Tuesday, March 27, 2001

Story and photos by Wayne Specht, Misawa bureau chief

David Butler, left, waits as his competitor, Matthew Johnson, positions his car at the top of the 25-foot plywood ramp.

MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan — They didn’t wear helmets or buckle seat belts, but American and Japanese Cub Scouts nevertheless raced their homemade cars down a plywood race course during Saturday’s Pinewood Derby.

The Scouts entered cars they made according to strict height, length and width standards. The colorfully painted cars all weighed no more than 5 ounces, including the paint. Cars couldn’t be more than 7 inches long or 5 inches tall.

Alexander Ling, a Cub Scout with Den 8 of Misawa’s Pack 18, spent about a week working on his creation, a car painted rich gold.

Dalton Sibley hoots and hollers after his entry, "Goosebumps," won a preliminary heat.

"It’s kind of fast and I like gold," Ling said.

In an early preliminary heat, Ling’s car raced against Maiko Tomabechi’s, a female Cub Scout from Towada Pack 1 in nearby Towada City. She lost the first heat, but said she was glad to come to the base to compete, a first for the Japanese pack of 20 cub scouts.

Tanner Wonnacott of Pack 9 said the hardest part making his car was sanding certain portions of his purple, red and yellow racer.

He gave credit to his dad, who put on the wheels.

"So if he loses, it will be my fault," quipped Tanner’s father, Capt. Matthew Wonnacott, a physician with Misawa’s 35th Medical Group.

A parent moves in close to snap a photo of her son's entry in the Pinewood Derby.

Cars raced through a finish line that electronically clocked the winners, and races were televised on a large-screen television. The winners were posted on a movie screen.

David Butler’s "Nabu Fighter" captured the event. David also won the best looking car award.

Most original design went to Daniel Carney.

Derby chairman and Pack 18 leader Tim Butler, David’s father, said the Pinewood Derby provides Scouts with lessons that may last them the rest of their lives.

"We stress to them everybody is a winner if they try their best," Butler said. "It helps build character, too."

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