The Rally Squirrel Makes Fenton Home

For years Phil Rideout made his living providing memorabilia to racing teams and their sponsors through his company, . His company designs die cast reproductions of race cars in Hot Wheels size or larger, prints t-shirts, hats, trailer hitches and just about anything a race car driver could sign and sell to fans. Though R&R Enterprises is open to the public, its specialty is sprint and midget car racing, the minor leagues of the auto racing world.

He started off just selling the collectable cars, which his artists design locally and are manufactured overseas. Eventually his clients started asking what else he could provide for them, so he expanded into silk screening, custom embroidery and sublimation—a type of heat transfer that works on anything from mouse pads to coffee cups.

“We’re very strong in the race industry. We’re race fans—it’s a great niche market,” Rideout said. But soon racing memorabilia won’t be his shop’s only specialty.

Rideout is applying for a trademark on the Rally Squirrel.

He thinks he might be the first St. Louis T-shirt printer to capitalize on the furry rodent who won the hearts of Cardinals fans during the World Series. He printed up a batch of red shirts with a squirrel bursting out of home plate on October 7. Unfortunately that design also sported the slogan “Go Cards!” which Major League Baseball took offense to and sent him a cease and desist letter. He willingly stopped selling that particular design, but the legal incident sparked an even bigger idea.

“We looked it up and no one owns it,” he said of the Rally Squirrel. “Why not register the mark? Then we’ll be legal.”

Rideout plans to launch a Rally Squirrel line of merchandise that encompasses all sports. He’ll have the squirrel playing hockey, football and soccer. He might even get political.

“He’s the Rally Squirrel, he has his own life,” Rideout said.

Currently his shop is making holiday themed Rally Squirrel coffee mugs and ornaments, which he’s selling wholesale to gift shops and sporting goods stores. R&R Enterprises will also have some on hand to sell to individuals who want to celebrate the holidays with a squirrel.