Cub Scout Pack 190 is opening its Pinewood Derby this year to anyone in the community who wants to race.

“Typically, Cub Scout groups hold a Pinewood Derby each year for just their packs,” said Cubmaster Justin Schwenk. “However, we had so much fun last year that the pack leadership thought it would be interesting to invite others in the community to join in.”

That idea started with inviting other Scout packs and Girl Scouts, but then expanded to the whole county, he said.

Cub Scout Pack 190 is partnering with Brown County Schools, Brown County Parks and Recreation, the Brown County Community Foundation, Scouts BSA Troops 190 and 193, The Girl Scouts of America and the Brown County YMCA to conduct the first Brown County Pinewood Derby on Saturday, March 9 at Brown County Junior High School.

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Car registration will open at 1 p.m. and racing could get started at about 3 p.m., Schwenk said, but the exact start time will depend on how many competitors enter.

Concessions will be served, and the Girl Scouts will host a chili cookoff, Schwenk said.

Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts will race in their own classes.

An open youth class will take in children who are not Scouts.

Adults will be able to compete in an open adult class.

An “outlaw” class for all ages will be for racers who wish to make major modifications to their cars beyond regulations. “The only rule is that it must fit on the track and be gravity fed,” with no propellants or motors, Schwenk explained.

“Brown County celebrity” judges will award a Best in Class title to racers who “wish to make a car of outstanding visual appeal, he said. It won’t matter how fast that car goes on the track; it will be judged on looks only.

Pinewood Derby cars are sold as kits. They start out as a wood block that has to be shaped, sanded and painted, and then the wheels hammered in.

Cars are being sold for $7 at all Brown County schools, the Brown County Community Foundation, the YMCA and the parks and recreation office. A $3 registration fee will be charged on the day of the race.

“There will also be a ‘pit road’ in the gym so people can make a car on the day of the event and get it included,” Schwenk said.

With questions, contact Schwenk at [email protected].

I am very excited to see what kind of turnout we get,” he said. “In many of my conversations with community members, they often look back fondly on their own Pinewood Derby races and this would be a fantastic opportunity to relive some of those experiences.”