Andrew Gustafson’s race car was proclaimed “King of the Hill” in Schoolcraft’s Pinewood Derby, held at the elementary school in February. He will forever have his name etched on the Pack 250 King of the Hill trophy. He is in first grade’s Tiger Den, shown here with his dad, Pete Gustafson.
The Pinewood Derby is an annual event that Cub Scouts have been taking part in for decades all over the country. Each scout, with assistance from a parent, builds a model car and races against other scouts in the pack. This is meant to be a project that parents and sons do together. The amount of effort put in by the scout vs. the parent depends on the age of the scout; 1st graders aren’t using power tools. As the scouts get older, they can do more on their own.
The body of the car must be from the official kit supplied by the pack in December. The body may be shaped, hollowed out, or built up from the original block as long as it meets the other specifications. Any additions to the body (weight, decals, steering wheels, etc.) must be firmly attached to the car. No shifting weight shall be allowed.
The track is equipped with a timer and race software. Each car will race four times. The software will total the times for each race to determine each car’s overall time.