It's not winning or losing -it's for the fun of it


When it comes to Cub Scout-sponsored Pinewood Derby events, it’s often hard to know which is more important: design or speed. And it’s also hard to tell whether it’s the Scouts or the adults who get more excited as the miniature race cars barrel down the slope amid whoops, hollers and shouts of encouragement.

Pinewood Derbies have been around since the 1950s, when Ron Murphy organized the first one, for his troop in Manhattan Beach, Calif.

Several Northwest Corner troops host derbies; North Canaan Pack 22 held its competition on Sunday, April 1, at North Canaan Elementary School.

Each participant in a Pinewood Derby gets a regulation size piece of pine, with notches cut into it for the wheels; a set of four plastic wheels; and a set of four nails. The Scouts can decorate and customize their vehicles in any way they like, sometimes coming up with designs, such as a sneaker-mobile, that are more amusing than ergonomic.

The finished car must use all nine pieces, must not exceed a certain weight (usually five ounces), must not exceed a certain length and must fit on the track used by that particular Scout pack.

The cars are then shot down a sloped, multi-track ramp. There are winners in many categories (see listing, below). But for many participants, it’s not about winning or losing. They take part for the pure fun of making the cars and then having a chance to race them. (For a story about a team of veteran Pinewood Derby racers, turn to Page B7.)Victories at the April 1 North Canaan Pinewood Derby

• Overall champion (competition between all first-place winners): Riley Simmons

• North Canaan Pack 22 Tigers Division: first place, Noah Allyn; second place, Josh Allyn; third place, Paul Bannister

• Salisbury Pack Tigers Division: first place, Ryan Washburn; second place, Spencer Barry; third place, Benjamin Upson

• North Canaan Pack 22 Wolves: first place, Michael O’Connor; second place, Dantae Maddock; third place, Noah Light

• Bears (North Canaan): first place, Riley Simmons; second place, Kirk Sprague; third place, Joe Solan

• Webelos 1 (North Canaan): first place, Tyler Pilch; second place, Evan Bosio; third place, Mitchell Blass

• Boy Scouts (North Canaan): first place, Ken Weaver; second place, Josh MacDonald; third place, Kyle Greenberg

• Siblings (North Canaan): first place, Noah Shippa (also the youngest racer, at 20 months old); second place, Sam Simmons; third place, Tyler Dean

• Adults (North Canaan): first place, Rick Weaver; second place, Stephanie Bosio; third place, George Simmons

• Business Race: first place, Canaan Auto; second place, Herrington’s; third place, Torrington Memorial Detachment #1142

• Top candy bar sales: first place, Mitchell Blass (860); second place, Ken Weaver (624); third place, Tyler Pilch (312) and Michael O’Connor (312).

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