Tiny tracks
PENN TWP — The wheels on Alexander Johnson’s car were too loose to rotate properly, causing his vehicle to move shakily down the track and hurt its race time.
The 10-year-old from Cranberry Township was able to tighten up the nails holding the tires together for the car’s second run, earning it second place in his race Sunday. But overall, Johnson was just happy to be competing in the Boy Scouts of America Moraine Trails Council Pinewood Derby championship.
“Honestly, I just like to make the cars,” said Johnson, a member of Troop 403. “I like the woodworking and putting it all together; I don’t even need to do the racing.”
After working on their cars for months, adhering to strict measurements and specifications to obtain the most speed, Scouts sped them neck and neck down the racetrack Sunday afternoon at Diehl Toyota. With first-, second- and third-place cars separated by only tenths of a second in almost every race, cheers of excitement followed every tense release of the cars onto the track.
Amy Kamis, a Moraine Trails Council district assistant, said the derby is a fun tradition for Scouts, who enjoy every aspect of the competition, from building their cars to finally seeing them speed down the track.
“We’re expecting over 200 people; all three counties are competing — Lawrence, Armstrong and Butler,” Kamis said. “It’s a big thing in the world of Scouting. It can get heated sometimes.”
The racers ranged in age from 5 to 11 years old, and 60 people competed to be this year’s ultimate derby champion. The cars by regulation had to weigh less than five ounces, but each bitty buggy was distinct in its design and colors as gravity pulled them down the 50-foot long track.
Kamis said to qualify for the Pinewood Derby, each Cub Scout unit in Moraine Trails Council had its own derby races, and their top three winners could enter the final derby Sunday. The number one winner of the championship Sunday is eligible to go to the national pinewood derby in New York City, Kamis said.
Johnson said he came in just under the wire to qualify for the championship.
“I almost wasn’t able to get here, because I was in third at our tournament,” he said.
Johnson’s vehicle came in with a best time of 3.083 seconds, only a few tenths of a second longer than the first-place winner Sunday.
Although he won’t be going on to the national championship, Johnson said he was satisfied with his efforts for his last year in the Pinewood Derby competition age range.
“I was OK with just getting to the championship,” Johnson said.
