Pinewood Derby
PENN TWP — A tenth of a second was, in some cases, the difference between victory and defeat Sunday afternoon at the Glacier Ridge Pinewood Derby.
Hosted by Moraine Trails Council, the event was held in Diehl Automotive's showroom for the 12th straight year. Crafted from kits, the cars race down a steep wooden track in heats of four and are timed electronically.
The Pinewood Derby is open to Cub Scouts from Butler County in each of the six age-based ranks. Cub Scouts are for boys from kindergarten through fifth grade.
There were 76 boys signed up to participate Sunday, but more than 90 participated as there were some walk-ins, said Greg Pistner, district executive with the council. Scouts brought three canned goods to enter the race and the collected food was to be donated to local food banks.
Each scout entering a car in the event must pass an inspection and abide by the rules set by the council. The rules dictated the maximum weight and dimensions and state that the axles, wheels and body must come from the official Pinewood Derby kit.
The top two finishers from each rank advanced to a districtwide competition later Sunday afternoon.
Cub Scouts use the event as a chance to teach good sportsmanship and to learn a little about wood working and cars, Pistner said.
“There's something about building these cars with their parents. It's a great way to have a shared hobby and they can learn from prior experience and apply what they learned the next year,” he said.
When asked “what makes a car go fast?” several of the scouts displayed their newly acquired knowledge.
“Aerodynamics,” was the one-word answer offered by Finn Fielder of Center Township. Finn was the top finisher among the Tiger Cubs, which is for first graders.
Nicholas Johnson, the second place finisher among the Wolves, had a different answer.“Graphite on the wheels,” he said referring to the powdered lubricant that is allowed per the rules.Wolves are composed of second graders.Nicholas said he drew the design of his car on a piece of paper and, with some help from his father, cut out the car from the block of wood provided in the kit, painted, waxed and added wheels.The top of the car included a picture of a llama wearing sunglasses.“It's Mama Llama like on the show 'Llama Llama,' my baby brother really likes it,” he said.Evan Connolly of Adams Township, the first place finisher from the Wolves said he enjoys the spectacle of seeing which car will win each heat.“I like just seeing all the cars go down the track,” Evan said.
