golfers cool on even the hottest of days. In addition to finding apparel made from a variety of fabric, organizations can even find adult golf shirts and youth golf shirts in corresponding colors and styles. Distributing golf shirts to youth and their parents is an easy and cost-efficient way for a company to maximize the effects of their advertising dollars. But no matter what style a company chooses to distribute, youth golf shirts are a functional way to enhance a brand image.


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This service can be used to locate the nearest transit stops in or around a location so that you can Plan a Trip going to or from this location or find the Next Bus at that stop.Ā
Click on a category from the list and a drop down list. A list of landmark options within the chosen category will display.Ā
Click on your desired landmark and a pop up window opens on the map that gives you some information about the landmark and also options toĀ Find nearby stopsĀ, orĀSubscribe to receive alerts about this lanmark.Ā
Note:Ā Not ALL locations throughout the Lower Mainland are included. If you are having problems with a specific location, please try entering it using the address.Ā


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1988 Chevy Monte Carlo - Street Stock Nation - Ultimate Racing
We Take A Unique Look At The Backbone Of American Motorsports
Walk through any pit area of any racetrack in the country and you can find them, in fact you can always find them. Nestled among the Kenworth trailed stackers with pop-out living quarters are open home-built trailers with a pickup truck for a tow vehicle. The tool boxes are small, the spare tires few. They run on dirt or asphalt and sometimes on both.
Call them Street Stocks, Hobby Stocks, Pure Stocks, Pro Stocks, Bomber, Gladiator, or any of the other number of designations given by the track/series promoter, but they're the backbone of short track racing. There are roughly 110,000 subscribers to this magazine and a recent reader survey conducted over our website showed that 35 percent of you climb behind the wheel of what, for the purposes of this article, we'll call a Street Stock.
The Cars They are, by many accounts, one of the most affordable and readily available forms of racing to jump into. After all, most Street Stock rules start with "any American OEM full body rear-wheel drive passenger car, 1964 or newer, full frame or unibody," plus they allow for any American-made engine so long as it has steel heads, steel block, and a stock oil pan. Sure, there are rules such as no independent rear suspensions that restrict the later year models but the wide range of years available means that it's fairly easy to find those cars in salvage yards and in used car dealerships.
With a minimum wheelbase of 107.5 inches in most rule books, the GM Metric Chassis, a.k.a. the Monte Carlo, Regal, Cutlass cars, are extremely popular. However, those cars' high roll center makes them a challenge to set up correctly. That can be a blessing in disguise for a young racer who wants to further his or her career. What better way to learn than on a challenging chassis? Young racers can learn valuable problem solving skills on these cars.
A typical Saturday night Street Stock race includes everything from an '88 Monte Carlo to a '76 Thunderbird and more, making it one of the purest form of "stock" car racing today, albeit the cars running these classes don't resemble anything coming out of Detroit today.
The Racers The people who race Street Stocks are almost as varied as the cars themselves; from bank presidents to local mechanics to up-and-coming 15-year-old girls. The diversity of the Street Stock racer is one of the traits that make the class so interesting.
At one point just over a year ago, we ran a "Turn Five" column titled "Your Story Here" asking the readership to tell us about low-buck racers who have impressed them. The only rule, if I recall, was that the racers in question had to be true low-buck guys and gals, no stacker toter homes or fancy sponsors, just average racers. We got a tremendous response.
The Letters Take the case of Bruce Stanley, who races at Marshfield Motor Speedway, a half-mile blacktop track located outside of Marshfield, Wisconsin, in the Super Stock class. Bruce is usually one of the first ones to get to the track when the gates open. He doesn't have a crew or fancy trailer but is always one of the first ones out for hot laps and time trials. Bruce doesn't time in the fastest and usually ends up in the middle of the pack, but he has the respect of the other drivers and races just to have a good time. How do we know about Bruce? Mark and Donna Freirer who operate a parts trailer and sell fuel at Marshfield told us.
Then there's Mike Hughes who races at Lasalle Speedway in Lasalle, Illinois, in the Street Stock division. He works five and sometimes six days a week as a mechanic in a local garage. Before climbing in his own car, Mike worked on a friend's Late Model. And while still in high school, he began building his first Street Stock using parts that he had picked up from various places. After several years of finding and rebuilding pieces, he finally had a complete Street Stock. At the end of 2004 Mike ran his first race. A typical race day will see Mike working from 5 in the morning until noon before rushing to the garage to get the car ready to go to the track. He would also take time away during the week to recycle metals and use the money to put new parts onto the car. This would often lead to long days and long nights loading the trailer up to take metal to the scales the next morning.
Three years after that first race, Mike's hard work finally paid off with a heat race win. He has continued to race and beat better-funded teams. "Mike Hughes, in my eyes, defines what a budget racer is. He has inspired me that no matter what if you want something bad enough, you can work your ass off and get it," says his friend and crew chief John Hogue. In 2008 Mike finished Seventh in points out of 40 racers.
An anonymous race fan wrote in to tell us about David Whetstone "a real grassroots race team," as the reader put it. David races at Thunder Valley Raceway in Central City, Pennsylvania. Dreaming of racing since he was 10 years old, he's now in his third season racing his Semi-Late Model which from Thunder Valley's rule book is basically a Street Stock. He nabbed his first feature win in just his second season, on August 11, 2007. Like most of Street Stock Nation, this young man has paid for everything out of his own paycheck. He built his car in his parent's garage, welding everything himself. It was, not surprisingly, put together with all used parts including tires, wheels, the rearend, axles, and more. After building the motor with his father, David even went to the scrap yard and bought lead, melting it himself to make weights.
While collecting your first feature win in a car that uses weights that you melted yourself is pretty cool in its own right, David went a step further. As the story goes from our reader, Whetstone took his race car to a local car show to help raise money for children with cancer. During the appearance, David decided to let people at the show sign their name on his car in exchange for a donation to the cancer charity. Out came the Sharpie and $775.50 later David had a car adorned with race fans' autographs.
David also carries the POW/MIA logo and American flag on his car during his home track's Veteran's Day celebrations. And he is always willing to lend a part or helping hand to his fellow racers.
Kansas racer Jeff Grimm read the column and wrote, "Hi Rob. Your February `Turn Five' pitch for `have nots' leaves me no choice but write to you about my dear friend and competitor, Dave Cattrell, driver of the 99C Hobby Stock at Heartland Park Topeka."
Grimm writes, "You will never meet a more soft spoken and sweet 40-something-year-old guy who has struggled to win a feature trophy for 20 years.Dave had a rough childhood with an alcoholic father who was a racer.His dad died when he was in high school leaving him an old feature trophy won many years ago.Dave's life goal is to win a trophy of his own to sit beside his dad's on the fireplace mantel.
"Last year Dave campaigned to a Fourth place finish in the year end series standings at Heartland Park.He had the whole family gathered at the banquet only to find out that Heartland Park only gave trophies through Third Place.
"Dave has two sponsors: Lori Beth's Bakery who packs him sandwiches before each race, and T.O. Haas Tire where Dave is the alignment technician.Haas lets him align his (and my) race car after hours for free. That's all the help he gets . . . sandwiches and late night alignments.
"Dave has a great relationship with Bob, the local junk man in our rural Kansas town of 3,500 people.Bob brings Dave junk cars that look to have race-worthy parts on them. Dave grabs whatever he can afford at the time, and puts together a race car. Each year the rules move farther away from `Pure Stock' and Dave winces in pain with each `race' part allowed. By the way, he paints his car with a roller like you would use on your house.
"Dave might be a `have not' but when I wrecked my car last year, Dave showed up the following day with two radiators from his precious inventory."
Fathers, Sons, And Families We have talked numerous times in the pages of Circle Track of how racing is a true family sport. That statement was no more evident than in the pages and emails written in response to the column. Case in point was the letter about James Scott. The writer told of the 21-year-old's blue Ford Pinto and his pit crew consisting only of his father, mother, brother, sister, uncle, and girlfriend. He races his rear-wheel drive car at Paducah International Raceway in Kentucky and Clarksville Speedway in Tennessee.
The writer went onto say that James can stretch a dollar better than anybody, from having Dad hook cables to the car, connect them to two trees, and straighten out the dents and bends after one particularly rough night of racing with four different types of tiresandwheels due to not being able to find a complete set. But what really got our attention was when the writer proudly proclaimed, "This is only a brief part of James' story. I should I know, I am hismother!"
Pam Scott's letter about James showed not only the dedication and pride of a mother, but also how entire families work together in pursuit of the racing dream.
It's that dedication that really showed through in the story of the father and son duo of Rick and Cliff Mitchell and their Red Rabbitt Racing team out of Fernie, British Columbia. Now if you don't know where Fernie is, it's about 5 hours and 20 minutes northeast of Spokane, Washington, and about 3 hours and 20 minutes southwest of Calgary. That's important because the Mitchells race at three different tracks, the closest one being 3 hours from their house. That's right folks, this racing family tows a minimum of six hours per week to race their Street Stocks for $80. Theirs is one of the more unique stories we ran into in writing this article.
Cliff, who is now 19, started helping his dad, Rick, in the pits at age 13. His parents had to get special permission and sign a waiver to get the teen in, and not only did young Cliff help in his dad's pits but he helped out the track safety crew as well.
Rick has been involved in racing for 20 years with a notable story of going to pick up a chassis in Indiana and ending up working on one of Bobby Allison's race cars while he was there. Right out of high school, Rick began racing but after driving for three years he ran out of money. Fast forward 10 years and Rick found himself working as crew chief for Larry Burton on the NASCAR Northwest Tour. After five years on the tour, he found his way back home where he eventually began running his local track at Cranbrook in 2000.
Cliff started driving at age 15 in a car that he and Rick built together. Naturally, it was a Street Stock, since other than his stint in the NWT Rick has always been a Street Stock guy and his son wanted to follow in his footsteps.
The Mitchells were victims of a track closure when Cranbrook was sold but a move to IMCA Canadian Stock Car division the year before gave them a home although they did have to buy all new cars and equipment. They currently run at three regional tracks the farthest of which requires a 10 and a half hour drive--one way. Couple that with the fact that the payout is a flat amount and you have a race team that really does it for the love of the sport.
"Finish first or finish last you get $80," says Rick. "I love the sport. I'm doing this for my son, too, I'd love to get him the chance to go down south and play with the NASCAR boys."
To that end, Cliff has been pursuing an automotive technology degree and when asked about who builds their engine Rick said, "Well, Cliff built his own but I commandeered it since it would go better than mine."
That engine clearly had an impact in Rick's performance in 2008 as he won the IMCA Canadian Stock Car Division Championship. To put icing on that cake, Cliff won Rookie of the Year in the same division. To accomplish that feat, the father and son duo raced against each other week in and week out.
"He beat me in Lethbridge (Alberta at Bridge County Raceway)," says a proud Rick.
But who's the better driver? "Oh I can't answer that, he's sitting right here," says Rick. When asked the same question, Cliff was quick to give Dad the props. "He's probably the better driver, but we're usually pretty close at the end of the day."
So what do these two guys think about winning a pair of championships? "Awesome--that's about it," says Rick. "It was a really touching moment. To win the championship was the greatest thing in the world and to have him up there getting the rookie trophy, what else can you ask for?"
Cliff's echoes his Dad's comments, "It means so much; it was an emotional day when we found out all of that. It meant a lot. There were a few other guys in the rookie chase with me and I think I beat the other guy by about 35 points. Two Canadian titles in the same household, it's just awesome." Awesome indeed. Neither Rick nor Cliff knew they had won their respective championships until the end of the last race of the season.
The Future In each account of our Street Stock racers we found not only the common thread of hard work, dedication, and racing within a restrictive budget but we also found that aunts, uncles, girlfriends, and entire families make up the traditional Street Stock racer's team. It truly is the backbone of the sport.