Print

Email story

Comment

Email editor

Scouts show off their speed

Winners from a district Pinewood Derby are headed to regional competition to race the cars they built.

By ELIZABETH MILLER
Published March 18, 2005

LUTZ - "We're going to council, YES!" said Austin Shooks as he proudly held his trophy. Austin, 8, from St. Lawrence Elementary, won first place in the Cub division of the Cub Scouts 2005 UCITA District Pinewood Derby.

The district's Pinewood Derby, a longstanding Cub Scout tradition, took place Saturday at St. Timothy's Catholic Church and was co-sponsored by the district's Pack 9 and Pack 339.

Winners from Saturday's event will compete in the regional council competition against winners from eight counties at MOSI next month.

The trick to making your derby car go faster?

"You have to make sure the back has weights, and you have to make sure it's very smooth," said Austin, who said he enjoyed sanding his wooden car.

"This is the first year there's going to be a national competition in honor of the 75th anniversary for the Pinewood Derby," said Austin's father, David Shooks. "We're very excited. Maybe we can make it to the nationals."

The Cub Scouts, representing the district's 30 packs from around North Tampa, enjoyed hot dogs and sodas from the snack bar as they watched the races and awaited their own car's turn down the track.

The cars start at the top of a 5-foot incline and are electronically timed from start to finish, measuring the time within a thousandth of a second.

"The adults have just as much fun as the kids," said Hilary Rain of Cheval, who helped organize this year's event and has seen three sons compete in derby races.

"The boys have a blast, they get to build, learn how to use tools, and use their imaginations," she said.

Each Scout receives an official Pinewood Derby kit, which includes four nails, four wheels and a rectangular block of wood. They can shape it to look however they want, but, in the end, it can be no longer than 7 inches and weigh no more than 5 ounces.

The boys' creativity in designing their Pinewood Derby cars showed. Winners in the several different design categories ranged from cars shaped to look like everything from a pepperoni pizza to a geco. Other winners included the cheese mobile, and another that looked like a cheeseburger.

But the racing cars, some with stripes, others with drag racing flames, were the center of the excitement on Saturday. Sean Weins, from Pack 339 in Lutz, scrambled to get a wheel back on his car minutes before his car raced. He took fourth place in the Cubs.

"This is probably the biggest thing I've ever won," said Jesse Smith of Lake Grace Estates, who took second in the Webelo division.

Tiger division (first-graders) winners were: first-place, Chad Martin, Pack 202; second-place, Daniel Hamilton, Pack 339; third-place, Spencer Panazze, Pack 21; fourth-place, Bobby Langer, Pack 46. Cub division (second- and third-graders) winners were: first-place, Austin Shooks, Pack 329; second-place, Justin Lenz, Pack 217; third-place, Caleb Shepard, Pack 648; fourth-place, Sein Weins, Pack 339. Webelo division (fourth- and fifth-graders) winners were: first-place, Greg Klein, Pack 648; second-place, Jesse Smith, Pack 648; third-place Devan Moreno, Pack 329; fourth-place Nathan Bonanno, Pack 212.

[Last modified March 17, 2005, 08:40:12]