Pinewood Derby Redux

Mason does not go to scouts with our ward because just as he was starting Cub Scouts, our Scout program was non-existent. So he started going to Scouts with a friend of his in another ward and has stayed there ever since. Because that first year there was no Scouting in the ward, he missed the Pinewood Derby his first year.

So to make up for it, when our ward Cub Scouts did their Pinewood Derby last Saturday, he wanted to make a car for it and compete. That way he figured he could make up for the one he missed.

Our ward turned the Pinewood Derby into a full blown ward event. It was called the first annual Pinewood Derby and Car Show. Those in the ward with vehicles to show brought them out and put them on display. One man in the ward brought a fire truck that was all decked out with lights and sound, probably for parades. You can guess where Rainer wanted to spend most of his time.

This is Rainer trying hard to put a big smile on his face.

For Mason's third car this year, he wanted to make a bullet car. We are fortunate that one of the men in the ward is a professional cabinet maker and has a professional wood working shop behind his house. The Tuesday before the big race, he had everyone come over to his house and make the cars. It's amazing what you can do with the right tools.

The Bullet Car

We also found out that if you sand down the nails for the wheels, the car will go quite a bit faster. Mason did well this time in spite of the fact that I split the wood around one of the wheel nails and so the last couple of races the wheel pop off towards the end of the track. He finished second and was pleased. He said he was tired of always coming in forth. The final race he lost by just about an inch at the finish line.

Mason's First Race

The great thing was, that since this was a ward event, after the scouts were done, there was an open division that anyone could enter, so Amanda made a car to enter in the open division.


She did not fare as well as Mason, but she had fun with it anyway. Her car was based off a Ferrari Hot Wheel that Rainer has.

After the races were done, the fire truck owner fired up the truck and all the children piled on. At first Rainer was scared of all the noise, but after watching his brother and sister go around the parking lot a couple of times, he started to get worried that he was going to miss his chance, so I picked him up and hopped on the back with him.

This is Mason trying NOT to smile at the end.

I have to say it turned out to be one of the better ward parties that we have attended. Everyone had a good time and now we get a break from the Pinewood Derbies for a couple of years.