Rhett's first pinewood derby was on 3/23 and what a good time this was. We got his car kit at the Blue and Gold Banquet several weeks earlier and began by breaking out the drill press (we don't have a band saw or scroll saw, which are ideal) and drilled holes all along the lines that had been drawn to outline the shape. I held the wood while Rhett drilled. Incidentally, Jeremy Duck helped Rhett with the design, providing ample advice on the physics and aerodynamics that were key to a good car. And, as you'll read, Jeremy knows what he's talking about!
After getting the car cut out and sanded, we put several coats of dark blue paint on it followed by several coats of clear coat. Finally came the wheels. We were a little concerned about the wheels coming off as, while Rhett was pounding one of them in, one of the slots chipped. We repaired it as well as we could and dropped a little glue in hoping it would hold.
Finally, race day came. We went down early and got the car weighed in and put it in the Parking Garage where it and all other cars were placed to await the race after being weighed in.
It was set up so that every car ran four heats, racing nearly every car in the competition.
Tracy Ruesch, who is sort of an electrical engineering genius in our ward, build a really nice track several years ago that our scouts always use. The unique thing about it is that it is hooked up to his laptop which tells him the place, scale speed, and a handful of other measurements for each car in each race.
Rhett finished first in all four heats he ran, netting him first place in the competition. He was very excited, and had about as big a smile as I've ever seen him wear. In talking to Tracy afterward, he noted that Rhett's car was probably one of the fastest four cars he's ever had on the track. He said that cars seldom top 220mph in scale speed, and Rhett's did it twice in the four heats he ran (see one by clicking here), and another one came in at 218mph.
He's already excited for next year.
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