World champions of pinewood derby racing

Original airdate: 7/21/2017 | DOUGLASS TWP., Pa. - Like memories in the making, pinewood derby races can be fleeting, especially when JJ Habres and his grandfather, Joe Brewster, are the ones racing.
"You have to have a fast car, and you have to be a little bit lucky, too," said Brewster. "We're pinewood derby people."
Last year, JJ was so good at crafting these cars, he was crowned champion in his division at the World Pinewood Derby Championship in New York City.
This year, he and his grandfather went back.
"I didn't know if I was going to win, but I hoped I was going to win," said Habres.
Cub Scouts from coast to coast raced their cars down the track eight times. At the end, a champion emerges with the fastest average time.
There was some early trouble for this duo from Gilbertsville, Montgomery County.
"Our car flipped over in the race," said Habres. "Then it flipped over again."
"We kind of knew the car was hurt," said Brewster. "After it crashed a couple times, it was in the 2.98's and the 2.99's, just getting slower and slower and slower."
At the end of eight races, the times came out...
"It turns out I won!" said Habres.
"A kid from Gilbertsville, small town in Pennsylvania, wins back to back," said Brewster, "it's kind of hard for us to believe, even."
Brewster says regardless of the outcome, JJ is a great sport. He can't deny winning is a good feeling, but his grandson put it best.
"You win trophies, but sometimes you don't," said Habres.
"Sometimes you just do it for fun."
FULL STORY:
www.wfmz.com/news/southeastern...

[@jordanmc9015]

You can always tell which kid made his own car, and which kid watched. Especially at that age.

[@camplethargic8]

Another problem: when a kid DOES build a winning car on his own, everybody assumes a grown-up built it. That's what happened to my 12 year old. His first car was unbeatable in council-wide competitiion, though all I did was teach him power tool safety. He read about all the 'tricks' on his own. Lots of parents were whispering. He's a mechanical engineer now.

[@user-wi6gr4cw3s]

Who cares. It's CUB scouts not BOY scouts. The whole point is to have the experience with your father. Y'all just haters.

[@thunder21x]

So…y’all must lose alot

[@TinySpyGuy]

69 news now that's epic

[@jayd5715]

yes

[@Salsa_Shark]

And what's is the newscaster's face at the end?

[@RICARDOTORRES1985]

Did they discovered warp speed?

[@keithfletcher7435]

He didn’t build it

[@bobbycheese2793]

One day he'll grow up and make a car of his own for his son

[@Spartanwarlord]

@@bobbycheese2793 yes mark rober

[@carrotgrower5049]

Frozon Gaming hahaha 😂

[@davidluchsinger7377]

It’s amazing how talented all these 7 year olds are. I mean, when you think about the precise engineering and resources crafting record-breaking derby cars requires and all...

[@mikeandike8153]

His grandpa prolly built it

[@glasjanus]

I learned my skills by first watching my dad and then doing it on my own later in life. But the times I ‘worked’-learned with my dad, were the best times!

[@mist3733]

@@thebeardedshad1776 Could have sworn it was about honesty and integrity? I know the builder of 1 of the cars and he is a pro. He has built, raced and sold his cars for 30 years. For a 7 year old to build a sub 3 second car is unheard of. If you were to ask that young man how he cut, prepared the wheels and axels and determined the proper COG for the track he would have no idea.

[@atrociousrabbit4378]

Kid can barely get a sentence out it’s clear he didn’t make it. Meanwhile grandpa is talking about having a flip over and losing 2hundredths of a second 😂😂😂 I bet a picture of that kid holding that car doesn’t exist

[@Myserieden]

As a kid I built one and won in my pack but didn’t get any further. Lost immediately in the next... hmm division? Sorry don’t remember what it’s called. Been way too long. I’m glad I didn’t get the help he got. It was a lot of fun to build and win on my own.

[@brianwilliams507]

That is great. You win trophies sometimes you build pro cars Grandpa! Those cars could easily compete in Pro League racing. I think Grandpa did most of the work.

[@danparish1344]

All of the work

[@davidtheoldfart5836]

Who built the car tho lol

[@itsme-nq8bq]

Would love to know the track length. My son just won with 2.3490 in Royal Ambassadors

[@frederickthegreat6975]

mark rober put a rocket on one and shot past in like 1 second

[@brianwilliams507]

Those cars are built to Pro League standards. I just noticed that they have Areoshields inside the wheels. The 2018 rules say that Areoshields are prohibited in all classes, either that changed from last year's rules or somehow he got those cars through inspection.

[@AtH1338]

Shutup

[@claytonwade3570]

bro this brings me back

[@FuuyukiEiri]

If anyone here has a pinewood derby racers please let me know they’re names, two of mine (that I can remember/regave names that I forgot/were not sure if I even gave them names) are the golden bullet and the shamrocker!

[@ElDarren]

Great job JJ!

[@kermy9655]

that kid was acting like he was on top of the world. his dad did all the work. that's how it goes in cub scouts and Boy Scouts. the best dad wins.

[@Iceman-gm1fu]

did you even watch the video? they said grandpa numerous times

[@judsonkr]

I agree that the kid did little, if any, of the work but did you didn't even watch the video before spouting off.

[@mist3733]

@@Iceman-gm1fu I know who built that car and it wasn't either of them! Grandpa may have slapped the parts on but he didn't cut any wood or polish any axels ect... That's not honor or integrity. That's shameful.

[@finthomas4378]

world ? how many countries participated?

[@nickowen3505]

its kinda like the world series

[@finthomas4378]

@@nickowen3505 alright brother

[@jonathanjohnson3193]

That dad cares so much more.lol

[@danparish1344]

Almost like he made the car himself.

[@ibanganimeboys]

69 news Outstanding move

[@TheMegaVoter]

Kids never build these cars. It is always their father or grandfather. It has taken away the competition spirit from the kids because they haven't built it.

[@Submersed24]

genuinely curious what the slowest possible pinewood derby would be. like it would have to cross the line and not get stuck, but it would have to have as much resistance as possible

[@RamenUdle]

Probably just a thin block of wood with no weights, or anything done to the axles.

[@danparish1344]

Maybe a L shape turned 90 degrees so the bottom part of the L is the front. That way it has terrible wind resistance, it has no extra weight and the small weight it does have is in the front (weight in the back is better because it’s on the slope longer and helps build a little bit more speed).

[@Submersed24]

@@danparish1344 huh, no indent inside the wood? Like a wooden parachute

[@rasmuswellejus2809]

Over became erver!

[@Lordcirdan]

Siempre son campeones del mundo en cosas que solo hacen en ese país sin nombre! Ja, ja, ja!

[@jesusissouthern]

To paraphrase Barack Obama: that kid didn't build that.

[@lordraifwoulson]

When I was in cub scouts my bio dad made mine without any input from me. I ran my own and lost, but I made it. This was in the 80s. I found the car he made me 3 years ago and threw it away. My step dad was my dad.

[@rocketboy8598]

no way bros talking about pinewood on the news

[@noahhenry9966]

bob

[@lordapex6835]

im copying that car

[@Bruceillest101]

Let the aero guys from any F1 team participate and those things will be being sub 2 seconds lol

[@ramongonzales9312]

F1 cars have a very high drag coefficient

[@danparish1344]

F1 cars have the right amount of drag coefficients for the track they are racing on. A windy track needs a lot of drag and downforce, a more open one where speed matters more will be more aerodynamic. They are adjusted to what makes the most sense.

[@vitotrex]

Pinewood derpy

[@MKTGJRF]

my 8 year old built his car this year. Last year we built it together, focused on cool flame details, etc. I was happy it crossed the line. This year he "wanted to win". No frills, watched some videos. We weighed his old car without weights against his new and were able to add .8 oz more weight to the new one. Then we tested them on an inclined 4x8 sheet of plywood and the new one went faster than the old. So again I call it a successful year, but we're not gonna come close to winning and I'm prepping him for the let down already.

[@jackryanb7]

The kids who “just do it for fun” are called losers. I know. I was one of those kids. I said, “Grandpa, help me make a fast car for the pinewood derby.” My grandfather slapped me across the face and screamed, “no way, you LOSER!”

[@geerhed1109]

Those cars are not legal in our district for the cub scouts. polished and rounded wheels with shields, I bet they are lathe turned, balanced and lightened, as well as having grooved axles. These cars can only be run in outlaw class.

[@sithmaster6914]

Randy Marsh looks kinda wrecked

[@user-gx1uu3wz6p]

koopeta

[@Mr.StormAgony]

I Won in a mall last year

[@gonorsilvet2581]

Luck has NOTHING to do with it. It is ALL physics.

[@markipliercat3447]

true

[@danparish1344]

Not entirely true. The car parts aren’t bulletproof and can fail and there are imperfections in the track.

[@1bowmaniam]

It is all physics, but you can definitely luck into or out of a lot of the physics!

[@gholloway9935]

At least the kid some (OK, a lot) of help and I'm sure they had fun. I helped my grandson build a winner because my dad didn't help me at all. Going to regionals now

[@7mikepd]

Wrong kid! Pinewood Derby is NEVER JUST for fun!

[@okdoky6472]

The people crying about their dads building the cars are just cry babies because they are too lazy to build one, or they know they would still get beat. As long as the kids are involved and work with dad, thats what its all about.

[@CapDude]

Mark rober did better then these noobs lol

[@joyoustye2326]

I wouldn't call them noobs at all. Getting under 3 seconds is hard

[@atm9023]

I love when americans compete only between themselves and call the winner a "world champion".

[@Hellraiser7]

still think you should only be allowed to use what is in the kit only. No weights, no bending axles, no lube/graphite

[@stephensoltero3171]

Yeah, "we" just built our first derby car, just joined a month ago, and it's overwhelming how many tricks there are to go fast. Feels like cheating, even though it isn't technically