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HILLSBOROUGH: Cub Scouts’ Derby rewards fastest, stylish model cars

   More than 40 boys were off to the races Jan. 28, when Hillsborough’s Cub Scout Pack 189 held its annual Pinewood Derby at Woods Road Elementary School.
   The school’s gym was transformed into a racing venue, complete with a six-lane track, excited fans, split-second finishes and lots of old-fashioned sportsmanship and solidarity.
   Tiger, Bear, Webelos I and Webelos II Scouts participated, with trophies awarded for first-, second-, and third-place finishers in each division. A grand final was also held, wherein the winners from each Scouting level raced off for this year’s overall championship.
The Pinewood Derby was organized by Bear Dens 2 and 3. Pack 189 Cubmasters Tedd Cesiano and Mark Evans served as masters of ceremonies, keeping the audience informed and entertained with play-by-play racing commentary.
   The level of competition this year was as high as ever, with the majority of last year’s trophy winners returning for another run at the overall title. The races in recent years have been extremely competitive as the Scouts and adult partners of Pack 189 have fine-tuned their skills and learned to build faster race cars.
   As in all sanctioned Pinewood Derby events, the only legal method of propulsion for the cars was gravity. The races are often determined by margins of thousandths of a second, which have Scouts scouring the physics books for any trick that can increase momentum or decrease friction.
   The races went off in order from youngest division (Tigers) to oldest (Webelos II). Each car in each division raced several times, until the field was narrowed to the fastest six cars by a points system. The final six cars then raced six times, once in each lane, to determine the division winner.
   This year’s winners from the Tiger division were: 1st, Pierce Griffin; 2nd, Van Nostrand, and 3rd, Erik Robuck.
   Winners from the Bear division were: 1st, Jack Roteman; 2nd, Justin Armant, and 3rd, Scott Torzewski.
   The winners from the Webelos I division were: 1st, Tyler Tomczak, 2nd, Justin Wirzman, and 3rd, Matthew Conlon.
   The winners from the Webelos II division were: 1st, Neil Evans, 2nd, Matthew Roteman, and 3rd, Jonathan Morrone.
   The grand finals pitted the four division winners in a series of six races, again rotating lanes to keep the competition as even as possible. Webelos I Scout Tyler Tomczak captured the overall title, taking first place. Bear Scout Jack Roteman finished second, and Webelos II Scout Neil Evanstook third.
   The judging for “Fastest Looking Car,” “Best Looking Car,” “Most Realistic Looking Car,” and “Most Imaginative Car” took place before the start of the races, with Mr. and Mrs. Jimmy Cichowski serving as judges.
   Jared Rosenthal won the competition for fastest looking. Michael Shouldis won the competition for most imaginative. Justin Wirzman won the competition for most realistic and Ian Murday won the award for best-looking car.
   There was plenty of help on race day from the parents of the pack. Dens 2 and 3 parents served as race officials, manning the starting line and operating the computer-controlled system that determined order of finish. The parents organized and staffed a concession stand with hot dogs, chips, drinks and snacks that kept the participants and spectators in good spirits.
   Support from the Boy and Girls Scouts helped organize games, manage the test track and Troop 89 gave the Cub Scouts a presentation on knot tying.
   The annual Pinewood Derby gives the Cub Scouts an opportunity to share time with their families, sawing, sanding, painting and decorating their pinewood cars with their moms or dads or other adults.
   Every year, the Scouts take away lessons in sportsmanship and camaraderie, experiencing the thrill of competition in a healthy environment.