MARINE CORPS AIR STATION IWAKUNI, Japan -- The Boy Scouts of America, Far East Council, pack 77 held its annual Grand Prix Pinewood Derby here at the Scout hut, Saturday afternoon.
Dirk Parker, a Cub Scout webelo, won the top trophy in the double elimination bracket tournament with Michael Curtin coming in second and Elan Redmon finishing in third.
Although these Scouts received the top honors, Cub Master Rodney Redmon said all the Scouts were winners.
"This is a very special time in your lives," Redmon told the scouts. "But they don't last forever. Remember these times."
"When I was a kid I don't remember how well my car did in the race, but I will always remember building it with my dad," said Redmon.
Family involvement is one of the best rewards of the competition, he said. Parents and guardians helped throughout the building process.
"Doing a project like this is very special," Redmon explained to the youngsters. "If it weren't for this race, you wouldn't have had the opportunity to work with your family on a project."
The derby competition is renowned for its tradition, but in today's society technology often lends a hand to more time-honored ways of making the cars.
"It took about an hour to finish the design on the computer," Parker said of his winning car. "Then we went to the hobby shop and cut the design out. After that, we sanded the car down and I painted it."
Parker also added melted fishing weights to the base of the car to ensure it met the strict specifications of Boy Scouts of America. No car can exceed five ounces, according to the rules and instructions included with each pinewood derby kit. The rules also specify that only dry lubricant can be used for the car axles, and the inspection committee must inspect each car.
The cars raced in different heats. If the cars jumped off the five-foot high wooden ramp, Committee Chairman John Forti restarted the race on a different lane.
Every scout had the opportunity to race several times. Siblings who were not old enough for cub scouts also had their own competition. In the end, there were no tears shed; instead, smiles abounded inside the race area.
"We had a fun time racing, and they learned that winning isn't everything," said Redmon.
Following the race, Redmon and Sean Stewart presented Stewart's son Natty with the Bobcat patch.
Redmon gave the elder Stewart the patch, to symbolize the role that parents have in furthering their children through each Scout rank.
Each participant received a pinewood derby patch and ribbon for their efforts.