For some of us, January is the month of recovery from the holiday, of hibernating from the cold weather, of watching football playoff games. But for local boy scouts, this time of the year means one thing – the Pinewood Derby!

The annual racing event for cub scouts is a family favorite. With the help of parents, young boys build their own cars from wood, usually from kits containing a block of pine, plastic wheels and metal axles. The finished car must have all nine pieces, must not weigh more than five ounces, and must fit on the track used by that particular scout pack.

Pack 731 held their annual event last weekend, where over 100 boys raced their masterpieces in competitions with their peers. As families cheered them on, the participants took a front row seat next to the track, which, using today's technology, was recording the times of cars going over 100 miles per hour.

Bryce Poinsett enjoyed his initial derby participation, according to mom Angela. "He was so excited about today," she said. "The derby was the main reason we joined this year."

Michael Peterson's model this year was inspired by one of his Matchbox vehicles - a double decker bus. Though he recognized the extra weight would put his model at a disadvantage for the race, he was happy with the way it turned out. "I got named the Tallest out of everybody," he said with a smile.

Congrats to Overall Pack 731 winners:

First - Tommy Pederson, Webelos-II, Grade 5, Age 10

Second - Ryan Underwood, Webelos-I, Grade 4, Age 9

Third – Carter Platts, Tiger, Grade 1, Age 7.

All photos by Laura Tayman for Suburban Scene. To view, click on the thumbnail.

Captions:

Row 1
a) Bryce Poinsett shows mom Angela and brother Brayden the award his model garnered that day.
b) Families became fans as the competitions heated up.
c) Dave Underwood and Steve Hostetler work the computers to provide the crowd with race updates.
d) Derby participants watch as their model races to the finish line.

Row 2
a)  Keith McClung prepares the starting gate.
b)  Pack leader Brian Taschenberger announces the awards for the Tigers during Derby Day.
c)  Members of the Tigers pose for a group shot.