Pinewood Derby Redux

It was that time of the year again in Austin, time for the Pinewood Derby.  We had a lot of fun last year building the Green Machine but it didn't perform very well on the track at Hyde Park.  We learned a few of life's little lessons throughout the process (Always compete ethically, congratulate the victor, be pleased but never satisfied, be humble, learn from your mistakes, etc).  

We got down to business this year and you picked your design, a simple wedge (perhaps based on observations from last year).   We cut, sanded, primed, picked a color, worked on the wheels, and added decals.  We worked on the alignment the night before impound and we were happy to be finished and enjoying a big bowl of popcorn.  When it came time for the weigh-in, you chose a name for your car, "The Patriot".   

One short week later it was race day.  Some 60+ cars were entered in the race.  All the cars ran four heats and only the winners from each of the four dens would move on to the finals.  You ran your first heat and won while Mom and Dad looked on a bit confused at these results.  On to the second heat some 20 minutes later and you won again.  Same result for the thrid and fourth heats.   

Before we knew it, you were on to the finals competing against some really fast cars.  When the dust settled, you were third overall in the entire pack.

You got your picture taken with some other winners and also found out that you came in second in the most patriotic category (a category we didn't know even existed). 

When it was all over, you were all smiles and mentioned that you already had a design for your car next year.  We look forward to his design ideas and are happy that he is pleased but not completely satisfied quite yet!