Many live events have been canceled due to precautions taken in regards to the coronavirus, but on Saturday, several families came out to enjoy racing in Wardsville.
The annual Pinewood Derby, sponsored by the Five Rivers District of the Boy Scouts, took place at the Blair Oaks Middle School Gym with Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts competing throughout the day.
It's an event that can be traced back to the 1950s, and Five Rivers Assistant District Commissioner Ed Kniest said Scouts from California, Linn and Westphalia come to compete.
"It remains one of the most popular things we do in Cub Scouting," Kniest said. "The dads get to help, and sometimes, you look at the car and say, 'this dad helped a lot,' but it's still fun. From when my son competed in the mid- to late 1990s until now, it's interesting to see how they are fixed up. We've had Batmobiles with the Batman logo on it."
When the car crosses the finish line, the speed on the track is translated to what it would be if it was an actual car.
"Somebody might break 200 mph, and everybody will go wild," Kniest laughed.
The kit to build the cars is still the same as in the '50s, he said - a block of wood, four plastic wheels and nails to be used as the axles.
"They still have weights, and the contestant can put that where they want to," Kniest said. "There's always been a debate as to whether you put it in the front or the back. I've seen some Scouts use weights as head lights. They do have to meet weight and length specifications."
After the cars are certified, they are put in an area where they can't be tinkered with.
"We've had races where the dads compete and made their own cars," Kniest said. "I made one to look like Dale Earnhardt's car, but it didn't go that fast. The Scouts get to learn about making something. They design it and paint it any way they want. The idea that you take something from a basic block of wood and let their imagination run wild is always appealing."
Before checking in, there is a table set up, "The Pit Stop," where Scouts and their parents could make last minute changes on their cars. Cherlyn Voss is with Scout Pack 3 at Pioneer Trails Elementary in Apache Flats and brought her tool kit for all Scouts to use.
"I've been doing this for 10 years, and a lot of kids do build the cars at home with their dads, but for those that don't have the tools, we have a station where they can pick out their car design, trace it on the wood and then we cut it out for them because they can't use the big saws," Voss said. "They can then weigh, paint and sand their cars. It's a lesson in physics because you can teach them about aerodynamics and decreasing resistance and torque. They pick it up very quickly."
Elden Bell, 11, is in Pack 3. He said he was excited to race for the first time Saturday.
"I've been working on this for a while, and I might race again next year," Bell said. "My Scout leader has really helped me."