The Boy Scouts of America are partnering up with the National Automotive Museum for their Pinewood Derby Kick Off Event.
This event is a place where Cub Scouts make cars out of pinewood and race them from bragging rights.
Special for the race, the museum did buy an entirely new track for these pinewood cars to race on, and watching the cars zoom down the lane was incredible.
Buddy Frank, a Volunteer for the National Automobile Museum says "We bought a world class track here, it's gonna be one of the best, our aim is to someday have the national championships right here in Reno at the Automobile Museum."
Frank says, it's a wonderful partnership with the Automobile Museum, and the pinewood races have been around for 68 years, saying they have evolved so much.
Frank adds "You'll see it's quite automated, wonderful track great timing, we have a Christmas tree light and it's a wonderful activity for parents and kids to get together and build a small project."
Even our 2 News member Ryan Canaday got a chance to race with a car made by a Cub Scout, and one of the three 2 News pinewood cars took first place in the beginning race.
The museum says they plan on having numerous events throughout the year, so the scouts have a chance to practice racing their pinewood cars.
Frank explains "Today is Semi-Official, but we'll have an actual Den and Pack championship, and then we're going to do a regional Northern Nevada Championship and then someday maybe the U.S. championship."
Each Cub Scout starts out with a block of pine, and they chisel away until they're finished building the car themselves. But a lot has changed since the races first started.
Frank shares with us "My first Pinewood Derby, years and years ago, was a little sheet of 4x8 plywood that ran across the floor and now we have an aluminum track that's balanced."
Officials expected around 75 or more cars to race on their world class track, bought just for the Cub Scouts. This event is all about teaching younger kids more about car history, and to encourage participation in the museum itself.
Frank tells us "And why not bring the scouts together with a Pinewood Derby in a museum that celebrates the automobile."
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