Scott City races go smoothly with new track

A new track let the families of Cub Scout Troop 220 to have the annual Pinewood Derby races without the usual hassles on Sunday.

About 50 Cub Scouts and nearly 150 family members experienced the high-tech improvements at the Knights of Columbus in Scott City.

The same six-lane wooden track was used for at least eight years, and it became so warped and worn that the children knew some lanes were faster than others, said den leader Missy Buckner.

Specifically, lanes one, two and six.

Den leader Brian James originally planned to collect donations from the community to build a new wooden track. Instead, his boss, Bill Pratt, owner of Midwest Trucking Inc., offered to cover the costs for a new track. After researching options, James selected a nearly $800 35-foot aluminum track. A father of a Cub Scout designed the track with families in mind, said James, who contacted the designer before the purchase.

Rubber treads stopped cars instead of pillows that knocked cars off the track, sometimes damaging the cars. A digital sensor determined first through fourth places instead of den leaders' eyes. Sections of track allowed easy assembly and storage and replacement of damaged parts.

"Even though it has less lanes at the moment, I think it's quite shiny," 10-year-old Webelo Cub Scout Trey Carter said about his favorite feature.

The new track has four lanes, but it has room for two more.

Whether with an old track or a new one, Trey decided against building a car for speed. Instead, he designed a car with Army camouflage to honor troops in Iraq. Other designs included a mallard duck, a horizontal replica of the World Trade Center and a mini bobble-head car. The entry that won best in show resembled a football field, with green turf, white lines and a miniature football in the center.

"This is our most intense pack meet of the year, because everybody has invested so much time," Buckner said. Families typically spend a month and a half designing the cars.

The clean, smooth surface improved the speed of the nearly 5-ounce cars, and that shortened the time in which den leaders could rotate cars between races. The event lasted about two and a half hours.

Last year, the derby lasted for more than six hours.

"The boys are staying more content," James said. "They're actually watching now."

Parents also welcomed the improvements.

"It made it more enjoyable for the parents, because it wasn't a long day for the parents," said Lynda Carter of Scott City.

jmetelski@semissourian.com

335-6611 extension 127