These People Just Built the World’s Longest Pinewood Derby Track

In all of Scouting history, no one has built something quite like this. The Boy Scouts of America Mid-America Council built and raced pinewood derby cars on the world’s longest pinewood derby track.

Some might think they’ve seen longer pinewood derby tracks, but the Scouts and Scouters at the Mid-America Council have something those other folks don’t, something that backs up their claim to having the world’s longest pinewood derby track.

That’s right. They actually have the Guinness World Record for World’s Longest Pinewood Derby Track.

A representative from Guinness World Records was on hand at the recent Mid-America Council Boy Scouts Jubilee to measure the pinewood derby track, provide official record-keeping of the accomplishment, and give the Scouts the certificate for their world record.

So just how long is world’s longest pinewood derby track? It was 1,819 feet and 3¾ inches long, making it more than double the length of the previous record holder (which was 713 feet and 3 inches). That’s a little more than a third of a mile or roughly the length of six football fields.

How long does it take to race a pinewood derby car down the track? Be sure to watch the video below all the way to the end to get a sense of race times.

Of course, in typical Scout fashion, the goal was never really just to get a world record.

“We had the moment where we set a world record, and that was awesome,” Scout leader Greg Dawes told the Omaha World-Herald. “But this is not about the record. It’s about teaching our young men what we can do when we have a vision.”

According to event organizers, approximately 5,000 Scouts and their families attended the Jubilee event.

To learn more about this remarkable Scout event and the achievement of building and racing on the world’s longest pinewood derby track, be sure to read the full article in the Omaha World-Herald.

The post These People Just Built the World’s Longest Pinewood Derby Track appeared first on Scouting Newsroom.

These People Just Built the World’s Longest Pinewood Derby Track