STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Featured in this week’s Staten Island’s Best Dressed are photos from the 2026 Staten Island Cub Scout Pinewood Derby. The event took place Feb. 7, 2026, at the Staten Island Mall.
Cub Scouts from all across Staten Island showcased their imagination, budding engineering abilities and teamwork on Saturday at the annual race.
The borough-wide championship featured top finishers from individual pack competitions, as Scouts raced their handcrafted wooden cars down a multi-lane track installed in the mall’s first-floor court near JCPenney.
Cub Scouts from kindergarten through fifth grade competed by rank, beginning with Lions and progressing through Tigers, Wolves, Bears, Webelos and Arrow of Light scouts.
Each car raced in a round-robin format, ensuring every entry competed against all others within its age group. First-, second- and third-place finishers in each rank received trophies.
Lions 2nd Place finisher Mateo Shuldman, of Pack 41, is all smiles after a winning run at the 2026 Staten Island Cub Scout Pinewood Derby on Feb. 7 at the Staten Island Mall.Courtesy Caleb Caldwell
The Pinewood Derby is one of the signature traditions of Cub Scouting, highlighting the program’s strong focus on family participation.
Working together with parents or guardians, Scouts turn a small wooden block — measuring just 2 by 7 inches — into a custom race car. Along the way, they explore foundational STEM principles like design planning, balance, weight placement and critical thinking, while also expressing their individuality through creative decoration.
The cars featured at the event reflected the imagination and character of their makers. Designs ranged from aerodynamic and polished to whimsical and bold, and were finished in an array of vibrant colors.
Some entries featured racing numbers, decals, or miniature figures mounted on top, while others embraced a clean, minimalist look.
2026 Staten Island Cub Scout Pinewood Derby ResultsRank / Grade LevelFirst PlacePackSecond PlacePackThird PlacePackLion (Kindergarten)Joseph ColtrinariPack 24Mateo ShuldmanPack 41George CalimanoPack 88Tiger (1st Grade)Noah BlockPack 41Jack SchaeferPack 132Maxwell ConnorsPack 37Wolf (2nd Grade)Rowan HenryPack 8Abigail ThompsonPack 1Louis Van SantPack 41Bear (3rd Grade)Thomas CalimanoPack 88Beau JamesPack 37Kira ZhengPack 25Webelos (4th Grade)Massimo BuoninfantePack 41Hunter BocayaPack 4Michael ConstantinoPack 8Arrow of Light (5th Grade)Liam HenryPack 8Max RegaPack 4Lucas SorrentiPack 6
Cub Scouting is open to girls and boys from kindergarten through fifth grade and is organized into dens of similarly aged youth who focus on teamwork, leadership and hands-on learning.
Cub Scout packs are located throughout Staten Island. Families interested in joining can visit beascout.org to find a local pack.
Scroll below for a glimpse into the fun Pinewood Derby festivities.
To be considered for future installments of this column, please send high-resolution photos with a brief description of the event and names of everyone pictured to gsantos@siadvance.com.
Shown is Lions 1st Place finisher Joseph Coltrinari, of Pack 24.Pinewood Derby
Wolves 2nd Place winner Abigail Tohmpson, Pack 1, is a top finisher at the 2026 Staten Island Cub Scout Pinewood Derby, Feb. 7 at the Staten Island Mall.Courtesy Caleb Caldwell
Arrow of Light 3rd Place winner Lucas Sorrenti, of Pack 6, is shown at the 2026 Staten Island Cub Scout Pinewood Derby at the Staten Island Mall, Feb. 7.
Courtesy Caleb Caldwell
Arrow of Light 1st Place winner Liam Henry, of Pack 8, is shown at the 2026 Staten Island Cub Scout Pinewood Derby on Feb. 7 at the Staten Island Mall. Courtesy Caleb Caldwell
Tigers 1st Place finisher Noah Block, of Pack 41, beams after earning top honors at the 2026 Staten Island Cub Scout Pinewood Derby, held Feb. 7 at the Staten Island Mall.
Courtesy Caleb Caldwell
Bears 1st Place finisher Thomas Calimano poses with a trophy after a standout performance at the 2026 Staten Island Cub Scout Pinewood Derby at the Staten Island Mall on Feb. 7.
Courtesy Caleb Caldwell
Arrow of Light 2nd Place finisher Max Rega, of Pack 4, celebrates his win at the 2026 Staten Island Cub Scout Pinewood Derby on Feb. 7 at the Staten Island Mall. Courtesy Caleb Caldwell
Bears 3rd Place finisher Kira Zheng, of Pack 25, displays her trophy at the 2026 Staten Island Cub Scout Pinewood Derby at the Staten Island Mall on Feb. 7.Courtesy Caleb Caldwell
Wolves 3rd Place finisher Louis Van Sant celebrates a hard-earned win at the 2026 Staten Island Cub Scout Pinewood Derby, held Feb. 7 at the Staten Island Mall. Courtesy Caleb Caldwell
Tigers 3rd Place finisher Maxwell Connors, of Pack 37, smiles after the 2026 Staten Island Cub Scout Pinewood Derby on Feb. 7 at the Staten Island Mall.Courtesy Caleb Caldwell
Bears 2nd Place finisher Beau James, of Pack 37, was a top racer at the 2026 Staten Island Cub Scout Pinewood Derby, Feb. 7 at the Staten Island Mall.
Courtesy Caleb Caldwell
Tigers 2nd Place finisher Jack Schaefer, of Pack 132, and his dad are shown after an impressive race at the 2026 Staten Island Cub Scout Pinewood Derby at the Staten Island Mall on Feb. 7.Courtesy Caleb Caldwell
Webelos 3rd Place finisher Michael Constantino, of Pack 8, celebrates success on the track at the 2026 Staten Island Cub Scout Pinewood Derby, held Feb. 7 at the Staten Island Mall.
Courtesy Caleb Caldwell
Wolves 1st Place finisher Rowan Henry, of Pack 8, is a proud winner at the 2026 Staten Island Cub Scout Pinewood Derby on Feb. 7 at the Staten Island Mall.Courtesy Caleb Caldwell
Webelos 1st Place finisher Massimo Buoninfante, of Pack 41, proudly displays his car and trophy with his dad the 2026 Staten Island Cub Scout Pinewood Derby, held Feb. 7 at the Staten Island Mall.Courtesy Caleb Caldwell
Webelos 2nd Place finisher Hunter Bocaya, of Pack 4, enjoys a winning moment captured at the 2026 Staten Island Cub Scout Pinewood Derby on Feb. 7 at the Staten Island Mall.Courtesy Caleb Caldwell