Tradition

The Pinewood Derby.

Every spring, every cub gets a block of pine, four wheels, and four nails, then turns it into the fastest car they can. Race day in the Caraway cafeteria is the loudest meeting of the year.

How the derby works

Each spring the scouts carve their own Pinewood Derby cars out of wood, decorate them, and race them on a multi-lane track set up in the Caraway Elementary cafeteria. Cars are weighed and inspected at check-in, then run heat after heat until the pack-wide winners are crowned.

Pack 162 scouts and parents gathered around a long table of finished Pinewood Derby cars in the Caraway Elementary cafeteria — Every car in the pack, lined up before race day.

A crowd of scouts and families gathered around a Pinewood Derby race track set up in the school cafeteria — Race day. The loudest meeting of the year, comfortably.

Race categories

Cars race within their own den first, with overall pack winners named at the end. Pack 162 also runs a sibling and parents' race because the grown-ups want in on it too.

Two young scouts in Pack 162 shirts holding the Pinewood Derby cars they built — Every car is a little different.

Build night

A few weeks before the derby we host an open build night with tools, weights, and graphite on hand. Families without a workshop at home (or without the patience to set one up) come away with everything they need to finish a competitive car.