Scouts Race Handmade Cars in the Pinewood Derby

The Pinewood Derby is a highlight of the year for Scarsdale Cub Scout Pack 440 and scouts around the country. Held by each pack, the derby is a series of races in which scouts race small cars that they make out of wooden blocks. Winners go on to face top finishers from neighboring packs in the district. The derby originated in 1953 in Manhattan Beach, California, by a father of a scout whose son was too young to compete in the Soapbox Derby races. It is estimated that in the intervening years, cub scouts have produced over 100 million cars. There are no engines or batteries involved - the cars rely solely on gravity to operate.

This year's top winners at Pack 440's March 22nd Pinewood Derby were:

Tigers:
1st Place Matthew Glassman
2nd Place Ryan de Dianous
3rd Place Zachary Gfeller

Wolves:
1st Place Kirwan King
2nd Place Daniel Hwang
3rd Place Hadden Gennarelli

Bears:
1st Place Janghee Lee
2nd Place Brendan Tang
3rd Place Jayden Tang

Webelos I:
1st Place Eshan Agarwal
2nd Place Alexander Hwang
3rd Place Haochen Liu

Webelos II:
1st Place James Mandras
2nd Place Jeremy Ng
3rd Place Kenny Xu

In the design category, in first, second and third place, the winners were: William Lemerond, Kyle Pidedjian, and Harry Cullen, respectively.

Boys who did not receive trophies were awarded medals of participation. Cubmaster Woody Crouch noted, "Truth be told, it's not so much about making the car or winning a prize, but about working on a project with your parent or another adult. While it's not always easy, it is a truly rewarding experience."

Text and Photos by Midori Im.