Let’s go racin’ boys

There’s nothing like going to a high-speed racecar event. The anticipation builds the closer to the track a person gets. Thinking about the crowds of people milling about and drivers prepping for the race heightens the feeling. Imagining the roar of the cars as they cruise past the crowd at speeds upwards of 200 mph almost brings on a rush of breeze past the ear. And if the chance comes to meet a driver, well, that might make a person squeal.

It’s a high testosterone world, with the high-octane excitement of fast cars whizzing by at breakneck speeds.

Arriving at the track at the Staunton Mall on Saturday, nary a person knew of the special guest racer, save one or two insiders. But it was someone thought sure to twirl the neckerchief of even the most seasoned driver there.

The pink, flowered car arrived under cover. Its driver remained incognito as much as possible until checking in with officials.

Then one driver, with a blue model car sporting two white stripes and a number 11 on it, became privy to the intruder into this male-dominated world known as the Stonewall Jackson Area Council Valley District Pinewood Derby, an annual event hosted by the district.

Andrew Chesser didn’t bat an eye. The 8-year-old third-grader at Fishersville’s Wilson Elementary politely and calmly shared his prerace activities with the guest.

“I made a display board for my car with flames on it,” Chesser said. “After the race, I’m putting my car on it.”

Chesser’s racing career has been brief, with only one Cub Scout pack race under his belt so far.

“I got eliminated,” he said, thinking aloud that a wolf cub had beaten him. In this boyish world, wolf cubs are younger and a step below the bear cubs, which Chesser proudly was.

He and his dad prepped for the district race by adding some additional graphite lubricant at the wheels.

The Valley District race has been held for many more years than Tracey Reynolds, the SJAC unit coordinator, can remember.

“It used to be held at the Augusta Stone Presbyterian Church in Fort Defiance, when I was a kid,” Reynolds said, “And it’s been held [at the Staunton Mall] many years, too.”

The cars can come in all shapes and sizes according to Reynolds. He remembers vividly one car a leader made.

“It was just the box, but the leader had shaved off the top for a lid. In it they put little things that the boys had made; sort of a treasure chest. That car blew everyone away,” he said.

The little pink car with the flowers on it made its appearance to some oohs and ahhs. Some in the crowd asked if it was racing. Inquiries into its construction indicated an all-female pit crew had produced it.

The female driver secretly mingled with other drivers trying to gain some insight into whether or not this boys-only club could stomach a girl’s intrusion.

A pack of cubs from Rockfish Elementary School waited patiently alongside the track waiting for the race to begin. Tristan Rose, 7, a wolf cub, said he had been a scout for two years and recently scored his first pack derby win.

“I won third place,” he said.

“And that was out of 13 cars!” Rose’s friend, Colin Morris, 8, chimed in. Then the whole pack of six or seven boys jumped in and began relating how Rose came in third after Morris, who finished second, and their friend, Justin Martin, who won first place.

When questioned as to what they thought of a girl racing in their Pinewood Derby, the mood sobered a bit.

One of the boys, John Debilzan, summed up the thoughts of the group.

“It would be pretty weird having a girl race in a boys’ race,” he said. “If she hit me in a NASCAR race, I’d get a lawyer!” Debilzan yelled out over the increasing din of the crowd. Rose said he’d heard some pink car with flowers was racing. His mates agreed.

Each driver cub then moved on quickly to sharing the characteristics of what made their car so special: Rose’s Storm Chaser had a tornado on it, Morris’ car had a black widow and Debilzan’s car was the red No. 9.

“You know, Casey Kahne’s car?” Debilzan asked.

When the female guest driver finally revealed that it was she that would be racing the pink, flowered car all the boys yelled, “You tricked us!” and laughed. They all agreed to take a group shot with her girly car.

All drivers had been outfitted with pit passes, courtesy of Gentry Photography, of Harrisonburg, and its studio manager and photographer, Patty Gray. Gray’s son, Jacob, was also a scheduled Derby driver.

“Anytime we can do for the community, we donate and help out,” Gray said. “We like to give to the kids.”

The Gentry pit passes were plastic cards with each child’s picture (of them holding their car) on it, their name and pack information.

Gray estimated about 75 pit passes were distributed.

Finally race time arrived.

The mystery female racer was introduced to the crowd of around 150 people gathered in the middle of the Staunton Mall and it turned out to be the features editor from The News Virginian, who was going to help test out the track. A volunteer competitor was found to give the Pink Pansy someone to race against.
The crowd roared, “Gentlemen, start your engines!” and cars were moved to the starting line. The blocks dropped and the Pink Pansy raced down the hill to the straightaway to win its heat. The computerized timing showed 188 mph on the full-size movie screen that sat at the end of the track.

The girly driver received a box of popcorn, a patch and a thank you for coming, which turned out to be a face-saving gesture because the male drivers roared down the tracks at speeds that averaged 200 mph. The Pink Pansy gave a wave goodbye and put the pedal to the metal as it puttered out of sight, puffing out pink dust in its wake.