x
  1. Home
  2.  News
  3.  Local News

Race Time at the Pinewood Derby

| 19 Feb 2014 | 01:30
    Photos by George LeRoy Hunter Race cars on display as entrants register.
    Photos by George LeRoy Hunter Race cars on display as entrants register.
    Connor Gaughan of Milford, points to the race car he made with the initial of his first name.
    Connor Gaughan of Milford, points to the race car he made with the initial of his first name.
    Guests watch as cars wiz by.
    Guests watch as cars wiz by.
    From left Team Tigers members Riley Krick (6), Everett Zellner (6) and James Murphy (6) showoff the trophys they won.
    From left Team Tigers members Riley Krick (6), Everett Zellner (6) and James Murphy (6) showoff the trophys they won.
    From left Team Weblos members Matthew Guadagni (10) of Milford, Paul Guadagni (10) of Milford and Tyler Fean (9) of Milford holding the trophys they won.
    From left Team Weblos members Matthew Guadagni (10) of Milford, Paul Guadagni (10) of Milford and Tyler Fean (9) of Milford holding the trophys they won.
    A dragon on wheels.
    A dragon on wheels.
    Coveted trophys for the winners in numerous categories.
    Coveted trophys for the winners in numerous categories.

SHOHOLA — Scouts and local children raced their homemade toy vehicles on a digital track at the Milford Cub Scout Pack 71's Pinewood Derby on Saturday, Feb. 8 at Shohola Elementary School in Shohola Township.

The Pinewood Derby is a fundraising racing event to help with the Cub Scouts in the Boy Scouts of America programs and activities.

Cub scouts built miniature cars from wood (pine), plastic and metal. The design of the cars is only limited by the makers' imagination.

Parents of Pinewood Derby participants can help build the cars. The cars have no motors or fossil fuel source and are propelled by gravity on a special track.

Pinewood history
The first pinewood derby was held in May 1953 in Manhattan Beach, Cali. Cubmaster Don Murphy created and organized the event. Murphy's son who was too young at the time to participate in the traditional soapbox derby races the older scouts participated in, so Murphy came up with the idea of racing miniature handmade cars.

The cars are easier to build and is based on the same gravity powered concept as the bigger soapbox derby cars. After the inaugural pinewood derby in 1953, Murphy gave the Los Angeles County Department of Recreation permission to use his idea for their own pinewood derby.

From that time on the pinewood derby events have remained a staple of the Cub Scouts with other organizations holding similar events. Many of the pinewood derby events are fundraisers for charity. Trophy's are awarded not only to the fasted cars but also for the most original and artistic designs. Pinewood Derby racers may enter as an individual or as part of a team. There are numerous categories a racer can win in.

Shohola's derby
The Shohola Elementary School gymnasium was filled with racers, family and friends. Even though the derby is mostly a low tech affair some modern high tech has enabled the tradition to evolve. The cars are raced on a digitized track controlled by a simple manual start lever and monitored by a computer. The names of racers matched with what lane their cars are in are displayed on a screen for all to see. The finish line has a digital display above it which clocks the moving vehicles to the second.

Third grader Connor Gaughan of Milford designed his pinewood car with the help of his dad. He pointed out his car with pride. Gaughan's car was painted blue, white, black and yellow. A large yellow C logo decorated the hood that stood for the first letter in his name 'Connor'.

Asked if he thought his car could win, Gaughan said "I think I have the best car."

Gaughan had some tough competition with competitors crafty creations.

For more photos visit www.PikeCountyCourier.com.