Racers line up at Pinewood Derby

Iola's Cub Scout Pack No. 55 hosted its annual Pinewood Derby Sunday. Noah Anderson placed first overall.

March 1, 2021 - 9:17 AM

Adult leaders Gary Boan, left, and Andy Dunlap position the cars at the starting line for a heat. Photo by Richard Luken / Iola Register

There wasn’t the roar of an engine, or the distinct smell of burning rubber, but Sunday’s racing action still packed plenty of excitement.

Scouts Jackson Boan, left, and Declan Yarnell await at the finish line to see how their respective cars fared.Photo by Richard Luken / Iola Register

Iola’s Cub Scout Pack No. 55 hosted its annual Pinewood Derby at Calvary United Methodist Church Sunday.

Youngsters have spent the past several weeks honing their racers, all of which originated from blocks of pine.

Andy Dunlap brought three cars he helped create back in the 1970s, all model replicas of old Hudson cars. The one at left is a 1951 Hudson replica; the middle one is a Hudson from the late 1920s; and the one at right is a 1947 Hudson replica. Photo by Richard Luken / Iola Register

They are then raced down an aluminum track — gravity does the work — through a series of races.

Cars are switched repeatedly to ensure a racer doesn’t have an unfair advantage on specific lanes.

Each car, shaped from a pinewood block, was judged on paint scheme, quality and originality.Photo by Richard Luken / Iola Register

At the end of the day, the Scouts also get to vote on which car appealed most to them. Cars are judged on original design, paint scheme and quality.

The top finishers, based on average finish: 1. Noah Anderson, 2. Nickoles Stogdill, 3. Jackson Young, 4. Jazzmyn Bumstead, 5. Grayson Foreman, 6. Dereck Yarnell, 7. Delilah Yarnell, 8. Jackson Bowen, 9. Clarissa Howell, 10. Deejay Thorn, 11. Hunter Cooper, 12. Vincent Bonnet and 13. Daniel Allee.