Provided by Dr. Darrell Groman
Bluffton Cub Scout Pack 256 held the annual Pinewood Derby on March 27 at the Bluffton Elementary School Gym Raceway. The excitement was in the air on Race Day leading up to the 8:30 a.m. start time. The Tiger Cubs had decorated the gym walls with black and white checkered flags and a number of colorful hand - crafted posters. One anonymous poster summed the anticipation of Race Day "Come tothe Pinewood Derby. It is going to be osom. Let's go racing, boys!"

Of 44 registered cub scouts, 36 entered their cars made out of pine wood. The cars were officially registered, inspected and weighed on two different scales. The car could not exceed 5.0 oz. After weighing, dads helped their sons to reduce or add weights to meet the strict regulations.

An "osom" day it was. Prior to the race, the cub scouts voted for three cars having special designs. Wolf Cub Shaun Hamilton's car was chosen to have the best BSA Centennial theme, Tiger Cub Daniel Sidern's car was chosen as having the best overall design and Webelos I Scout Casey Purcell's car was chosen with the best overall paint design. Each of these design winners advance to the Great Oaks District Pinewood Derby design competition at the Lima Mall on April 24.

Cubmaster Eric Reneker began the first race at 8:30 a.m. as the cub scouts competed in their grade-level den divisions. The top three cars in each division with the fastest speed times qualifiedto advance to the district derby race.

The first, second and third place winners, respectively, for each division were:

Tiger Cubs (First Grade) Levi McClain, C.J. Hosler, Logan Mathewson
Wolf Cubs (Second Grade) Ben Baxter, Sumner Kibele, Andrew Lovett
Bear Cubs (Third Grade) Chase Marshall, Drew Beck, Ethan Rodabaugh
Webelos I (Fourth Grade) Zack Baxter, Nolan Nickels, Kaden Renecker and Matthew Walker (tie.) In a run - off to advance to the district derby, Kaden Reneker won the "tie -breaker" run.
Webelos II (Fifth Grade) Brice Metzger and T.J. Washer

Following the division races, the pack held two post-derby "fun" races. The first - place winners from each division competed against each other to determine overall pack champion. Pack Champion Levi McClain, Pack Runner - Up Zack Baxter and Second Runner - Up Ben Baxter.

The last race held was an " Open Class" of 20 "non-cubs" who raced their cars for fun. Those competing were younger brothers, sisters, cub leaders and four boy scouts. The boy scouts ran their own "vintage" pinewood derby cars which they had raced as cub scouts.

The Open Class winners were: First place: Wolf & Webelos Leader Todd Baxter; Second place: Boy Scout Misha Groman, who ran his own "vintage" 2007 pack champion racer and Third Place: Girl Scout Cara Hamilton.