For local Scouts, it was off to the races last weekend

Parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters, and — of course — competitors all gathered together in Libby on March 6 for a day at the races.

Indy? Daytona? Talladega? Not quite.

If you’ve ever been a Cub Scout, you know about the Pinewood Derby. Libby Cub Scout Pack 4925 held their annual Pinewood Derby inside the Kootenai Valley Christian School on a beautiful Sunday afternoon.

In 1953, scouting enthusiast Ron Murphy created the race for boys still too young to compete in the national Soap Box Derby. An instant success, it spread quickly through the scouting ranks.

It begins with a kit, which contains a rectangular block of wood, four tires and two axles. The job of the scout is to create a vehicle that can get down the 45-foot track faster than its rivals. Usually, though not always, a bit of adult help is needed in fashioning the racer.

The rules are as simple as the kit. A vehicle cannot weigh more than five ounces. Axles must be straight. All four tires must touch the tracks. Scouts can affix objects to their cars, but no loose materials are allowed on the vehicles

With that in mind, creativity takes over. Vehicles racing last weekend included a tow truck with a towing crane attached, a semi truck with overhead pipes, a military Humvee with a soldier and an artillery gun at the ready, and your traditional Indy racers.

In recognition of that creative streak, the pack honored Wyatt Vandervoorden and Elija Huff for their unique and original designs, respectively.

Scoutmaster Louis Kuennan and Assistant Scout Leader Jana Hall, along with other volunteers, saw that everything ran smoothly. Kuennan has been involved in scouting for 48 years.

Hall, who has been involved in scouting for eight years, said there are currently 15 Cub Scouts in Pack 4925, including several members from Troy. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, their ranks thinned to just three, but have since rebounded.

Two divisions held competitions on March 6, the scouting division and the lesser-known non-scouting or “outlaw” division.

This latter category is open to anybody, from age four to adult. There were eight competitors in the outlaw division with Jakayla Muniz, a preschooler, taking first. Eighth grader Boc Miller took second.

The scouting division saw thirteen Scouts compete. Elry Hall, an Arrow of Light Scout, placed first. Eli Willis, a Lion, took second and Emory Califf, a Wolf, took third. Paul Rigg, a Bear, placed fourth.

Winners, placers and contestants received medals and plaques for participating in the event. First place finisher Hall attributed his victory to weight distribution, mainly “putting just the right amount of weight in the back.”

Elry named his car, painted red and carved Indy-style, “K.C. Thunder.”

“I’m a Kansas City Chiefs fan,” he explained.

Elry also mentioned he was able to get a few ideas from watching Mark Rober, who hosts a popular do-it-yourself and engineering show on YouTube.

Next step? Anyone that participated in either division is eligible to go to the district meet, which will be held in Kalispell on April 23. Those looking for more competition can participate in the state finals. But the state meet is only open to participants in the scouting division. The final will be held in Great Falls on June 15. That same week, Great Falls will be hosting the Montana International Scout Expo.