Cub Scouting family gets ‘amazing’ experience courtesy of professional stock car racer

It’s been a year of firsts for 5-year-old James Bryan, a Cub Scout from Pack 91 in Edmond, Oklahoma.

As a member of his pack’s Lion den, James has experienced his first year in Cub Scouts, his first Pinewood Derby car and, most recently, his first plane ride and first trip to see a professional stock car race in person, thanks to a partnership between a professional race car driver and Scouting America.

James was the winner of the Zachary Tinkle Pinewood Derby Car Design Contest. By designing and building a Pinewood Derby car with his family and then submitting a photo of that car to Scouting America, James was selected as the winner and received an all-expenses-paid trip for the whole family paid to see a race at legendary Rockingham Speedway earlier this month.

Not only that, the Bryan family also got to spend time with Zachary Tinkle, a former Cub Scout who’s currently racing in the ARCA Menards Series East, a regional stock car racing series owned by NASCAR and the Automobile Racing Club of America.

James and his family got a close-up view of the “pit” — the designated area alongside the track where race cars stop to refuel, change tires and undergo repairs.

And as if that weren’t enough, Tinkle’s car was wrapped — the process of applying a design to a race car’s surface — to mimic James’ Pinewood Derby car design, complete with James’ name on the passenger name rail.

“We had a great time with Zachary and his team,” James says. “It was a lot of fun. I got to meet legendary race car drivers too.”

“The coolest thing ever”

James chose to paint his sleek Pinewood Derby car with a cool pattern of blue and orange.

The design was selected as the winner by representatives from the Zachary Tinkle Foundation, along with Tinkle himself. The foundation is a nonprofit that provides funds for a variety of noble causes, including pet rescues, reading programs and programs that benefit U.S. veterans.

“I’m really excited for this contest,” Tinkle told us back in January. “It’s a great opportunity. Having your Pinewood Derby car be on a real race car — I would have loved to do that when I was a Cub Scout.”

And what an experience it was for young James.

He got to sit in the race car as Tinkle’s crew revved the engine. He got to watch part of the race from the car hauler, the massive truck that hauls the car from race to race.

And maybe best of all, he got to meet Tinkle and share his pre-race snack. Tinkle went on to finish a very respectable 11th in the race.

“Zachary is super nice,” James says. “He let me have his PB&J sandwich, and after the race, he ran over and gave me a fist bump.

“And seeing my name on the race car was the coolest thing ever.”

“A team effort”

Tinkle is a member of the Fast Track Racing team.

“Cub Scouts was something really fun for me to do after school, and it was a great way for me to socialize with my friends,” he says.

Tinkle is currently based out of Speedway, Indiana, home of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

As for James, he’s certainly the envy of his pack.

He says he learned one big thing about racing that you wouldn’t necessarily know from watching it on TV.

“Racing has a lot of rules, and it’s not just about going fast,” he says. “It really is a team effort.”

Photos courtesy of Zachary Tinkle racing