For 72 years, the Pinewood Derby has challenged cub scouts to compete in races with their own miniature, hand-crafted wooden race cars. For six years, the Narragansett Council of Scouting America, which represents all the scout packs in Southern New England, has held its Southeastern regional competition for these races at Rochester Memorial School.
The March 22, 2025 Pinewood Derby attracted a record crowd there. Rochester Pack 30 Cub Scoutmaster Kevin Thompson noted as the ceremonies began that the largest crowd ever was attending, prompting scout leaders to set up more tables in the RMS cafetorium and order more food (hot dogs, pizzas, donuts). He thanked the “almost 200 strangers” for filling the room that day.
His pack, which includes Cub Pack 31, served as the event’s hosts. A total of 65 cars were registered to race, all winners of local competitions within the Narraganset Council’s Southeastern Massachusetts and Southern Rhode Island District (New Bedford, Acushnet, Fairhaven, Dartmouth, Marion, Mattapoisett, Rochester, Wareham, Fall River, Somerset, Westport, Swansea, Seekonk, Portsmouth, Middletown, Newport, Tiverton, Little Compton, East Providence, Bristol, Warren, and Barrington). Their builder/owners ranged in age from kindergarten to fifth grade and included both boys and girls. All cars had to be hand-constructed of (guess what?) pinewood and had to weigh in at five ounces or less. Four race lanes were set up sloping down from the cafetorium stage to a mini-‘Finish Line’ sign. Each car raced eight times, getting that number of chances to clock in as first, second, third, or fourth place finishers. The 20 tops scorers at the end of the day earned the chance to compete at the Council Championship later this spring (date and place yet to be determined), for council member packs stretching as far as Connecticut.
The young contestants and their parents who were participating revealed that while all the scouts designed the cars themselves many had the help of their scoutmasters in the construction phase during workshops at scout meetings. An example of this help comes from Brian, age 10 of Pack 30, Rochester, who has attended the competitions for four years. His father Brandon said his den leader is a shop teacher at Old Colony Regional Vocational-Technical High School who took the scouts as a group to his shop classes. “They used the tools there, the band saws, the drills, the sanding, and would go over the safety stuff,” Brandon said.
Dan Jr., age eight, and Liam, age nine, are members of pack 51, Acushnet. Dan Jr. is attending the competition for a second year. Both their fathers, Dan Sr. and Joseph, said they helped their sons by cutting the wood with their workshop saw. Then Dan Jr. did the rest, Dan Sr, said, sanding his vehicle and applying enamel paint and the decorative pieces that turned it into his own creation, a Sponge Bob race car.
Asked why he likes competing in the derby, Dan Jr. said simply, “I like racing. It’s fun.”
Dan Sr. added, “And the dad likes to win.” He noted he too participated in the Derby when he himself was a cub scout years ago.
By Michael J. DeCicco