By Jay M. Woodward, Pony Express Editor

On Saturday, April 12, NNED Royal Rangers held the 3rd annual NNE 600 Pinewood Derby at the Curtis Lake Christian Church in Sanford, Maine. A total of 41 boys and 15 leaders registered cars for the Derby. The contestants spent weeks cutting, sanding, painting, fine-tuning, and putting the finishing touches on their sleek racing machines, and now they were ready to compete. Deputy District Commander Kendall Sperrey, who served as Pinewood Derby Coordinator, along with his pit crew, had spent hours preparing the church gymnasium and track for the day’s event! Indeed, everyone who came was really “revved-up” for this year’s Derby, which included many proud parents cheering in the stands!

After the morning registration, participants got their cars weighed to determine if they qualified, went to the tune-up station if necessary, and waited on the edge of their seats for their car to go zooming down the track. After the opening prayer from the track chaplain, Pastor Tim Haynes, and then the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance, it was time to hear the familiar, “Start Your Engines!” The race announcer was none other than District Commander Jerry Love. Each age group raced together: first Ranger Kids, then Discovery Rangers, Adventure Rangers, Expedition Rangers, and finally Leaders. Following these races, there was the Grand Championship, which was the big prize that everyone was most excited about!
 

When boys weren’t watching the races, they got the chance to drive the simulated NASCAR racing video, complete with a protective PVC pipe cage! There was also concession stand, stocked with freshly made hamburgers and hot dogs, soft drinks, nachos and cheese, and more. The concession was manned by Heidi Dickey, along with Andy and Ruth Carver, who kept the food coming to satisfy the racers’ appetites!

To keep the focus of the day on Christ, District Training Coordinator Jason A. Wright gave a half-time devotion, keyed on the importance of keeping and playing by the rules, not just for Pinewood Derby, but playing by and obeying God’s rules. Following this, the races were back on!

When the final cars were raced in the competition for the Grand Championship, boys and leaders eagerly awaited the results. For Ranger Kids, Davis Furge of OP #25 won first place; Kyle Sperrey, also of OP #25, won first place for Discovery Rangers; Jonah Crandall of OP #36 took the top prize for Adventure Rangers, and Steve Kroh of Op #11 was tops for Expedition Rangers! Commander Greg Stanley of OP #25 won first place in the Leaders/Dads category. There were also Special Recognition Awards given for Best Paint Job, Most Unusual, Best of Show and Most Authentic (for a complete list of winners, see below). The Grand Championship Prize went to GMA recipient Ryley Paquette of OP #11, who was unable to attend, as he and his father, Commander Bruce Paquette, were in Panama on a Pathfinder missions trip. However, his presence was still made known on the race track! Congratulations, Ryley! Along with trophies, boys got to pick from various prizes, such as NASCAR shirts, hats, and pens, donated by various individual donors and auto dealerships. Afterwards, Pastor Tim closed the Derby in prayer, and Pinewood Derby 2008 crossed the Finish Line!

Commander Kendall commented, “Overall, it was a great Derby. We had some awesome trophies to hand out and competition was really tight in most races. I’ve noticed a big improvement in the quality and speed of our the cars since the first District race three years ago.” And it should continue to improve, as boys and leaders get revved-up for the next Pinewood Derby!

DERBY RESULTS

Ranger Kids

1st place Davis Furge OP25

2nd place Steve Southard

3rd Place Zach Stanley OP25

4th Place Corey Combs OP21

Discovery Rangers

1st Place Kyle Sperrey OP25

2nd Place Dawson Furge OP25

3rd Place Josh Crandall OP36

4th Place Jarrrod Dyer OP36

Adventure Rangers

1st Place Jonah Crandall OP36

2nd Place Derrick Stanley OP25

3rd Place Justin Kroh OP11

4th Place Richard Southard

Expedition Rangers

1st Place Steve Kroh OP11

2nd Place Ryle Paquette OP11

3rd Place Deven Dickey OP25

4th Place Kaleb Sperrey OP25

Leaders/Dads

1st Place Greg Stanley OP25

2nd Place Bruce Paquette OP11

3rd Place Dale Montoya OP40

Grand Championship Race

1st Place Ryley Paquette OP11

2nd Place Jonah Crandall OP36

3rd Place Steve Kroh OP11

4th Place Deven Dickey OP25

Special Recognition Trophies

Best Paint Job David Furge/Corey Combs

Most Unusual Ken Kroh

Best of Show Dan Bernier

Most Authentic Wayne Sawyer