Annual Pinewood Derby means more than first-place finishes for
local Scouts and parents
Winning isn’t everything to Jonathan Chase.
The 10-year old Webelo Scout wasn’t the least bit disappointed
that the tiny, wooden car he spent hours sanding and painting
didn’t even place during this year’s local Pinewood Derby, an
offshoot of the annual miniature care race held by Cub Scout troops
all over the country each spring.
Annual Pinewood Derby means more than first-place finishes for local Scouts and parents
Winning isn’t everything to Jonathan Chase.
The 10-year old Webelo Scout wasn’t the least bit disappointed that the tiny, wooden car he spent hours sanding and painting didn’t even place during this year’s local Pinewood Derby, an offshoot of the annual miniature care race held by Cub Scout troops all over the country each spring.
“I wanted to keep my car,” Jonathan said, as he showed off his car’s bright, multi-colored paint job. “I won first place in my division last year and third place overall, and they kept my car. If you win, you go race at the Scout-o-Rama, so they don’t let you take your car home. I didn’t want to win because I wanted my car.”
Jonathan was just one of about 100 boys who participated in San Benito County’s Pack 408 Pinewood Derby, easily one of the pack’s most popular events, said Kristy Burchard, a den leader and the derby’s committee chairperson.
“This is the highlight of the year for both the kids and their parents,” Burchard said.
The Pinewood Derby is a racing event intended for Cub Scouts in the Boy Scouts of America. Scouts, with some parental guidance, build their own cars from wood – usually from official kits containing a block of pine, metal axles and plastic wheels. To be eligible to compete, cars must meet official Cub Scout Pinewood Derby regulations (no starters are allowed, for example, and cars must meet length, width and weight specifications) and pass an official inspection.
Because adult help is often needed to build the cars, the derby is a great way to for children and their parents to spend time together, Burchard said.
“My dad helped me make my car,” said Colton Perazzo, 7, who won first place in the Wolf Cubs division. “It’s cool. It is blue and has flames on it and all kinds of stuff.”
Colton’s parents, Rick and Diane, estimate they spent about four hours total working with Colton on his car.
“It was a lot of fun,” Rick said. “It was quality time spent with Colton and that meant a lot also.”
The day began early – shortly before 10 a.m., boys and their parents and siblings wandered around Sacred Heart Parish School’s gym, sipping on coffee or juice and checking out some of the 106 racers entered in the derby. Groups of boys huddled around the “track” – a large area of the gym cordoned off with plastic racing flags with two large, plastic ramps, similar to a Match Box car ramp, sitting the middle.
After a few announcements and the Pledge of Allegiance, the derby officially started, with the youngest scouts – Tiger and Wolf cubs – going first. As these races continued, older scouts waiting their turn at the track participated in other events, such as learning how to play chess or marbles for achievement patches. Scouts also participated in a physical fitness achievement event, completing sit-ups, push-ups, a 50-yard dash and a quarter mile run to earn a fitness patch.
As the morning wore down, cars were eliminated and winners from each division moved on to the championship round. Webelo Owen Arnold was this year’s first place winner, followed by Webelo Kenton Kpeglo in second place and Tiger Cub Uly Silva in third. Following the championship round, an open class race was held for anyone, including adults, who wanted to enter a car. The derby finished with a pizza lunch for those who stayed to the end.
“It was a great day. I am happy with my fourth-place finish,” Webelo A.J. Harris said. “This is my highest finish ever. And I find making the car very fascinating. I get to use my craftsmanship skills. I pretty much did all the work on my own.”
The first Pinewood Derby was held in 1953, when Don Murphy, who worked for North American Aviation in southern California, was looking for a Cub Scout activity he could do with his son, according to the ABC Pinewood Car Web site. He thought of racing miniature cars as a way of re-creating his company sponsored Soap Box Derby races. He asked his company to sponsor his mini-car race, which he had named the Pinewood Derby. The event was a success, and word of the event spread among other packs. Within a year, the derby was adopted for use in all Cub Scout packs. Since its inception, an estimated 43 million scouts and their parents have participated in the derby.
Pack 408 Pinewood Derby 2008 Winners
Champions (all divisions):
Owen Arnold – 1st
Kenton Kpeglo – 2nd
Uly Silva – 3rd
Final winners by rank:
Tiger Cubs
Uly Silva – 1st
Victor Huerta – 2nd
Christopher Stevens – 3rd
Wolf Cubs
Colton Perazzo – 1st
Jason White – 2nd
Chad Tolentino – 3rd
Bear Cubs
Rogelio Leal – 1st
Brendon Barton – 2nd
Liam Row – 3rd
1st year Webelos
Owen Arnold – 1st
Kenton Kpeglo – 2nd
Jonathan Mendoza – 3rd
2nd year Webelos
Nick Burchard – 1st
Tyler Edgerle – 2nd
Kaleb Asku – 3rd
Open Class winners (all ages, including adults)
Ralph Armstrong – 1st
Kristy Burchard – 2nd
Felicia Markfield – 3rd
