By Jeff Kenney Editor
Cub Scouts and parents from Culver’s Pack 290 gathered on Jan. 26 for the Scouts’ annual Pinewood Derby race, held in the basement of the Wesley United Methodist Church.
Scouts — who range in age from kindergarten to upper elementary school — are supplied with a block of pinewood and encouraged to be creative in design, color, and other details of their race car, said Tiger Cub leader Jim Coiner. “This is teaching them about responsibility, about how to cut and handle their own projects,” he explains.
Parents will probably need to help in some areas, of course, though Webelo den leader Rich Vela notes that second year Webelo Scouts are expected to do all the work themselves.

Scouts race in each of their respective age classes, with an additional Open Class for non-Scouts, including adults, who might like to join the competition. Everyone has to abide by the same rules, however. “The cars can’t weigh more than five ounces,” Vela explains. “They put their cars on the table and they’re not allowed to touch any of them until race time.”
Cars are judged based on their respective classes in a variety of categories, including judge’s choice, best detail, best paint job, smoothest finish, strangest shape, most patriotic, and a host of others. Race winners from each class will then race against each other to determine the grand champion, which this year was Tiger Cub Wyatt Coiner.
Shane Lowry, parent of Wolf Pack member Payton Lowry, is pleased with the Derby and the Scouts in general, and the effect the group has had on his relationship with his son and his family as a whole. “It’s been a good bonding thing,” he says. “It’s an extension of our family time. (The Scouts) have a lot of neat activities, family growing activities. We’ve grown as a family because of the Scouts.”
Malik Guerra, a Bear Scout, hopes his Derby efforts will contribute to his future aspiration. “I like to build things because I would like to be an inventor,” he notes, adding that it took him about three days to build his car using “the pinewood derby block, a motor from an army boat, a guy (action figure), a bazooka, a machine gun, and a police shield.”
This year, says Vela, race maintenance man Chuck Robbins also built a brand new track for the Derby. Vela also cited Chuck Dilts for his efforts as fundraiser for the event, and Cub Master Dona Vela, who also handed out the awards this year to the 18 boys who participated.
Besides the grand champion, winners of the 2008 Cub Scout Pinewood Derby are:
Tigers: 1st: Wyatt Coiner; 2nd:  Dakota Bennett; 3rd:  Adrian Craig; 4th: Trenton Jones; 5th: NikolasVela. Wolves: 1st: Michael Boland; 2nd:  Dalton Reinhold; 3rd: Payton Lowry; 4th:  Caleb Sheridan; 5th: Dominick Basham; 6th: LucasVela. Bears: 1st: Jack Campbell;  2nd: Alan Dilts; 3rd: Garrett Reinhold. Webelos:  1st: Tyler Bare; 2nd: Malik Guerra; 3rd: Joshua Vela. Open Class: 1st: Chuck Robbins; 2nd:  Rich Vela; 3rd: Deniese Vela.    
Pack 290 Finalists: Grand Champion: Wyatt Coiner; 2nd: Jack Campbell; 3rd:  Michael Boland; 4th: Tyler Bare. Judges Choice: Dominick Basham; Best Detail: Malik Guerra; Best Paint Job: Alan Dilts; Shiniest Paint: Garrett Reinhold; Smoothest Finish: Trenton Jones; Strangest Shape: Caleb Sheridan; Most Futuristic: Dakota Bennett; Most Patriotic: Josh Vela; Best Use of Color: Lucas Vela; Most Colorful: Wyatt Coiner; Most Realistic: Adrian Craig; Most artistic: Michael Boland; Coolest engine: Jack Campbell; Fastest Looking: Tyler Bare; Most Unusual: Dalton Reinhold; Most Humorous: Nikolas Vela; Best Theme: Payton Lowry.