Windgate Ranch Pinewood Derby Registration Continues Through March 10

Feb. 20, 2009 - PRLog -- Get revved up for the Windgate Ranch Pinewood Derby. Registration, which includes a sanctioned pinewood derby car kit, participation in the preview exhibition and entry into the race, continues through March 10.

The Windgate Ranch Pinewood Derby preview exhibition is March 12 and 13. The rubber hits the road for racing on March 14.

Registration is $20 for boys and girls up to 18 years of age. Corporate division registrations are available for $100. All proceeds benefit Boy Scouts of America, Grand Canyon Council and Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale.

Registration is available at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale branch locations and thrift shop; and eight Toll Brothers new home communities throughout the metropolitan Phoenix area.

The Pinewood Derby is a cub scouting phenomenon that began as a way for fathers and sons to spend quality time together by building, decorating and racing hand-carved wooden cars. While rooted with Cub Scout origins, today's pinewood derby enthusiasts include boys and girls of all ages.

It is estimated that more than two million car kits are sold annually in the United States and that more than 100 million cars have been built since the mid 1950s.

Pinewood Derby car kits include a wood block, plastic wheels and metal nails for axles. Completed cars race down a multi-lane track powered by gravity and slowed by friction and wind resistance. Electronic lane judges determine the winners. The difference in finishing times is oftentimes less than 1/1000th of a second.

Building a pinewood derby car includes creating a design; cutting out the body; adding weight; tiling and polishing the axles; truing and polishing the wheels; and final alignment and assembly.

Over the years, planning and construction of cars has become highly sophisticated, but Windgate Ranch Pinewood Derby Race Master Mark Bailey encourages everyone to have fun with building cars and participating in this event.

At the preview exhibition, four-wheeled wonders will compete for creativity in categories such as Best Car Design, Best Paint Job, Best Original Idea and Best of Show.

On the race track, there is a stock group, for cars that conform to Boy Scouts of America guidelines, and an open group for all others. Categories include 11 and under, 12 to 18 years of age and corporate division.

"We're getting down and derby at Windgate Ranch," Bailey said. "We encourage boys and girls of all ages to register, build a car and join us for what promises to be a fun-filled, action-packed weekend of pinewood derby racing to benefit our non-profit organization partners."

Windgate Ranch is located at 10190 E. Windgate Ranch Road, near the intersection of Thompson Peak Parkway and Bell Road in northeast Scottsdale.

For additional information about the Windgate Ranch Pinewood Derby, call 480-596-7310.

About the Scouts
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) was incorporated in 1910 and chartered by Congress in 1916. Its purpose is to provide for boys and young adults an effective educational program designed to build desirable qualities of character, to train in the responsibilities of participating citizenship and to develop in them personal fitness. Its mission is to prepare young people to make ethical choices over their lifetime by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law. The Grand Canyon Council, Boy Scouts of America prepares young people for productive adulthood through collaboration with other community organizations and hopes to be serving over 100,000 youth annually by 2010 with an emphasis on serving all youth populations with programs of the highest quality. For more information visit www.grandcanyonbsa.org.

About the Clubs
Since 1954, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale has provided more than 100,000 Northeast Valley youth with a positive, supervised environment to explore the power of their potential. Today we serve 15,000 children and teens through the organization's nine branches and 12 outreach sites located in Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, Hualapai Indian Community and other Northeast Valley neighborhoods. The Club offers more than 100 youth development programs emphasizing five core areas: the arts; character & leadership development; education & career development; health & life skills; and sports, fitness & recreation. For more information visit www.bgcs.org.

About Toll Brothers
Toll Brothers  is the nation's leading builder of luxury homes, serving both move-up and empty nester buyers in six regions of the country. Toll Brothers currently operates 300 communities across the country including eight in the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area. The company is the only public home builder to have won all three of the industry's highest honors: America's Best Builder by the National Association of Home Builders, The National Housing Quality Award and National Builder of the Year. For more information visit www.TollBrothers.com.
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