Submitted by Jennifer Vanlerberg
Sunday, January 26th was the perfect afternoon for racing. There was a slight chill in the Powell Gym, and the smell of freshly opened Fritos and Doritos hung in the air. Fans came from far and wide to watch the scouts of Pack #372 participate in their annual Pinewood Derby.
With only one Lion, that race had a predetermined winner. Henry Engard propelled his car down twice unopposed, winning both first place and best of show.
This happened again with Bear, Doni Boyce’s “Tiger” car. Since both cars achieved first place, they were able to compete in the overall championship race.
For the Tiger Den, Parker Grilliot won Best of Show. Adam Mason took home first, Parker won second, and Shawn Albright took home third.
In the Wolf Den, Ethan Maloy took home Best of Show. Jayden Huff won the first place trophy, and Jackson Cook took second. In third, raced Kiean Wheeler.
The Webelos One group had the most competition as usual. Seven racers competed for three spots. Blaze Kline won best of show for this crowded field. Camden McCartney took first in a super close one to Leah Trout’s “Captain Marvel” car, which finished second. Levi Vanlerberg’s baconater came in third. Kale McDonald, Reese Williams, and Conner Coup also created some speedy racers to round out that den.
The final den was the Webelos Two. Ian Ramirez won Best of Show. Joseph Rose took first, and Liam Vanvooren raced to second. Boden Lanham took home third.
There were also two Open races. The “17 and under race” saw Viv Ford versus Jackson Cook. Viv came up with the win. In the slightly older open, Joe Novak competed against Michael Boyce. In the closest race of the afternoon, Joe earned first. The overall champion for 2020 was Joseph Rose with “Buck.”
The boys of Troop 315 helped out by serving both as race judges and assistants, and ran the concessions. Josh Fennell helped prepare the cubs for their big entrance and the reciting of the Pledge. They helped the derby run smoothly, and did an excellent job.
We would like to thank Tammy and Eric Trout, Announcer Hank Matthes, the Boy Scouts of Troop 315, Custodian Chad Wright, and the North Baltimore Arbor Gleanors for their help with judging and registration.
Thanks to all the parents and families for putting in the time for the cars and for all of the support. The top two racers for each group will be invited to race at Districts at Otsego this spring. Way to go, Scouts!
