Losing a Track, Finding Success: How Everyone Wins with Brick Derby

Brick Derby is so much more than friendly competition. Brad Barnett , one of our Pinewood Pros, recently traveled across the country with his Trail Life troop for a week-long Brick Derby program. A major track mishap almost managed to upend the experience, but banding together in the true spirit of Brick Derby racing made the occasion far more memorable than if it had all gone according to plan.

This summer, seven members of Trail Life Troop AL-254 traveled more than 2,400 miles from Alabama to the Yakama Nation in Washington State to serve alongside Sacred Road Ministries . We spent our mornings helping with home repair projects and chopping firewood, while our afternoons were devoted to Kids Club activities for local children.

Among the supplies we packed were thousands of LEGO® bricks, dozens of Brick Derby chassis , and plans for a week-long Brick Derby™ program.

Then, the track disappeared. Somewhere between Alabama and Washington, the track we intended to use never arrived. For many organizations, access to a track is the biggest barrier to starting a Brick Derby™ program. Without one, it would have been easy to just cancel the activity outright.

Instead, we decided to build one.

Members of our team purchased materials from a local hardware store and constructed a four-lane track from scratch. What began as a setback quickly turned into an opportunity to demonstrate one of Brick Derby's greatest strengths: zero need for a huge budget or technical equipment to create an experience that kids will remember.

By that afternoon, children were racing. What followed reminded us why Brick Derby™ is so special. Throughout the week, nearly 60 children participated in Kids Club activities, and racers of all kinds took their turn at the starting line: competitors as young as four years old, some as old as fifteen, boys and girls alike, and many first-time builders. Differences in age, gender, and experience aside, they were all able and eager to race together. Brick Derby™ created a level playing field where every child had, and will continue to have, an opportunity to compete, create, and succeed.

Some racers carefully engineered their cars for speed. Others relied on creativity, experimentation, and imagination. There was no single formula for success, and that's part of what makes Brick Derby™ unique. And while it was fun to watch for the winners, the real excitement happened all around the entire track.

Older kids helped younger children build. Friends shared ideas and spare parts. Children encouraged one another after tough losses and celebrated the victories. Connection happened naturally as spectators gathered around the lanes to watch the next heat.

The track was far more than a race venue. It was a gathering place where community quickly took shape. For our Trailmen, the experience reinforced an important lesson: meaningful ministry often happens through simple interactions. Sometimes it's serving on a construction project. Sometimes it's leading a Bible lesson. And sometimes, it's sitting beside a child, helping attach Godzilla to a Brick Derby™ chassis and cheering as it crosses the finish line.

On the final day, we held our championship races and distributed LEGO® gifts to every child who participated. We took photos and celebrated everyone who made the event such a success. And while a LEGO® set was a great takeaway, I’d argue the best takeaway of all was the reminder that Brick Derby™ is truly for everyone. When we take our differences out of the equation and rally around a simple homemade track, that’s where magic happens.

And when every child can come to the same starting line, that's a race worth running. Pinewood Pro is a proud sponsor of this event.

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Losing a Track, Finding Success: How Everyone Wins with Brick Derby

Pinewood Derby expert Brad Barnett recounts a cross-country mishap turned memorable event through the power of rallying together.