Creativity, nostalgia on tap at Scouts pinewood derby

WASILLA — Florida has the Daytona International Speedway and Indiana its Indianapolis Motor Speedway. For the largest four-wheeled racing event for kids in the Valley, local Scouts have the Silver Streak — a slick, six-lane aluminum pinewood derby track.

More than 200 young Tiger, Bear, Wolf and Webelo Scouts showed off their speed and creativity Saturday at the Valley’s annual District Pinewood Derby Championships at Wasilla High School. Some of the original cars — constructed from a simple block of wood — were built for speed, others for show.

For 7-year-old Tanner Brown, a Wolf Scout from Pack 652, his intricate red, white and blue Indy-style car was built for both.

“I like the red, white and blue on it,” Brown said, adding he had more fun building the car with his dad, Clint, than racing it. “Last time I got first place (in the pack pinewood derby), but I’m thinking today maybe second.”

The project was “obviously” a collaboration between child and adult, said mom Anna Brown.

“He can’t use the power tools, so him and his dad drew it out together and he got to put it all together and paint it and sand it and stuff,” she said.

Making the lineup Saturday was Brown’s Indy car, a military green tank — complete with moving turret — an aircraft carrier, tow truck (with a little Matchbox car in tow), a convertible with a Lego driver and even a space buggy with large laser cannons on the back.

Ethan Brown, 8, from Pack 354 brought in one of the most original pinewood derby creations. He raced a blue halibut. That the imaginative Wolf Scout would think a flat fish would be aerodynamic enough to race shouldn’t come as a surprise, said his grandmother, Christie Krysak. He made a colorful gecko last year.

The halibut is flat and fast, Brown said, adding he already has an idea for next year’s creation — an eagle!

The unique cars that come to each district pinewood derby never cease to surprise Kelly Towns, the Valley’s district commissioner and organizer of the derby for more than 10 years.

“They’re so cool,” she said. “I love looking at these guys’ cars. I’m always amazed at what they bring in. One year there was a Star Wars ship. They come in with some original ideas, that’s for sure. They get cooler every year.”

She also enjoys the excitement many parents show for the pinewood derby. “I like looking at the adults and hearing them say, ‘I remember when I did pinewood derby.’”

Looking at the dozens of cars waiting to race, it’s evident some had more parental help than others.

Alexander Schmidt, 8, brought his bright red racer dubbed “The Flash” to the derby and was confident one of his friends would win, making his hopes for a second-place finish.

“I’ll probably go second place,” said Schmidt, a Wolf Scout in Pack 395. “Kevin’s is going to be first — AGAIN!”

When asked what it was like building “The Flash,” Schmidt cocked a thumb in the direction of his father, Curtis.

“I didn’t do it,” he said. “I just sanded it a little bit. He’s the one who made it. It’s my design and he’s the one who made it.”

Dad remembers the project a little differently, however.

“Well, you drew the picture and I used the saw — I cut it out,” he said. “You sanded it then you mounted the wheels and you painted it. He was mad because he couldn’t use the power tools, that’s all.”

Trey Petersen’s design was one of the more original stylized creations, long, low and featuring a large hole cut in the middle. It also showed off a unique two-toned paint job that started as black at the front and faded to orange at the back.

“I like the paint the best,” said Petersen, 7. “I’m hoping for second or first. It’s more fun building it, I guess. I liked cutting the hole in it.”

Petersen’s father, Frank, also enjoyed working on the pinewood derby car with his son. It’s an experience he didn’t have as a youngster.

“I missed that when I was a kid, so this was good for us,” he said.

Another original came from the mind of Luke DuBey, who presented a large, fat, yellow pencil. Basically, he sharpened the front of the car to a point and painted it to look like a No. 2 pencil, complete with eraser and silver metal band at the top.

“I like it because it pretty much looks like a pencil,” he said. “It just popped into my head.”

In many ways, pinewood derby has evolved over the decades. Races now use digital and computerized timing systems, fast metal tracks and the construction of the cars is more precise with the proliferation of rotary tools, Town said. But the derby is still the same where it counts — the basic car kit comes with a plain block of wood, four plastic wheels, and the finished car can’t weigh more than 5 ounces.

Other than that, she said, “The only limit is imagination.”

Contact Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.