Archive: Around Town

Most days of the year Watkins Glen has the region's most exciting race track.  But Saturday all the action was at Lansing's elementary school as Cub Scout Pack 48 held the annual Pinewood Derby races.  The scouts raced 5 heats.  The cars with the best average time from each heat went to the finals.

The overall winner and Tigers Den winner was Stephen Geise, with an average time of 3.440.  Second Place overall and Webelos II Den winner was Kirklyn Golden, whose car's average time was 3.451.  Third Place overall and Wolves winner was Sean Anderson, with an average time of 3.464.  Fourth Place Webelos I winner Ian Gonzalez's car's average time was 3.481.  The Fifth Place Bears winner was Kaydin Golden with an average time of 3.481.  His car raced the single fastest run of the day with a time of 3.401.


The Pinewood Derby was founded by Don Murphy in 1953 in Manhattan Beach, California.  It was so popular that the Los Angeles Recreation Department copied the event, and within a year it was adopted for use by all cub scout troops.  The track that is used by the Lansing troop was hand-crafted for Cub Scout Pack 26 by Thomas Bordoni in 1994 with materials donated by Borg Warner.


Computer software is used to time the race.  Dads set up the cars at the top of the track, and sensors time the race, recording each car's time as it streaks past the finish line.  A group of scouts waits at the bottom of the track.  The software lists the builders' names, car numbers, and finish times.

Volunteers from 'Kids in Action Now', led by Bonnie Blair, sold refreshments at the event to raise money for 'Nothing But Nets' which provides anti-malaria nets to children in Africa.  The organization hopes to end malaria in Africa by 2015.

Scouts with the best times will compete in a few weeks in the regional Pinewood Derby.

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