By: Taylor Christensen | Royal Oak Review | Published March 25, 2026
ROYAL OAK — Cub Scouts Pack 1604 held its yearly Pinewood Derby March 11 at Addams Elementary School in Royal Oak.
The event included the Scouts racing their homemade wooden cars as well as a Principals Race in which principals from Addams and Upton elementary schools and St. John Lutheran School in Fraser competed against each other.
Jessica Gibbs, scoutmaster of Pack 1604, said that the Scout groups competing consisted of Lions (kindergarteners), Tigers (first graders), Wolves (second graders), Bears (third graders), Webelos (fourth graders) and Arrow of Light (fifth graders).
For the Pinewood Derby, in first place was Haruki Warner, in second place was Silvana Raab, and in third place was Darryl Johnson.
Keith Laitinen, one of the committee members of the Scout group, said that the Principals Race “delivered a thrilling finish.” Levi Bringold, of St. John Lutheran School, surged ahead and took the victory, crossing the finish line .001 seconds ahead of John Grzywack, of Upton Elementary School. Timothy Boyer, of Addams Elementary School, was not far behind.
The picks for the Best of Show, meaning the best-designed cars, included Grayson Tkachenko, Henry Schwartz and Jack Howell.
Gibbs said that doing activities like the Pinewood Derby present an opportunity for the children to learn valuable life skills.
“I think a big learning point specifically for the Pinewood Derby, the building component of the car, doing the design, kind of engineering and deciding what their car is going to look like, getting to utilize different tools, carvers, wood cutting, sanding, to then create the car,” she said. “But then there is also the competition piece, and being able to kind of be competitive but also learn how to win or lose graciously, depending on how your car runs in the race.”
Learning how to win or lose can help the kids to prepare better for the next year, Gibbs said.
“There is also the teamwork between the parents and the child building the car,” Laitinen said. “That can really be a memorable moment for the family.”
The rules and regulations for the Pinewood Derby within the Royal Oak pack as well as the Michigan Crossroads Council, which is the council that the pack is involved in, say that the Scouts need to purchase a specific Pinewood Derby kit, according to Gibbs.
“It’s a blank piece of wood, and it also has tires and axles. So as a pack we purchase those kits, and we give those to all of our Scouts for them to utilize so they don’t need to purchase it themselves,” Gibbs said.
Laitinen clarified that the Scouts must rebuild a new car every year, but the principals can reuse cars from the past that they have made.
Some families, according to Laitinen and Gibbs, have their own tools in the toolshed to build the cars, but some might not. So, each year the pack hosts a build night where the kids can come in and use the power tools necessary to build the cars.
“The biggest challenge is that the kids have to learn how to use the tools. We have a night that we allow the kids to come in and we have power tools that are available for them to use,” he said. “So, they get to use some of the power tools. Some of the kids at home have these tools or access to this stuff; some of the other parents have a complete shop or have all the stuff available to them.”
Gibbs also mentioned that another challenge is that some of the families might not have the prior knowledge of the Pinewood Derby to build the cars. Some families, she said, have generations of prior Scouts that use that knowledge to build the cars.
The Pinewood Derby has been going on within the Cub Scouts for over 70 years, according to Gibbs, which makes it such an important tradition to the Scouts and families.
“There are a lot of families where the dads have their memories, like Keith, and my husband, Peter, he went all the way through Eagle Scout, and he has memories of building his Pinewood Derby car and racing it, and his dad also has memories of racing his, so you know, it’s that generational connection of an event,” Gibbs said. “Also, who doesn’t love building a car and watching it go fast down a racetrack? Why change something or get rid of something when everyone truly, deeply loves it?”
For more information on the Cub Scouts Pack 1604, visit sites.google.com/view/cubscoutpack1604/what-we-do.