By:Eileen Greco
Then there are the dads, trying to look cool and casual about it all. But make no mistake, creating the perfect tiny, muscle car is serious busy.
Malverne's Pinewood Derby, held on March 26, is an annual event open to all scouts from grades 1 through 4. The scouts receive their pinewood derby kits in January containing a small block of wood, wheels and axels.
During the four years participating in the derby, as the scouts grow taller and the dads gray at the temples, a little wisdom is passed down -- through the dads, that is. They surround the winning car, searching for tips for next year. They talk of polishing wheel axels, the best type of lubricants, most thorough Google searches and the proper placement of weight for perfecting speed. The total weight of the car must be less than five ounces, but one thing remains clear, these are muscle cars and the competition is fierce.
Rob McDevitt of Malverne, began building a car with his son, Jack, a week and a half ago. "I read about Teflon, it's a dry lubricant, and I spoke to other dads for pointers," said McDevitt, adding coyly, "But, I'd rather not disclose them."
If it's tough working on one car, try two. Nick St. John, a den leader in Malverne, with two kids, Zachary and Nicholas, and two cars competing this year, said, "Weight is good. This year I used washers for weight."
Why washers? "Because I had a lot of them," said St. John. "And one more quote, we're going to win!"
Then, there's Bob Jira, of Lynbrook, who used a scroll machine to shape the cars with his two boys, Nicholas and Douglas, helping with the cutting, painting and adding decals. "We were finished over a month ago, but didn't add the wheels until today because they've been playing with the cars," said Jira.
Tom Mallen, a Malverne resident and another den leader, said knowing this was his son John's last year, he was involved from start to finish. "He even helped with the power saw, and really seemed to enjoy it this year," said Mallen.
As the cars zoomed by in groups of four, the bleachers were nearly empty as the scouts grew restless. The first-place winner, Michael Greco, beamed as his dad pointed out the Porsche shape that seemed to work aerodynamically.
The second- and third-place winners were James Palmer and Patrick Salmon. The Most Unusual award went to Anthony Ciccarello for his car shaped like a lumber truck, and the honor for Best in Show went to Colm Shaw for his sleek, yellow car.
As the event ended, the first-timers approached the older, more experienced Pinewood Derby dads and the questions begin for a new year: What did you use for weights? What kind of lubricant did you use? Did you come close to the five ounces?
And so the preparation begins, with dreams of glory for next year.
