The members of Wilton’s Cub Scout Pack 17 are 1st-5th graders who meet monthly as a group of about 100 boys, and again separately during the month in their smaller “dens,” groups of 6-8 boys organized according to age–Tiger Cubs (1st graders), Wolves (2nd graders), Bears (3rd graders), Webelos I (4th graders) and Webelos II (5th graders). Den meetings focus on doing age specific activities and earning advancement and awards through field trips, hands-on projects, hikes, camping trips, picnics, community service projects, and other fun events.

Of course, each year, one of the most exciting traditional Pack events is the Pinewood Derby, a model car building and racing extravaganza. We’ll let Wilton resident (and Pack dad) Bill Lalor explain:

The scene was frenetic last Saturday, Feb. 25 at the Wilton Congregational Church. By afternoon, a moose had run loose and dozens of Wilton’s Pack 17 Tigers, Wolves, Bears and Webelos had displayed a mind-bending array of skill, creativity, and LOLZ humor.

Aside from the moose, there were Army and rocket cars, bright blue and purple cars, striped polka-dotted cars, thin cars and fat cars; tough, mean, jet black and funny cars.

What else could anyone expect? It was, after all, the inimitable, annual Wilton Pack 17 Pinewood Derby.

Henry Wiltamuth working on his Moose-mobile for Pack 17 Pinewood Derby
Henry Wiltamuth working on his Moose-mobile for Pack 17 Pinewood Derby

Early on, racers faced weigh-ins. Cars could weigh up to five ounces and not a gram more, and at first, a few were turned away by Jake Bittner, the happy curmudgeon and Car Inspector manning the scale. And so back those racers went to the kits, pliers, scissors, and weights. Wheels were adjusted. Axles were straightened. Right-brained parents were tested, frazzled.

And duct tape. “Dad, did we bring duct tape?” (Oh, yes.)

Then back to Bittner. A moment of tension. The scale.

Five ounces. The boys all made it.

Then, group by group, six cars at a time, the wacky and slick pinewood cars were perched about five feet off the ground atop the starting gates and staring down a daunting and steep, custom-built track. All those hours of thinking and planning, and doing cutting, sanding and painting.

Cars at the starting gate
The winning Webelos I car (skinny one on left) by Jake Mercer
Den 3 thrill of victory at the finish line.

And lacquer. Plenty of lacquer.

As race time approached, things grew tense. The anticipation–could Moose beat Rocket? Would Sparkly Purple hold off Bluey-Greenish With Stripes?

Only time would tell, although one thing was clear:  I-pads, Candy Crush, and Clash of Clans were nowhere to be found. They’d all been left at home, in the dust.

Finally, the races began. And more races. And more and more races.

The heats wore on. Hopes soared and some were dashed, and all the while the boys gaggled and huddled along the length of the track, ooh-ing and ahh-ing and laughing and high-fiving as the cars raced by. Parents chewed their nails, then mostly exhaled.

Henry Wiltamuth’s prize-winning Moose-mobile

Pack 17 CubMaster Ryan Thompson capably emceed and kept things rolling, sounding at times like a livestock auctioneer from Edna, Kansas. He announced the results one heat at a time. And they were stellar. 184.1 miles per hour. Then 181.2, 178.3, etc.

The car that reached 188.3 was the speed winner. According to witnesses, all anyone really saw was a quick burst of light; some say they heard a “pop.”

After each heat it was a long, three-second wait, until the results projected overhead, heat-by-heat, above the finish line by Judging & Timing Systems Engineer Jaime Katz. The kids roared, and parents exhaled.

“Wait till next year,” a few muttered. But it was mostly smiles.

* * *

The first Pinewood Derby was held in 1953, in Manhattan Beach, CA. Officially, the boys compete each year in one of two categories:  speed and construction “design” (either “assisted” by parents or “unassisted.”) The top three winners in each category are eligible to represent Wilton Pack 17 in the Powahay District Pinewood Derby & Cubmobile Championship in April. Last Saturday, some kids won, and some didn’t, but big smiles were all around.

Special thanks to Pinewood Derby committee chair, Vivek Satsangi for his hard work again this year.

Top Finishers – Speed Competition (listing average speed)

Congratulations to the first place winners in the Speed category on their sublime performances:  Johnny Bittner (Tigers); Nathan Yovine (Wolves); Oliver Celuch (Bears); Jake Mercer (Webelos – I); and Jai Satsangi (Webelos – II).

Tigers

  1. 184.0 Bittner, Johnny
  2. 183.9 Major, Henry
  3. 182.7 Sardana, Aidan

Wolves

  1. 186.1 Yovine, Nathan
  2. 185.8 Jeschke, Philip
  3. 185.8 Squitieri, John

Bears

  1. 184.9 Celuch, Oliver
  2. 184.4 Avizov, Brendan
  3. 184.0 Christianson, Evan

Webelos–I

  1. 187.7 Mercer, Jake
  2. 186.7 Lanaro, Joe
  3. 184.1 Raniolo, Adam

Webelos–II

  1. 188.3 Satsangi, Jai
  2. 187.3 Silins, Jekabs
  3. 181.0 Clark, Aaron

Design Categories Winners

Unassisted Design and Construction
Tigers – Brendan Raniolo
Wolves – Ryan O’Grady
Bears – Nate Fox
Webelos I – Miki Fryer
Webelos II – Justin Katz

Assisted Design and Construction
Tigers – Ben Cannavino
Wolves – Ryan Doughman
Bears – Jake Brokaw
Webelos I – Liam McNamara, Henry Wiltamuth (tie)
Webelos II – Wyatt Jones