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Cub Scout Pinewood Derby day at Steve’s Auto Repair and Tire

In Boy Scouts, Community Involvement, Pinewood Derby by Steves Auto Repair and Tire

Steve’s Auto Repair and Tire in Woodbridge Virginia will open their doors to all Boy Scouts and Cub Scout units in the Woodbridge, Dale City, Dumfries, Lake Ridge, and Manassas Areas for Pinewood Derby Day.

For units that want space to build their derby cars or to use some professional tools, Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire is willing to work with Scouts to coordinate weekend derby car building events in Woodbridge.

Packs are able to use special tools provided by Steve’s Auto Repair and Tire and can work with their families to build the cars. Scouts also ge the chance to build or repair their cars in a real-life automotive garage setting, which adds to fun.

By using the space, Scout leaders are also able to practice setting up the race track to make sure it works correctly, without having to pay for extra time at the Prince William school where the derby is held. This helps to make sure there were no glitches on race day.

“We’ve done this before and it was fun for the Cub Scouts, parents, and us. We enjoy doing it for the community and that is why we are expanding the days for the Scouts, to make sure they’re prepared for the Pinewood Derby,” said ST Billingsley owner of Steve’s Auto Repair and Tire.

Setting up a Pinewood Derby Day

Overall it is a great event with lots of fun and hard work for the Scouts. To coordinate a date for units to come to Steve’s for car building, call 703-670-8005.

While there are many ways to build a car for the Pinewood Derby, there are standard rules all Scouts must follow – either set by NCAC‘s Boy Scout District Director or the individual units.

Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire is an authorized Goodyear tire dealer located in Woodbridge, Virginia. Automotive repair services are performed on all makes and models, including BMW and Mercedes. Services include oil changes, brakes, alignments, inspections, and computer engine diagnostics.

https://youtu.be/YtQLNRrvCBA

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Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire hosts Cub Scout Pack 1189’s Pinewood Derby

In Boy Scouts, Community Involvement, Pinewood Derby by Steves Auto Repair and Tire

Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire hosted Cub Scout Pack 1189’s unit Pinewood Derby again this year.

The pack, based out of Montclair, hosts their own unit competition each year. This year the competition was hosted at the John F. Pattie Elementary School in Woodbridge.

Our support of the cub scout event

Steve’s Auto has sponsored the event for many years, as part of our community outreach, and brought along 50 pizzas from Aroma Pizza to feed the unit.

“We like being able to support our community in this way, and it’s a lot of fun watching the kids race their cars,” said Scott Whitling, co-owner at Steve’s Auto.

Parents and their Scouts gathered together for the Pinewood Derby at John F. Pattie Elementary School.

Parents and their Scouts gathered together for the Pinewood Derby at John F. Pattie Elementary School.

Whitling was given the honor of starting the races off in the school’s gymnasium.

“It was great being able to see all of the parents and their Scouts out at the event,” said Whitling.

The winners of each of the unit competitions move on to the Occoquan Boy Scout’s District-wide Pinewood Derby, which is scheduled this year for March 12.

Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire is an authorized Goodyear tire dealer located in Woodbridge, Virginia. Automotive repair services are performed on all makes and models, including BMW and Mercedes. Services include oil changes, brakes, alignments, inspections, and computer engine diagnostics.

Girls Rule and Boys Drool

In Boy Scouts, Community Involvement, Girl in a Mechanics World, Pinewood Derby by Steves Auto Repair and Tire

Not only did the Pink Pinewood Derby car win the race by our very own Margo (marketing director) we also added a new female to the team at Steve’s Auto Repair. Monday I came in and asked who the winner of the derby race was and I was very to pleased that Margo won. If I were one of the guys I would be dying of embarrassment that I lost to a girl and not only that to a “PINK CAR”. Guys are such sore loser because they said they didn’t believe that Margo made it on her own that she probably bought it off eBay. Horrible!

Margo

As for our new teammate at Steve’s she’s pretty awesome not just because she bring me homemade candy but because she actually knows what she’s talking about. I have never met a female that knew so much about cars. Her being here gives me a little bit more hope that I will eventually catch on. And it’s so much better that I have someone to talk to since they took Margo, the only other female, away from me and gave her an office at the neighboring store, HomeTowne Auto Repair & Tire.

Now I have girl time all the time because our new female service writer is at the computer next to me. Soon Steve’s auto repair is going to be all Girls. SIKE!!

The Perils of Pinewood

In Boy Scouts, Community Involvement, Girl in a Mechanics World, Pinewood Derby by Steves Auto Repair and Tire

Guest Post
Margo Schlossberg, Marketing Director
Pinewood Derby kit.
Had I heard of the Boy Scout’s Pinewood Derby? Sure, somewhere maybe the brother of a friend growing up or the son of a friend as an adult. Did I know what the Pinewood Derby was? Nope, no clue, something about making cars out of wood?

About two weeks ago two boxes were delivered to Steve’s Auto Repair, the shop where I work as the marketing director. Well, given may be an improper use of the word since I immediately took one of the boxes, determined to make a car. I mean, how hard could it be?

Apparently, there was a lot more to this Pinewood Derby than I had initially thought. For example, weight and tools were involved. Two things that have always spelled trouble for me. I found a template and thought okay, I will tape the template to the block of wood and just saw it. Easy! Well, after making one very distinct saw mark which was more like a scrape then an actual cut into the wood, it was clear that I was not going to cut the entire car, or in fact, any part of the car. I realized that I was going to have to enlist a bit of assistance.

It is now Wednesday and the cars are due by Friday and will be raced on a surprisingly sophisticated track on Saturday. Did someone say laser? There is also some type of weight limit which I am learning about. So, stay tuned for guest post #2 where we will see if my car is a success or a complete debacle. I hope at least I will win some style points…

Steve’s Auto Repair & Tire is an authorized Goodyear tire dealer located in Woodbridge, Virginia. Automotive repair services are performed on all makes and models, including BMW and Mercedes. Services include oil changes, brakes, alignments, inspections, and computer engine diagnostics.

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Fun with Pinewood Derby

In Boy Scouts, Community Involvement, Pinewood Derby by Steves Auto Repair and Tire

Steve's Auto Repair Owner in front of white board.Our mechanics love a challenge and building their own Pinewood Derby race car out of a block of wood and wheels was definitely a challenge. But the challenge did not stop there. Steve’s Auto Repair and Tire challenged their neighbor HomeTowne Auto Repair and Tire to a mostly friendly race.

HomeTowne, being the newer of the two, accepted the challenge. The winner of the special friends and family pinewood derby race would win bragging rights, a trophy (albeit a 2013 one) and a free lunch from the owner, S.T. Billingsley, provided they could beat his race car’s time.

Each store was given two pinewood derby kits containing the block of wood, axels, and small wheels. Even Steve’s marketing director, Margo, got in on the action determined to create a pink car that would at least not come in last.

What ensued was at times a little less then friendly competition, but high on entertainment value and a lot of fun for all involved in supporting the Boy Scouts. We also learned that some of the technicians may be stolen away by Hollywood if we are not careful, judging by the videos hitting YouTube on both their respective pages.

The friends and family race will be held on January 23rd, so while we still don’t know who the winner will be- what we do know is that excitement is running high as is involvement and support for local Boy Scout troop 1189 here in the Montclair Woodbridge area.

We have put together a behind the scenes look.

Steve’s Auto Repair and Tire steals HomeTowne’s car

How it all ends…

We want to thank Cub Scout Pack 1189 from Montclair Virginia for allowing us to sponsor their pinewood derby this year at John F Pattie elementary school in Dumfries, VA and a thank you to Aromas Pizza on Kevin Walker Drive right off Waterway Drive in Montclair.

Take a look at our wrap up video and see who came out on top. You might be surprised.

Thank you again hope to see you next year…

ST Billingsley