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If you're a competitive person and you're looking for an even playing field on which to compete, you may find the closest you'll get to it is a Pinewood Derby. A long standing tradition run by the Cub Scouts, the derby has changed very little since its inception in 1953 when 35 year old Cubmaster Don Murphy organized the first pinewood derby in Manhattan Beach, California. Motivated when his son, Donn (two n's to avoid being a Jr.), and his friends in Pack 280C were too young to compete in the then popular, full-size Soap Box Derby, Murphy "wanted to devise a wholesome, constructive activity that would foster a closer father-son relationship and promote craftsmanship and good sportsmanship through competition." In the first race, fifty-five scouts raced their cars on the 31 foot downhill track built by volunteers, using doorbells and light bulbs to identify the winners.

The original cars, styled after the Indy cars of that time period, front engine designs with cutout cockpits, consisted of three blocks of wood, two of which were used to mount the wheel axles. By the 1980's the kits were delivered to each participating scout as one solid block without a cockpit and with wider slick wheels. Even today, each unfinished four dollar kit contains a block of pine with two axle slots, four plastic wheels, and 4 short nails that serve as axles. All nine parts included in the kit must be used and the finished product must not exceed 5 ounces at the prerace weigh-in. The cars length must not exceed 7", its overall width 2.75", its height 3", and the width between the wheels 1.75". The stock 4.5" wheelbase cannot be altered and the minimum clearance between the car's underside and the track must be a minimum of 3/8".

Working diligently with a parent's help, scouts design, whittle, and paint their entrees. On race day, with the entire families in attendance, each scout watches as his car makes its descent on the two to four lane tracks, some that start as high as five feet off the ground. To maintain the equal playing field, every car runs down each individual lane once and the times for each heat recorded.

It's up to race organizers how strict the regulations are adhered to, but in the purest form, in an effort to maintain an even playing field, the rules should be consistently enforced. As much as it is debated where the car's weight should be located for optimal performance, front or rear (Murphy suggested it was just in front of the rear axle), and what the most aerodynamic

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