Over 30 pinewood derby cars raced to the finish line for a good cause
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IDAHO FALLS — Over 30 cars, made of pinewood, raced Monday night, reaching speeds of over 100 miles per hour (in 1/10th scale) to be the fastest and win $1,000 for their chosen charity.
The event was the Grand Teton Council of Scouting America (formerly the Boy Scouts of America)’s sixth annual Corporate Pinewood Derby, a fundraiser for the scouting program.
Since the program’s inception in 2019, Grand Teton Council District Director Elias Lopez told EastIdahoNews.com the derby has raised over $20,000 for Scouting.
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The derby is a big part of the program’s fundraising efforts. Local scouting lost a tremendous amount of membership dues when The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stopped sponsoring Scouting at the end of 2019. Since then, local efforts have been underway to revitalize the program in eastern Idaho.
During Monday’s event, 20 children, many of them scouts, and over a dozen parents and business representatives attended the race.
The races consisted of four derby cars pitted against each other, and the track recorded times to the thousandths of a second for each racer. The track also contained a camera that allowed parents and the children to watch in slow motion as their cars crossed the finish line.
One of the event’s main sponsors, XP League, won the derby and chose to donate the $1,000 back to the Grand Teton Council.
“We think the kids need more of a place to go instead of just sitting at home or playing video games and stuff. The scouts give them that option,” Robert Johnson, financial commissioner for XP League, said.
XP League is a national gaming franchise, and a local chain was opened in 2024 by Erik Johnson, Robert’s son and a former scout.
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Robert said the event is an amazing way to get both kids and adults together to have fun and race cars.
A parent who recently started a Cub Scout troop, Den Leader Levi Edwards, told EastIdahoNews.com he started the group for his oldest son, who was interested in joining the Scouting program. He himself is a former scout.
At the derby, Edward had two of his sons race, with one of them getting pole position every other race. His other son had to hit the repair station, but managed to get in first and second place.
“It’s awesome. I haven’t been to a Pinewood Derby since I was probably like 10 or 11,” Edwards said.
On their first time attending the race, Lisa and Charley Thorne were there for their daughter, who had recently joined Scouts after a friend invited them to do so.
“It actually has been very good for her. I feel like it’s given her, like a sense of purpose, of something that is hers,” Lisa said.