Pinewood Derby racing tests determination of Windham Pack 805 Cub Scouts

By Marianne Moran

Members of Windham Cub Scout Troop 805 gathered with parents, volunteers, and family members at Windham Middle School on Saturday, Jan. 18 to compete in the Pinewood Derby, a series of model car races deeply steeped in the tradition of the Cub Scouts of America’s history.

Scout Jackson Bennett proudly displays the model race car
he built for the annual Pinewood Derby at Windham Middle
School on Jan. 18. PHOTO BY MARIANNE MORAN 

The scouts’ dedication to the Pinewood Derby started in December when they received model kits consisting of three blocks of wood, four tires and two axles to turn into derby racing cars. With the help of their parents, the scouts cut, sanded, shaped, painted and accessorized each racing car using their imagination.

The Pinewood Derby races are held on an inertia track. As the races begin, scouts move to what is known as the “parking lot” to retrieve their cars. The scouts then place the cars at the starting gate, making sure that the cars are completely on the individual lane and are aligned straight. Once the cars are released, the scouts move to the finish line area to watch their cars come down the track. As cars move down the track, they are timed with some exceeding speeds greater than 170 mph.

Looking out to the many cars lined up in the “parking lot’ area, the varied colors, designs, and individualized interpretations of the cars speaks not only to the Cub Scouts’ creativity, but also to the testament to the one-on-one time that these parents and children spent together coming up with and building these cars. Every car is a symbol, a representation of not only a proud and loving Windham Cub Scout, but also a proud and loving Windham family.

On this race day, the cars lined up in the “parking lot” in many colors. There were green, bright blue, orange, yellow, army green, light blue, black and white, multicolored green, and red. They are decorated with stars, figurines, drawings, NASCAR-looking stripes, checks, windows, drivers, drivers with helmets, in every shape.

The excited parents of scouts Henry Bernard, Jonathan Corson, Jackson Bennett, and Ian Bizier have long awaited this day, and have helped them to prepare and assemble the cars. Some even had to start over again after mishaps. In this case, they headed down to the Casco Bay District Pine Tree Council “store” in Raymond for another race kit.

The perimeters and specifications for a Pinewood Derby car are challenging. The Boy Scouts of America define the Pinewood Derby car’s specifications as for width of 2 ¾ inches. The car length is 7 inches. The weight is not more than 5 ounces. The width between the wheels is 1 ¾ inches and the wheelbase is 4 ⅜ inches.

The Pinewood Derby was developed by another parent, and Cubmaster Don Murphy in Manhattan Beach, California, on May 1, 1953. Murphy’s son was too young to race in the popular Soap Box Derby races, so he invented the smaller Pinewood Derby race. Its popularity skyrocketed when in October 1954 the race was publicized in the popular magazine, This Boy’s Life, where it offered plans for tracks and cars.

The Boy Scouts of America registered the Pinewood Derby as an Official Trademark in May 2005.

The winners of this year’s Windham Pinewood Derby races as reported by Pack 805 Cubmaster, Kayla Desmond are as follows:

First place, Ryan Little

Second place, Ben Conant

Third place, Kye Fowler

Fourth place, Lucas Yankowsky

Fifth place, Griffin Earle

Best in Show, Gavin Chickering

Winners from these Windham races advance to the District Pinewood Derby races featuring participants who won community races in their respective packs during the month of January. <