02
03
Pinewood Derby Stories and Photos from Maximum Velocity
04
05
15
16
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
31
32
33
34
PINEWOOD DERBY MEMORY
How close? Very close.
I am the Cascade Pacific Council Thunderbird District Pinewood Derby
Chairman, and have been so for about five years. For several years more
I have also been holding pinewood derby speed clinics for Cub Scouts in
my district, as well as pinewood derby classes at the yearly council Pow
Wow for adult Cub Scout leaders. The intention is to make as many as
possible aware of the rules applicable to pinewood derby car building, as
well as creating a level playing field by sharing building techniques and
speed secrets.
In the pack I am associated with we have an Open Class division for
anyone who wishes to build and race a car. The main intention is to help
prevent a Dad from dominating the building process for his son's car
(much like you see in the movie Down and Derby). Of course fun for
more people is the byproduct. I also have an open class division during
the district race. In both cases the cars must be built to the same
standards as the Cub Scouts cars.
When I hold a Speed Clinic, I hold nothing back. All the building
techniques I know are shared with all. This has played against me as far
as my being able to dominate in the open class races!
At last spring's district race a man named John, who happens to also
have a son in the same pack as mine, built and raced a car that was the
equal of mine. Just how equal I would not have suspected.
We use a six lane aluminum Best Track and a computer program to
place and track the cars for the district race. Each car runs six times,
once on each lane. The races for all ages had gone smoothly throughout
the day and now it was time for the Open Class to race.
The Open Class cars thundered down the track to much cheering. My
car was doing well and so was John's car. When the dust settled and
the results were tabulated and compiled by the computer, the operator of
the track, Tony, turned to me with a look of shock on his face. He told
me I lost to John and it had been close. How close? Very close.
Over six runs of accumulated time of about 20 seconds I had lost to
John by a mere one thousandth of a second! Well you just can't get
much more equal then that; and oh yeah, my 13 year old son's car beat
both of us.