This year’s district race covered eight counties in northern Michigan: Benzie, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Leelanau, Manistee, Missaukee, Osceola and Wexford. There are 53 Packs (groups) with a total of 2000 Cub Scouts in the District and 30 Packs with a total of 1,000 Cub Scouts in Grand Traverse County. Scouts must finish either first or second in their home pack race in order to compete in the district race, which is held in Traverse City each April.
Historically, the pinewood derby started in 1953 with Pack 280C in Manhattan Beach, Calif. Since that time, an estimated 43 million sons and fathers (mostly) have participated in the annual Boy Scout event.
Under the pinewood derby rules, Scouts are responsible to design and carve their own car shaped from a block of wood. The race car’s final measurements must be seven inches long and two and 3/4 inches wide or less. Weight restrictions set a race day limit of five ounces. The cars are raced on one of three wooden tracks 32 feet long.
This year’s derby featured 163 racers with about 41 Scouts in each division. Awards were given for the top four finishers along with an award for best design in each division.
The following are results from the 2002 District Pinewood Derby:
Tiger Cub Division - Scouts in first grade
First-place: James Hamilton, Pack 111, Empire/Maple City
Second-place: Sutton Giffels, Pack 61, Wellston
Third-place: Ryan Harwell, Pack 167, Manistee
Fourth-Place: Skyler Smith, Pack 88, Kingsley/Hannah
Best Design: Keenan Ruppen, Pack 137, Traverse City
Wolf Division - Scouts in second grade
First-place: Tony Looman, Pack 141, Benzonia
Second-place: Andrew Gutzka, Pack 27, Traverse City
Third-place: Kody Sisson, Pack 154, Manton
Fourth-place: Jimmy Wagenschutz, Pack 102, Fife Lake
Best Design: Caleb Thomas, Pack 61, Wellston
Bear Division - Scouts in third grade
First-place: Ryan Crane, Pack 31, Traverse City
Second-place: Dillon Lodholtz, Pack 174, Reed City
Third-place: Ryan Travis, Pack 31, Traverse City
Fourth-place: Ben Yancho, Pack 31, Traverse City
Best Design: Joshua Thomas, Pack 61, Wellston
Webelos Division - Scouts in fourth and fifth grade
First-place: Leland Ursu, Pack 31, Traverse City
Second-place: Dylan Rickard, Pack 135, Traverse City
Third-place: Karsten Schick, Pack 134, Traverse City
Fourth-place: Nash Henschell, Pack 27, Traverse City
Best Design: Josh Pion, Pack 46, Elk Rapids