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Coral Wilson

Blocks of wood were transformed into racing machines just in time

for the annual Pinewood Derby at Kaiser Elementary School on Sunday.

“Five, four, three, two, one. ... It’s race day!” announced master

of ceremonies and tiger cub den leader Dave Baxter.

Buses, skateboards, surfboards, fire engines, trucks, flower power

and Dalmatian-colored vehicles, even Barbie in her hot pink sports

car, lined up at the racetrack while the fans, including cub scouts,

parents, siblings and friends, gathered nearby.

Last-minute entries were measured for the 7 1/2-inch length and

6-ounce weight requirements. Parents set up camera and video

equipment. Owners of the 85 competing cars waited anxiously,

anticipating who might be the winner.

Seven-year-old Jake Baxter wore an orange shirt, the exact color

of his car, which was modeled after a 1933 Chevy Deuce Coup that he

found with his dad in a magazine.

Jake was confident that his car would be the ultimate winner

“because we put a lot of fast stuff on it,” referring to graphite and

some extra oil.

His dad, Dave Baxter, reminded him of their secret weapon -- an

oversize, bright orange foam sheriff’s hat for good luck.

“No, I’m not going to wear it. You’re going to wear it,” Jake

argued, until the hat, which was almost bigger than Jake himself,

finally ended up on his dad’s head.

Wil Curiel, 10, was a little more cautious in his predictions.

“I’m not sure. There is a lot of good competition,” Wil said.

His bus, complete with a surfboard on top, looked like it was

heading for the beach. But it was going to the racetracks with the

rest of them, with freshly polished axles for that extra edge.

The cars weren’t the only things on wheels. Kyle Benter, 7, and

Matt Ammerman, 8, glided by with small wheels on the backs of their

tennis shoes. Kyle predicted his car would win for the simple reason

that “It’s cool.”

Not to be outdone by her brother, Paisley Muller, 9, joined the

race as one of the 36 participants under the category “dads, moms,

siblings and friends” with her hula girl surfboard race car. Paisley

moved to Costa Mesa from Hawaii two years ago.

The racers competed two cars at a time down the 40-foot racetrack.

Jake’s car won the first round of many. Wil’s bus won, too.

“Wil takes it home with a big fat bus,” Baxter announced.

Paisley’s hula girl surfed by just fine.

But then the competition came to a stop. Two brothers, Chris and

Daniel Segerblom, brought the race to a standstill in what appeared

to be a dead tie. Judges went back over the video tape for an instant

replay.

“I think the one on the left,” audience members whispered in the

back. Cub scouts gathered around the TV screen to offer extra eyes.

Chris was the decided winner after much negotiation, but there

were more chances ahead for Daniel. And the race went on.

Den leader Kevin Shannon and his son, 9-year-old Ryan, were not so

lucky. Both cars lost on their first runs down the track.

Ryan had been confident in his car, the white “Polar Bear

Express,” which he had built on the workbench alongside his dad. “He

did it entirely himself,” Shannon announced proudly, “His ideas, his

hands.”

Although disappointed, Shannon said his son had taught him an

important lesson on the drive over. “You know dad, everyone wins.

Everyone wins the memory of making that car,” Ryan had said.

Out of the 86 “winners,” Logan Newett won first place, Adam Lagor

came in second, and Spencer Mearns was third. Bryan Shollin, Chris

Segerblom, Sean McLaughlin, Nathan Mayhugh, Daniel Segerblom, Danny

Sexton and Andrew Mayhugh also received trophies. Paisley Muller took

first place in her category, competing against parents, siblings and

friends.

In the past, blocks of wood thrown together at the last minute

have been known to win over the most carefully crafted, aerodynamic

of designs, but that was not the case this time. The lineup of

winning vehicles was a shiny display of roadsters, hot rods, trucks

and Paisley’s surfboard on wheels.

“It’s one thing to be beat. It’s another thing to be beat by a

block,” Baxter said.