GOOD TO GO — Lincoln Clutter of Cub Scout Pack 41 in Toronto gave a thumbs up to Dave Lawson, a volunteer for the 2025 Ohio River Valley District Pinewood Derby, to signal that his homemade car is ready to race. -- Christopher Dacanay

STEUBENVILLE — Fort Steuben Mall played host to a time-honored Cub Scout tradition Saturday, when the 2025 Ohio River Valley District Pinewood Derby offered local kids some fast-paced and friendly competition.

From morning until well into the afternoon, over 100 uniformed boys and girls ages 5 to 11 raced homemade wooden cars down a long, metal track. A ring of cheering friends and relatives, as well as a table of trophies and a booming announcer made the event’s excitement palpable.

“Kids learn competition,” said Joe Kovaleski, who’s chaired the district derby for 34 years with his wife, Suzan. “They learn how to lose, and they learn how to win. Everybody can’t be a winner, but they come here and they have a good time. It’s friendly competition.”

Cubs begin with a small, simple block of wood, which they must transform into a working vehicle fit for competition. Part of the debt’s benefit comes from the working relationship Cubs develop with the adults who help them, Kovaleski said.

“The older kids, a lot of times, they want more to do with the car themselves. But when they’re little kindergartners, mom, dad, grandparents or whatever help them make the car how they want it to look.”

FRIENDLY COMPETITION — Cub Scout participants in the 2025 Ohio River Valley District Pinewood Derby watched as their homemade cars crossed the finish line during one of the competition’s heats. -- Christopher Dacanay

One hundred and seventy-five individual Cubs pre-registered for the event, Kovaleski said. The Cub Scouts Ohio River Valley District — which runs from Hancock County to Tyler County in West Virginia and includes Harrison, Jefferson, Monroe and Belmont counties in Ohio — contains 24 packs, 15 of which were represented Saturday.

Six Cubs raced in each three-heat round. Each heat produced a winner, who advanced to final matches later in the day. Competitions continued to cycle until six top winners remained, with those six receiving a trophy — though all participants received a 2025 Ohio River Valley District Pinewood Derby patch. A “Best Show Car” award went to the derby staff members’ favorite car.

This year’s winners, beginning from first place, were Mark Betlem, Pack 151 in Weirton; Mason Holmes, Pack 151 in Weirton; Colton Click, Pack 41 in Toronto; E.J. Toole, Pack 20, Richmond; Hudson Russel, Pack 151 in Weirton, and Jace Cooper, Pack 415 in Wintersville. “Best Show Car” went to Caiden Horvath, Pack 146 in Dillonvale.

Trophies were sponsored by Wintersville Trophy Shop. Prize packages for winners were sponsored by the Ville Restaurant and Bar, A Touch of Elegance Bakery and Café, Great American Cookies, Texas Roadhouse, Hamilton’s Emporium, Rockstarz, Eat’n Park, Screwy Louie’s, the Holistic Cloud, Bath & Body Works, AutoZone, Seven Ranges Entertainment, NAPA Auto Parts in Wintersville, Buckeye Mechanical Contracting, R. Davis & Sons Heating and Cooling and Buena Vista Honey Farms. The competition space, tables and chairs were provided by the Fort Steuben Mall.

The night before saw a special race for former Scouts, Cub Scouts’ relatives and adult volunteers — which had 32 total participants. The winners, beginning from first place, were Riley Heldreth, Troop 22 in Richmond; Ed Schultz, Pack 151 Weirton; Matt Keller, Pack 20 in Richmond; James Cooper, Pack 415 in Wintersville; Connor Cooper, Troop 3 in Steubenville, and Buck Heldreth, Pack 20 in Richmond.

Volunteer staff at Saturday’s race included some long-time Scouting leaders. Helping at the registration table was Melissa Reinbold, a 22-year Scouting veteran who currently serves as assistant scout executive for the Mountaineer Area Council — which encompasses the Ohio River Valley District.

The derby challenges Cubs to construct their cars from “beginning to end” with help from adults, Reinbold said, adding that she’s proud to see participants’ good conduct during the event, and proud of the leaders who taught it to them.

“You may have a little kid who sheds a couple tears here today, but for the most part you have kids cheering each other on,” Reinbold said. “It says a lot for the character of the kids who are incur program.”

Reinbold noted that, on Feb. 8, the Boy Scouts of America is officially changing its name to Scouting America. Reinbold said this is being done to represent the program’s openness to boys and girls, dating back to 2018.

Another crew member was Dave Lawson of Troop 38 in New Cumberland, who helped Cubs secure their cars in their lanes. Lawson, who’s spent 30 years in Scouting, has been helping with the derby for about five years.

“This has been an age-old sub scout race, so it’s just great to see all these kids coming out, racing their cars — the camaraderie of it.”

Joe Eltringham, cubmaster of Pack 41 in Toronto, noted his pack had 10 Cubs participating in Saturday’s race. The event “builds good morale” among regional Cubs and is a chance for them to make a “lifelong friend.”

Among Pack 41’s participants was 10-year-old Colton Click, who finished finished third overall the competition. aided by grandfather who helped make the car. Assosted in car construction by his grandfather, Click said of his second time participating in the derby: “It’s pretty cool to come here and see other cars that people have made.”

Participating for his fourth year was 11-year-old Joseph Eltringham, whose goal in constructing a car was to “make it fast.” He was aided by his father, Joe Eltringham.

Also with Pack 41 was 11-year-old Jase Hawkins, whose father helped him build his car. Hawkins said of the competition: “I like how we have these competitions, and other people will win, and we all have a great time.”

Robert Hickle, cubmaster of Pack 20 in Richmond, said he had 40 cubs participating in Sunday’s derby. That’s a record for Pack 20 and four more than the participation count in the pack’s own derby, due to schedule conflicts. Hickle credited Kovaleski — his former scoutmaster — with instilling in him a passion for the pinewood derby.

“It gives a little friendly competition,” Hickle said. “You can just see all the kids rooting for their friends, whether their friends are in their pack or in another pack.”

Fort Steuben Mall was bustling with activity as the race continued. Supporters flocked around the track to watch, with some setting up lawn chairs for more comfortable spectating.

Both first-year members of Pack 415 in Wintersville, sisters Rylee Marriner, 6, and Everlee Hardsouk, 5, participated in the race. The two had help from their grandfather, Eddie Kostecki, in constructing their cars. Hardsouk noted her attention to detail, which included glitter and sparkly paint, while Marriner told of the weight adjustments she focused on.

Amy Kostecki, Marriner and Hardsouk’s grandmother, held a sign stating, “Don’t worry, it’s all downhill,” and another cheering on participants in general: “Go, stranger, go.” She said the derby’s benefits include “Building character and teamwork, supporting one another even though they don’t know (one another). We don’t know who half of the kids are, but we’re here to support them all.”

Also the two girls’ grandmother, Carrie Hardsouk, said of the competition: “It helps them learn about camaraderie — how to win, how to lose. It doesn’t matter if you won or lose, as long as you had fun.”