- May 16, 2024
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When Lakewood Ranch’s Grayson Yost was given a pinewood derby car kit, it was a clean slate.
The kit came with a block of wood, four wheels and four screws.
He knew he had to abide by Cub Scout Pinewood Derby rules such as the limits on weight, width and length of his car.
With the help of his dad, Justin Yost, they started doing their research.
They learned some of the best tips and tricks including baking the wood so there wouldn’t be any moisture in it to add to the weight and using graphite on the wheels to lessen the friction.
When race time came April 4, Grayson Yost was ready.
His car met all the requirements, and he was pleased with the car’s paint job of blue with red, black and white flames.
He watched excitedly as his car sped down the track. Yost, and his father, were surprised to see his car place first in each of the three races, securing his spot as one of three Cub Scouts from Pack 126 to compete at the 2024 Manatee District Pinewood Derby May 4 at Bethany Baptist Church. The derby will host the top three winners from six dens.
Although each scout was given the same kit, each car had its own approach to making it as fast as possible.
YouTube and Pinterest were places to go for design inspiration and hints on what would make their cars faster.
“You get sucked into a rabbit hole on YouTube pretty quickly about pinewood derby cars and what works best,” said Lakewood Ranch’s Joe Koehler, whose son Logan Koehler is in Pack 126.
Logan Koehler decided to have the ends of his car be circular with the middle portion connecting the circles to be as skinny as possible. He thought the skinnier it was, the faster his car would go.
Many scouts focus on the weight of their cars. Cars are not allowed to exceed five ounces,
Joe Koehler said the hardest part of designing the car is distributing the weight. He spent hours two nights before the April 4 derby trying to add weight to get as close to five ounces as he could.
He hollowed out the back half of the car and inserted weights and added a few more to the top. At 4.8 ounces, Joe Koehler called it a night and said the car was ready for race day.
Although the parents help with the design of the cars as well as the construction to ensure the scout’s safety with tools, Joe Koehler and Justin Yost said they try to let their sons do most of the work.
They said they listened to what their scouts wanted their cars to look like and allowed them to help with construction aspects such as sanding and painting.
The real fun is on race day.
Justin Yost said he loved seeing the enthusiasm from the scouts as they compared cars and cheered each other on during the races. Joe Koehler added the races are a lesson on sportsmanship.
Every scout in Pack 126 cast a vote for Best in Show. Logan Koehler claimed victory in the category with his yellow car that had a Pokemon ball painted on the front and Pikachu, a main character in the animated series, sitting comfortably on the back.
