For yet another year, dozens of cars hit the track at Cub Scout Pack 270’s Pinewood Derby on Saturday, January 31 at Newtown Congregational Church.

The Pinewood Derby is a long-standing Cub Scout Pack 270 tradition where the troop’s Scouts decorate wooden cars to race against each other.

The model car race sees dozens of competitors every year, and this year was no exception.

Scouts from kindergarten through fifth grade gathered in the Great Room of Newtown Congregational Church early Saturday morning, ready to race against others their age.

The Scouts, joined by their friends and family, filled just about every seat in the room.

As people checked in and made sure their cars followed certain measurements and dimensions, some Scouts took it upon themselves to race their cars on the floor.

The Scouts laughed as their cars zipped across the room, each with a big smile on their face as they went to go pick the cars up.

Mike Hyman, the committee chair of Cub Scout Pack 270, called the Pinewood Derby their “biggest event of the year.”

A total of 55 wooden cars competed in this year’s Pinewood Derby.

The cars had to follow a few general specifications: they could be no longer than seven inches and weigh no more than five ounces.

Hyman said Scouts make their cars in a workshop. They start with a square block, shape it down, and then add weights in the right places to give the car its speed.

“So you want to be as close to five ounces as possible without going over,” Hyman explained.

Beyond that, it was entirely up to the Scouts to design their cars to their liking.

The entries for this year’s derby came in a wide variety of colors. One sported blue flames spilling from the top of the car, while another featured graffiti-like splatters of paint and pink LED lights underneath.

Others were designed after a certain object or character. From a McDonald’s box of fries, a Nintendo Switch, and Ghostbusters to Steve from Minecraft, Pikachu from Pokémon, and characters from the hit anime One Piece, the Scouts went all out in paying tribute to what they love.

However, nothing was more popular than the 6-7 meme.

“The level of creativity on some of these Scouts ... I mean, the cars speak for themselves,” Hyman said.

Scouts compete in four heats, so everyone’s car gets a chance to shine.

However, Scouts were not the only ones racing this year.

Some Cub Scout Pack 270 parents participated in “Outlaw” races, where they are given a little extra leeway for building cars to race against each other.

“So it’s not exactly the same weight for their cars,” Hyman explained. “They’re a little bit off from our guideline specs.”

Cars modeled after the four sponsors for this year’s derby, DentFlex Paintless Dent Repair, Signature Printhouse, Sugar Hill Autobody, and Philips Personal Health, also got to race against each other.

The blue and gold four-lane track used for the Pinewood Derby, Hyman said, is pretty sophisticated.

Hyman called Dave Harrington, the cubmaster of Pack 270, their designated “tech guy” for the Pinewood Derby. He ran the race’s technology along with some of the other adult volunteers.

He said each car is registered into a race software when checking in for the derby. Using this software, Harrington said, they are able to measure races down to a thousandth of a second.

“We also have race replay software that does super [slow motion], so as each heat finishes, everyone gets to see each finish slowed down on the big projector screen,” Harrington explained.

Hyman, and Cub Scout Pack 270 Den Leader Paul Freitas, served as emcees for the event.

All of the cars get judged based on design before the actual race begins. After reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and the Scout’s Oath, it was finally off to the races.

Children and parents alike cheered as they watched cars zip by, the cars almost blurs of colors as they raced down the track.

Cub Scout Pack 270 parent Ashli Newman said they almost get close to 100% participation for the derby every year, calling it “their Super Bowl.”

“Seeing the kids go from the workshop to this ... it’s just so much fun,” Newman said.

The winners of this year’s Pinewood Derby are:

Lions (Kindergarten): First Place — David Reiff; Second Place — Sammy Belous; Third Place — Forrest Otten.

Tigers (First Grade): First Place — Jackson Martinez; Second Place — Andrew O’Connor; Third Place — Luke Griffin.

Wolves (Second Grade): First Place — Christopher Kinzig; Second Place — Franklin Rekos; Third Place — Hudson O’Brien.

Bears (Third Grade): First Place — Beauden Rio; Second Place — Daniel Fleck; Third Place — Owen Rudolph.

Webelos (Fourth Grade): First Place — Genevieve Weinberger; Second Place — James Hyman; Third Place — Ryan Lichodolik.

Arrow of Light (Fifth Grade): First Place — Sebastien Ouimet; Second Place — Ian Fleck; Third Place — Thomas Scinto.

Fastest Overall: Sebastian Ouimet — 3.0205 seconds.

Best Design: David Reiff, Elliot DeVito, Christopher Kinzig, Owen Rudolph, Ryan Lichodolik, and Aiden Whiteley.

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Reporter Jenna Visca can be reached at jenna@thebee.com.