Pinewood Derby car build day is Saturday

Race Day is Saturday, March 1st!

By Charlotte Underwood

LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF)- Scouting America’s Mount Cammerer District and all scout troops in the county will be hosting a Pinewood Derby in two weeks! The derby is slated for March 1^st. Races are for Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA and adults!

BSA Cub Scout Pack 134, Pack 108, Troop 310, Troop 435 and Troop 534 will be hosting the event together for the first time, according to Cub Scout Pack 134 Leader Bethany Benjamin. Usually Pack 134 hosts a Pinewood Derby each year, but they wanted to expand it to others this year.

“The Pinewood Derby is traditionally something done by Cub Scouts, but we are opening it up to the Scouts BSA Troops, and an Outlaw Race for the adults with very limited rules. There will also be a Pinewood Derby Car Show, and the LA Cruizers are planning to bring some cars down and participating as well,” Benjamin said.

Even if you don’t have a derby car, it’s no problem, come to the Pinewood Derby Car Build Day this Saturday, February 15^th at 10 am at the First Baptist Church Jacksboro and join Scouting America to get your build kit! First Baptist Church in Jacksboro is located at 409 Main Street, Jacksboro. Pinewood Derby cars must be built with and according to the rules of the official BSA Derby Car Kit.

The Pinewood Derby is the wood car racing event of the Cub Scout Program of BSA Scouts. With the help of adults, scouts build their own unpowered, unmanned, miniature cars from wood, usually from kits containing a block of pine wood, plastic wheels, metal axles and stickers.

“The Pinewood Derby race gives families a chance to spend time together. They have to plan out the design, get the car cut down, sanded, painted, and ready for race day. On race day, they get to cheer on the car that they put all the effort into and watch their kids face light up as they see all that hard work race down the track!” Benjamin said.

A brief history of the Pinewood Derby

The first Pinewood Derby was held in May of 1953 at the Scout House in Manhattan Beach, California. Scout Cubmaster Don Murphy’s son was too young to participate in the popular soap box derby, so he came up with the idea of racing miniature wood cars with the same gravity powered concept. The idea spread quickly, and competitions were held across the country. The Boy Scouts of America made it an official program, adopting the use of the Pinewood Derby for use in all Cub Scout Packs. Despite being around for over 70 years, Pinewood Derby races continue to remain popular and a great program for Scouts today!

Campbell County’s Pinewood Derby hosted by BSA Packs and Troops will be held Saturday, March 1^st, at 3 pm, at the West End Community Center, at 300 West Beech Street in LaFollette. Check in time for the race is 2:30 pm.

There will be races, crafts, demonstrations, food and more at the event!

The upcoming Pinewood Derby is a great opportunity to get your kid into scouting, according to Benjamin who said “Scouting gives boys and girls a chance to learn something new and exciting around every corner and can help them prepare for the future. At the Cub Scout level, we do everything with our families and volunteer leaders. The scouts learn to be social, explore the outdoors, and do lots of fun activities ranging from playing games to STEM projects. At the Scouts BSA level, the Scouts lead the program. With the help of adult volunteers, they plan activities that they want to experience. This may be outdoor survival skills, leadership, community service, or working towards their next merit badge. Above all else, it’s just plain fun!”

For more information about the upcoming derby car build day, or the race or about joining BSA Scouts, contact Bethany Benjamin at 865.455.6722. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-02/14/2025-6AM)