Scout Pack 33 hosts pinewood derby

Fast is Yoda.

Or at least the second fastest car at Saturday's pinewood derby competition in Gardnerville.

Racer Tobin Schultz's No. 12 car, named after "Star Wars" wrinkled green Jedi Master, was the fastest of Cub Scout Pack 33's cars racing in the competition, with a cumulative time of 22.467 seconds, followed by Daniel Taylor's American Eagle with a cumulative time of 22.485.

The race was held in the St. Gall gym and featured 16 finalists among the scouts and six in the open category.

"We had a blast," said organizer Greg Taylor. "We retired our old wooden track this year and borrowed a new aluminum one and had software on a big screen running the races with fun racing music and food, and of course a lot of racing going on."

Taylor is father to Daniel and Saturday's fastest racer, Connor, who was competing in the open category with FireFlame. The car shaved .267 seconds off the fastest time from the regular participants.

One family donated a car so Father Padre Paul McCollum could participate in the open race.

"We started with a round of racing to get a ranking with each car running in each lane of the four-lane track several times, Taylor said. "Then progressed the finalists to a final round of double the trophies."

Taylor said the boys do much of the design and decoration work on their own cars.

"Our rule of thumb is if you could lose it, then your dad should do it," Taylor said of carving the cars.

Connor, 5, had the track record and in a race after the official one, beat the top four cars.

"It was a great event," Taylor said. "We had a record number of parents come watch and support their sons. We can't ask for more. All racers received a participation trophy or derby scout neckerchief slide."

1. Connor Taylor FireFlame

2. Keith Becker USA Racer

3. Mason Thomsen Masonator

4. Camron Hinchey Street Racer

5. Casper Young Pink ??

6. Father Paul McCollum Holy Roller

1. Tobin Schultz Yoda

2. Daniel Taylor American Eagle

3. Brad Sein The American

4. Dominick Biasotti Alien Saucer

5. Jay Ford Terminator

6. Nolan Hagen Red Rocket

7. Ben Thomsen Flash

8. Sean Kallman Pink

9. Carter Olson Red Shoot

10. Jason Gray HumVee Racer

11. Joshua Coston Treasure Chest

12. Shawn Ryan The Killer

13. Zach Ketchum

14. Andrew Browning The Hawk

15. Kyle Camara BlackHawk9

16. Anthony Biasotti Americans

Webelos 2

Jarrod Becker

Webelos 1

Ryan Hagmann

Wolves - Tied

Zach Ketchum

Ethan Hagmann

Tigers

Dylan Boles

Open Category

Tanner Schultz