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Pinewood Derby Competition

Last weekend I took Josh to the Pinewood Derby competition at the elementary school for cub scouts. He didnt win any trophies, but I know that he enjoyed himself and he was really excited when his car came in second place during one of the heats. He was also able to stand in for one of his friends who had to leave. The first year that Josh was in cub scouts and we were just beginning to learn about the Pinewood Derby, I was surprised when we opened up his derby car kit only to find that it contained a block of wood, four nails, and four plastic wheels. We soon learned that the block of wood represented a lot of different possibilities as far as the design of his car went. His first year, he built a tractor, and last year he designed his car into the shape of a dolphin. This year it was a leopard. Each year, the cub scouts meet the night before the competition for Test and Tune. This involves having your car weighed and inspected by scout experts, and it also gives the boys the chance to roll their creations down the derby track which is typically already set up inside the cafeteria. This year, we spent the majority of the time adding weight to Joshs car because it was so light. I borrowed a tool and carved craters into the bottom of the car so there would be space for the lead weights, then somebody else melted down the metal and poured it in. Each time they put the car back on the scale, I felt like Indiana Jones at the beginning of Raiders of the Lost Ark, trying to eyeball the weight of a statue before taking it off of a platform. Perhaps the consequences of racing a car that is too light should be having to run around the school being chased by a giant boulder? Josh only has one more year left to go with the Pinewood derbies. I wouldnt say that he and I have gotten to be pros at building them, but we certainly are a little more experienced.