What happens when you give a cub scout a 7"piece of pine wood and a set of rules to build a race car?

The ambition and excitement to create the best car, plus a healthy dose of competition, was in the air at Rochester Memorial School last Saturday, as Rochester Cub Scout Pack 30 held its annual Pinewood Derby.

Out of Rochester's 32 participating Cub Scouts (which includes the levels of Tiger Cubs, Cub Scouts and Webelos), 29 cars zoomed down the track on January 13. Boy Scouts and Scout Leaders from Rochester Boy Scout Troop 31 were also on hand to assist the racing festivities and help the leaders run the race.

The Pinewood Derby has been a Cub Scout tradition since 1953. Scouts are asked to pick a shape, learn the skills (with a little guidance from parents and leaders) to make that shape and choose where to put weights on the car. The scouts also come up with a design or theme, paint and decorate the car, and christen it with a unique name.

“To be honest, the racing is a very small part of Pinewood Derby. To me, building the car is the most valuable part of this experience for the boys,” explained Cub Scout Pack 30 Cubmaster Jeff Jerome. He said he gets the most enjoyment out of seeing his son Cash Jerome spend two to three weeks working on the creation of the car. “I make myself available to help with the power tools if necessary, but the rest, the boys do all by hand from sanding to painting,” Jerome explained.

Pinewood Derby competitions are truly an all day affair. Check-in started at nine in the morning, when officials weighed, measured and checked each car to make sure they adhered to the rules of construction and racing.

“We weigh each car to make sure it's not over 5 ounces, check the axle clearance, body height and make sure the proper lubrication has been used. No oil is allowed,” explained Assistant Cub Scout Cubmaster Brandon Empey.

The racing kicked off at 10:30 a.m., with Boy Scout Troop 31 Scoutmaster, Kevin Thompson acting as the event's MC for the fourth year in a row. At the last race of the day (around 3 p.m.), tensions were high as competition narrowed down to the six final winning cars. The top six cars will move on to compete in the Regionals, held in March at Rochester Memorial School.

The top six cars were Cash Jerome's car “Yeti” (6th); Conor O'Leary's “Speedy Rex” (5th); Eli Mecham's “Fire and Lightening” (4th) ; Ethan Empey's “Creeper Weaper” (3rd) ; Jack Wronski's “the Gladiator” (2nd). With a winning time of 2.3842 seconds, Logan Empey's “Maverick” took the winning slot.

Other contests of the day included certificates of excellence in areas of creativity, including categories such as "best craftsmanship," "best paint job," "funniest car," "most realistic," "most futuristic" and "most colorful," to name a few. All derby participants were also given goody bags filled with racing memorabilia, stickers, posters and a cap.