Tamanend District Pinewood Derby: Small Cars Are Big Fun

Over 250 cub scouts convened at Bucks County Community College Saturday April 8 for the Pinewood Derby. The top finishers from 25 pack derbies in Tamanend District met at the college gymnasium to compete against fellow Tigers, Wolves, Bears, Webelos, and Arrow of Light cub scouts for top honors in the district.

Pinewood Derby has long been a highlight in the scouting calendar going back to its origins in the 1950s. Working from a kit that includes a block of wood, 4 plastic wheels and 4 nails, each cub scout, with the help of an adult, designs and builds a race car to exacting specifications- weighing no more than 5 oz., no wider than 2 ¾ inches wide nor longer than 7 inches.

The 2017 Tamanend District Pinewood Derby was coordinated by Pack 19 Cubmaster John Papp and Pack 147 Den Leader Chris Smith who brought their individual units’ state-of-the-art tracks to the event. These tracks enable the small race cars to obtain scale model speeds of over 230 mph.

Julian Wexler of Pack 99, chartered by Newtown Grant Homeowners Association took first place among the Tigers with Jacob Snyder and Desmond Waters, both of Pack 196 chartered by Presbyterian Church of Deep Run, taking second and third places.

The first-place finisher in the Wolves race was Collin Wallace from Pack 100 which is chartered by Fallsington United Methodist Church; Jack Longino of Pack 230 chartered by St. Ignatius Roman Catholic Church took second place and Liam Eiben from Pack 380 chartered by St. Andrew Roman Catholic Church placed third.

Ryan Shipp of Pack 230 was the top finisher among the Bears with Benjamin Boen of Pack 145 chartered by Addisville Reformed Church and Jasper Bligh of Pack 95 chartered by Resurrection Lutheran Church in the second and third place spots.

Among the Webelos, Frankie Lucisano of Pack 82 chartered by Our Lady of Grace Roman Catholic Church was the top finisher; Gibby Cheeseman of Pack 30 chartered by VFW Post #6393 took second and Ronan Harding of Pack 145 chartered by Addisville Reformed Church placed third.

Bobby Chandler of Pack 280 chartered by St. Bede the Venerable Roman Catholic Church won the Arrow of Light race with RJ Angove of Pack 100 and Ian DuHaime of Pack 145 taking second and third places.

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