Three local Cub Scouts recently swept the top three positions at the Black Warrior Council Pinewood Derby.

Parker Hallmark, Ridge Brock and Logan Principe, all from Demopolis Pack 41, out-drove 28 other racers from 12 counties.

The three Demopolis drivers were selected through a local race among the Cubs,” Cubmaster Ken Brock said.

“At out local races, we probably had three or four other cars within .02 seconds of the winners. If we would have been able to take them to the Council race, they probably would have fared pretty well, too.”

The Pinewood Derby is a racing event for Cub Scouts in the Boy Scouts of America. Cub Scouts, with the help of parents, build their own cars from wood, usually from kits containing a block of pine, plastic wheels and metal axles.

The Scout is given a block of wood made of pine with two notches for wheels, four plastic wheels and four nails. The finished car must use all nine pieces, must not exceed a certain weight (usually five ounces), must not exceed a certain length and must fit on the track used by that particular scout pack.

Blocks can be whittled with a hand knife or a band saw or Dremel carving tool for major shaping. Decals can be bought at scout shops or hobby shops. It is also possible to use standard model decals to replicate actual racing cars. The original style is based on open wheel cars, however, fender or body kits are available, or wheels can simply be placed outboard of the body.

Other than the previous basic design rules, the Cub Scout is able to carve and decorate the car as he chooses.

“Overall, building the car probably takes about 12 hours,” Brock estimated, “but that’s spread out over three or four days.”