There are a couple dozen cars that are cut and sanded to perfection, with impeccable paint jobs and design. The weights are hidden in there somewhere, placed perfectly to maximize its speed and power. They know how to nail in the wheels without chipping the wood, balancing the car nicely and allowing the car’s wheels to spin freely.

These kids do it all on there own, with their dads just offering helpful supervision and advice. I’m proud of these kids.

Not only are these 8- to 10-year-old kids apparently very creative and smart, but they act like they’re dumb to throw us off. They “forget” which side of the pinewood derby car is the front side and they place it on the track backwards. Haha, they’re so funny. Sometimes, they even “forget” which car is theirs. What?!! Haha.

It is quite remarkable when you think about it. They can create this amazing piece of art that marvels onlookers with its speed and beauty, even though in my Primary class they have previously demonstrated the inability to color a picture of the Book of Mormon without scribbling outside the lines. Nor could they cut out a simple snowflake out of a folded piece of paper. They’re so ADHD that they can’t sit still for 10 seconds without scratching out their eyeballs, but something about this process causes them to calmly use a saw to shape their car, using max concentration and control to create their masterpiece.

As I watch my apparently-below-average boy cut out his and paint his own sloppy mess with my verbal guidance, I give my time-honored salute to all the Cub Scouts out there who literally don’t know how to button up a shirt or brush his teeth, but have mastered the Pinewood Derby.

My favorite event of the year.