The day of the Newberry Community Church Pinewood Derby
had come to pass and the fellowship hall was alive with activity
as the children , as well as a few adults, eagerly and anxiously
waited for the race to begin.
Mac Davenport and Gary Canfield checked the track to make
sure all fastenings were tight. Mac used his old pinewood racers
as test cars to test the track. To his relief and satisfaction, it all
checked out.
Wilfred Templar, a fellow greeter, manned the weigh station
using a scale specifically made for pinewood cars to make sure
they were at the correct weight of six ounces or under.
At a table near the track the pinecars were lined up on top of it
along with the children participating in the race.
Brian and Dawn Canfield, Julie Benson and her younger half-
-brother Alex Hobbs, the twin boys Toby and D.J. and the
rest of the church children waited anxiously.
Mac walked to the center of the room to announce the
beginning of the race. Mac addressed the crowd:
"May I have your attention please. First I want to thank all
of you for coming to our tenth annual Pinewood Derby and
to thank those of you who helped in bringing this event about.
Now if we can all please stand as we begin the event by
singing our national anthem."
And with that those that were sitting immediately stood up
and hands were placed over hearts as everyone present from
adults down to the children began to sing the Star-Spangled
Banner. Everyone turned to the American flag that stood
next to the stage on the far end of the vast room of the
fellowship hall as they sang out the anthem.
When the singing ended, cheers and clapping followed
and then Mac Davenport once again addressed with,
"Racers," then a little louder with, "START YOUR
ENGINES!"
As if on cue, the children grabbed their cars and lined
up at the starting end of the track, with Mac standing
next to the starting line to release the cars down the track.
Wilfred stood at the finish line ready to declare the winning
racecar of each heat.
The first racers at the track were Julie Benson, Alex Hobbs
and Eric Nelson. Julie with her VW Beetle in Herbie the Love
Bug colors and stripes and those plastic eyes for headlights,
Alex with his red pick-up with its roll bar and black stripes,
and Eric Nelson with a bright yellow Ferrari sports car.
Mac placed the cars on the starting line; the cars held in
place by wooden pins.
Mac announced the racers of the heat, then with his hand on
the catch-release called out, "Heat number one!" and released
the catch trigger, sending the cars racing down the track and
toward the finish line.
Wilfred eyed the cars all the way down to the finish line with
Alex's racer the first to reach the finish line with Julie and Eric's
cars following immediately after. It was a close first heat.
Wilfred picked up Alex's car to signify it was the winner in
which Mac then anounced, "Winner of heat number one goes
to Alex Hobbs!"
Alex shouted and jumped for joy on hearing his name called.
Mac patted the boy on the head and said, "Good job, little guy!"
Next were were the twin boys, Toby and D. J. Holmes and
Violet Werkman. Mac placed each of their cars on the starting
line and called out with "Heat Number Two and sent the cars
down the track, Wilfred picking up Violet Werkman's car; a
green open-wheeled roadster. Violet, like Alex before her,
jumped and shouted for joy also.
Seated next to each other in metal folding seats placed next to
the track were Vera Canfield, Karen Williams, and Jenny Garrett.
They were conversing with one another between heats. Karen
observed the children by the race table and noticed how Brian and
Dawn were at the end. She then turned to Vera.
"Vera," Karen spoke, "I noticed how Brian and Dawn chose to
be at the end of the line."
"Yes," Vera replied, "They've been at this so long they decided
to let the less experienced go first."
"And they didn't have to be told or reminded of that," Jenny put
in, " Brian mentioned about their decision to me after the last race
we had last year."
"That's correct," said Vera, "In fact, Brian and Dawn have become
so good at building their cars and racing they felt their skills would
be too competitive for the others."
"And they didn't have to be reminded?" Karen wondered, eyebrows
raised slightly.
"No, although Gary and I both agreed with them."
"You and Gary are bringing up two wonderful children."
The conversation stopped briefly as Mac announced Heat
Number Three and attention was turned toward the track as
Mac released the cars of the third heat. The conversation
resumed after the winner was announced.
Karen had thought about the conversation she had with
Mac after she met him at the cemetery where they both
happened to meet when Mac was visiting the grave of
his deceased parents and she, her deceased older brother.
Mac and Karen got together at the Corner Diner after
they both left the cemetery and she remembered the
part of their conversation when Mac mentioned his
hobby of building wooden model antique cars.
"Vera," Karen asked, "Did Mac teach them their car
building skills, by any chance?"
"Oh yes," Vera answered, "He and Gary are both
skilled at woodworking. Gary with the track and Mac
with the cars."
"I see. Mac did mention to me one time that he likes
to make wooden antique car models."
"Yes."
"Karen," Jenny spoke up, " Mac even made Wilfred
a wooden model of an antique double-deck bus as
a welcoming gift when Wilfred first came to our church."
"Really?" Karen then remembered the time when the
Canfields invited Karen and her mother to dine with
them after their first visit with Newberry Community
Church.
Karen remembered the one topic of their dining
conversation of when Wilfred was a stranded
motorist and Mac happened to come along
and offered assistance to Wilfred.
"Yes," Jenny went on, "Wilfred was so moved
by that, too. He said his breakdown on the
highway was a blessing in disguise and that Mac
was a godsend."
"So Wilfred's been here ever since?"
"Yes."
Karen thought, Yes, Mac was indeed a godsend; in
a lot of ways.
As the race was in its final stages as it was coming down
to the top three contenders; Alex Hobbs, Julie Benson
and D.J. Holmes.
Mac then announced the final heat of the race which
would determine the winner.
Alex, Julie and D.J. approached the racetrack and
Mac placed their cars on the starting line. The room
became suddenly quiet as everyone waited in suspense
to see who the winner of the Newberry Community
Church Pinewood Derby would be.
"The final heat," Mac announced, then released the
final three cars down the track, all eyes locked on
the pinecars as they made their way down the track
for the last time. The three cars seemed to race neck
and neck until at the last section of track the red pickup
belonging to Alex Hobbs gained the lead and reached
the finish line first. Wilfred held up the winning car and
Mac announced, "The winner of the tenth annual
Newberry Community Church Pinewood Derby is
ALEX HOBBS!"
Alex's eyes went as wide as hard-boiled eggs when
the winner was announced and then he jumped up
and down excitedy then ran over and hugged Mac
around the leg.
"Congratulations there, buddy!" Mac said as he
rubbed Alex's head, "Stay here while I get your
prize."
Mac went over to a table where the prizes were
kept and picked up three trophies, one for the
winner one for the second and third place
racers.
Mac walked to the center of the room with
everyone standing as Mac announced the
winners:
"Grand prize goes to Alex Hobbs! " Mac
held up the twelve-inch tall gold trophy
with a pinecar-shaped piece on the top
and called Alex over. Jenny Garrett
came over with her digital camera and
snapped pictures of Mac handing the
trophy to Alex then got one of just Alex
and his trophy. Mac then announced the
second place winner:
"Second place goes to Julie Benson! C'mon
over, Julie!" Mac then handed a six-inch
silver trophy with the same pinecar shape
on top and Jenny repeated the same photo-
shoots as she did with Alex.
Mac then announced the third place winner:
"Winner of third place is D.J. Holmes!" D.J.
went over on hearing his name and Jenny
again repeated the photoshoot process as
she did with Alex and Julie.
There was clapping for all three winners as
each had been announced. Jenny then got
with the three kids and took pictures of the
three of them together holding their trophies.
Jenny then had the kids get with their families
and get their pics taken together.
Mac looked on with great satisfaction as
pictures were being taken and noticed
how Alex Hobbs looked to be in seventh
heaven as he held his trophy and pinecar.
Mac looked toward Alex and thought, That's
what it's all about.
Karen walked over to Mac as he was
getting ready to dismantle the track and
kindly stated, "Mac, you really made
somebody's day today. Alex looked as
if he was in seventh heaven!"
Mac thought in amazement, Wow! This
gal can read my mind! He then said aloud
what he just thought before Karen came over,
"That's what it's all about."
"It really is," agreed Karen, " and it seems
that everyone I talk to that mentions you
always has something nice to say about you."
Mac blushed a little in spite of himself and
thought, Aw, cut it out Karen.
Karen noticed Mac's face got slightly red
and with that knew Mac wasn't being
falsely modest.
Mac couldn't think of anything to say to
Karen's kind statement, although he did
greatly appreciate it. All he could get out
was, "I'm just a big softie, I guess."
Karen replied with, "You have a heart for
the Lord, that's what."
"Now there is definitely that, too."
Just then all the children came over to Mac
to thank him for bringing about the race, some
hugging him, and some shaking his hand. The
parents of the kids who participated came over
as well to thank him and added a few kind words.
After all was said and done and everyone was
leaving, Karen turned to Mac and again stated
kindly, "I believe you made everyone's day, Mac!"
"I guess I did," Mac humbly replied.
This concludes Chapter Fourteen.
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