The Cub Scout tradition of the Pinewood Derby brought excitement and fun along with some really cool and fast handmade cars to Windham Middle School on Saturday, Jan. 17.
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| Windham Cub Scouts and their families look on as model cars built by scouts head down the track during the 2026 Pinewood Derby on Saturday, Jan. 17 at Windham Middle School. PHOTO BY MATT PASCARELLA |
Each scout starts with a Pinewood Derby kit which includes a block of wood, four wheels, four nails and two axels. From there that wood can become whatever the Cub Scout can come up with, provided it stays within the criteria to be legal to race. The cars are then placed on a track four at a time with the races powered by inertia and gravity.
“This is a longstanding tradition,” said Windham Pack 805 Cubmaster Michael Chickering. “Its goal is to teach kids to be independent; it’s not parents building the cars, it’s parents assisting. If your kid wants to run a block of wood – great, if your kid wants to hand carve an arrow, they can do that. It helps them learn about physics, learn about weight ... friction, the wheels get polished, the nails get polished and you explain to your kids why you’re doing that. It helps with sportsmanship also; not everybody wins, not everybody loses.”
Chickering said he thought this year’s racers did fantastic. The Pinewood Derby is the scouts’ favorite event of the year and during this year’s race, everyone was excited and cheering each other on while high-fiving after the races. He said you don’t have to win; you are competing with the best possible work you could put out.
The Pinewood Derby is a multi-age range race with scouts as young as 5 and as old as 11. A scout who may have started with a block of wood with little detail during their first race ever learns more as the years go by and may learn how to sculpt and make their car go the fastest they can by the time they enter their final Pinewood Derby. Several new scouts who participated in their first Pinewood Derby did very well.
A lot of these cars had very, very fast times regardless of their result. Everyone cheered and was very excited when a new top speed was announced – which happened a few times throughout the day.
In addition to the regular Pinewood Derby race, the pack had a family race, where participants could race against siblings who aren’t in Cub Scouts and new this year, was an outlaw race which racers could design cars outside of the official Pinewood Derby guidelines and race them together. The outlaw race asked for a $2 donation.
Results of the 2026 Pinewood Derby at Windham Middle School are as follows:
Fifth place, third-grader Issac Littlefield, Bear rank
Fourth place, third-grader Benjamin Conant, Bear rank
Third place, second-grader Cooper Blaney, Wolf rank
Second place, fourth-grader Nolan Desmond, Webelo rank
First place, fourth-grader Kye Fowler, Webelo rank – with an average speed of 192.18 miles per hour.
“You got to do your best on making the car and trying to win,” said Desmond. “If you don’t do your best, it won’t turn out how you wanted it to. I learned my car was the fastest. I had fun because ... I got at least 10 high fives, got the fastest speed not just for this year, but for last year too. I won all four of my races, got the second-place trophy, got best in show in my Webelos Den and I’m going to districts.”
Desmond’s car design was based on his YouTube channel “NolanD2016.” His mom made the YouTube sticker and his dad helped with the car.
Best in Show results:
Weston LaPointe, kindergarten, Lion rank
Grayson Edwards, first grade, Tiger rank
Jasper Webber, third grade, Bear rank
Ryker Pelletier, second grade, Wolf rank
Nolan Desmond, fourth grade, Webelo rank
Grayson Charles, fifth grade, Arrow of Light rank
Overall Best in Show: Luca Bove, third grade, Bear rank
Fowler said the Pinewood Derby applies the Cub Scout motto of “do your best” through being respectful and having good sportsmanship. His car’s design was based on the American flag and was painted red, white and blue. He said he had fun during the Pinewood Derby, hanging out with friends and family. Fowler has been to the district race several times where competition is tougher, but he’s excited to go again.
While this is a competitive race, all participants are winners. The fun for them is in designing their car and then racing against and cheering with and for fellow Cub Scouts.
All money raised from concession sales and donations from the outlaw race will go toward Cub Scout Pack 805’s Spring Fling. <
Chickering said he thought this year’s racers did fantastic. The Pinewood Derby is the scouts’ favorite event of the year and during this year’s race, everyone was excited and cheering each other on while high-fiving after the races. He said you don’t have to win; you are competing with the best possible work you could put out.
The Pinewood Derby is a multi-age range race with scouts as young as 5 and as old as 11. A scout who may have started with a block of wood with little detail during their first race ever learns more as the years go by and may learn how to sculpt and make their car go the fastest they can by the time they enter their final Pinewood Derby. Several new scouts who participated in their first Pinewood Derby did very well.
A lot of these cars had very, very fast times regardless of their result. Everyone cheered and was very excited when a new top speed was announced – which happened a few times throughout the day.
In addition to the regular Pinewood Derby race, the pack had a family race, where participants could race against siblings who aren’t in Cub Scouts and new this year, was an outlaw race which racers could design cars outside of the official Pinewood Derby guidelines and race them together. The outlaw race asked for a $2 donation.
Results of the 2026 Pinewood Derby at Windham Middle School are as follows:
Fifth place, third-grader Issac Littlefield, Bear rank
Fourth place, third-grader Benjamin Conant, Bear rank
Third place, second-grader Cooper Blaney, Wolf rank
Second place, fourth-grader Nolan Desmond, Webelo rank
First place, fourth-grader Kye Fowler, Webelo rank – with an average speed of 192.18 miles per hour.
“You got to do your best on making the car and trying to win,” said Desmond. “If you don’t do your best, it won’t turn out how you wanted it to. I learned my car was the fastest. I had fun because ... I got at least 10 high fives, got the fastest speed not just for this year, but for last year too. I won all four of my races, got the second-place trophy, got best in show in my Webelos Den and I’m going to districts.”
Desmond’s car design was based on his YouTube channel “NolanD2016.” His mom made the YouTube sticker and his dad helped with the car.
Best in Show results:
Weston LaPointe, kindergarten, Lion rank
Grayson Edwards, first grade, Tiger rank
Jasper Webber, third grade, Bear rank
Ryker Pelletier, second grade, Wolf rank
Nolan Desmond, fourth grade, Webelo rank
Grayson Charles, fifth grade, Arrow of Light rank
Overall Best in Show: Luca Bove, third grade, Bear rank
Fowler said the Pinewood Derby applies the Cub Scout motto of “do your best” through being respectful and having good sportsmanship. His car’s design was based on the American flag and was painted red, white and blue. He said he had fun during the Pinewood Derby, hanging out with friends and family. Fowler has been to the district race several times where competition is tougher, but he’s excited to go again.
While this is a competitive race, all participants are winners. The fun for them is in designing their car and then racing against and cheering with and for fellow Cub Scouts.
All money raised from concession sales and donations from the outlaw race will go toward Cub Scout Pack 805’s Spring Fling. <
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