The annual Pinewood Derby wooden track race took place at George Grant Mason in Tuxedo.

Long wooden track Pinewood Derby racing took place at George Grant Mason school in Tuxedo this past Sunday. Scouts from Cub Scout Pack 2146 have been working since December to whittle small wooden cars into speed machines. The payoff was to test them with a run down the  the long track over the weekend.

A selection of homemade Pinewood Derby cars that took place in this year’s race.

“This is the highlight of the scouting year for our boys,” said Pack 2146 Tuxedo Committee Chair and Assistant Cubmaster Brian Colton. “Some of them design elaborate car featuring Legos – we had a couple of Hershey Bars this year – we’ve had remote controls – but the most important thing is that the boys MUST use everything that comes in their kits, and it must weigh 5 oz or less – the rest is up to them!”

Pack ’46 serves the Sloatsburg and Tuxedo communities and currently has approximately 45 members. A total of 50 racers took part in the derby. The pack is divided into various dens of seven to ten members, according to age – Tiger Cubs (first grade), Wolf Cub Scouts (second grade), Bear Cub Scouts (third grade) and Webelos Scouts (fourth and fifth grades).

A mix of Sloatsburg and Tuxedo kids placed this year, while scouts from Troop 46 looked on as judges and event staff. Making Pinewood Derby racers is an annual event across the scouting world and participants are judged in creative categories as well as in categories such as best paint job, funniest car, crowd favorite, and most careful driver

All scouts went home this year with at least a participant ribbon as well as earning the all-important Pinewood Derby badge.

Colton said that the next big event this winter after the derby will the the annual Blue and Gold Dinner that celebrates those cub scouts graduating into the Boy Scout Troop.

“Once this long winter is over, we can get back to what scouts love best – being outside camping and hiking, doing service projects and having fun under the sun,” Colton said.

Photos provided courtesy of Cub Scout Pack 2146.