KINGSTON — Racing down 5-foot tall ramps with 16-feet of runway Saturday in Kingston were this year’s Cub Scouts, complete with wide eyes and tooth-missing grins.

The make-shift soap box derby launchers brought Cub Scouts from far and wide to test their mettle on the back drags of My Girl Drive-In and Museum during the Fourth Annual Cubmobile Fun’razin races.

Five was the magical number of the day.

Fifty-five scouts from Poulsbo, Kingston, Silverdale and East Bremerton, representing five packs from Kitsap County, participated in the event, hosted by the Little City by the Sea’s own Troop 555.

The vehicles of choice were little more than 2x4s with a handbrake, seatbelt and rubber tires, but with a little paint and names such as the “Silver Bullet” and the “Big Bad Wolf,” the boys were ready to compete with the pros.

That’s not to say there weren’t any crashes.

Hay bales, donated by Sacks Feed, and tires from Les Schwab definitely came in handy for the many accidents of the day.

One of the more unfortunate racers missed the bales altogether and ended up racing down the rough terrain of a grassy hill as many shouting cub scouts and parents rushed after him.

Cheers of “He survived!” and “He looks fine!” came from the boys as they walked back up the hill with the shaken speedster.

“Lots of people. Always crashes,” said 4-year-old Jacob Booher of the Triple Nickel, 555, Pack. Although a little disappointed he wasn’t able to race yet, Jacob said he was looking forward to it when he turns 7.

Waiting to watch his three older brothers race with his mother Bernie Booher, Pack Cubmaster and the Master of Ceremonies for the day, Jacob was scoping out new style designs for when he is able to climb the ramp and sit in his very own.

“Pack 544 has that blue truck. That’s Mr. Chases pack. I like that one,” Jacob said nodding his head enthusiastically.

He was not the only one interested in the design work of the racers. Hot Rod enthusiasts Howard Stump and Dale Gerber came in hopes that some of the boys will someday develop their same passion for old time automobiles and rebuild work.

“These are the future hotrodders … They just need to learn to keep their feet real tight on the steering,” Stump said, as one of the boys crashed into a bale.

“These kids are the future force,” said Gerber who owns Kitsap Powder Coating, LLC, “This is where I started 10 years ago. Alright, 50 years ago. But the best part of this whole thing is that there has been no real design change.” Fifty years later it’s still the same.

Stump, owner of HMS auto rebuilding said he was doing this when he was a kid and his love for it kept building as he got older.

“This is where I started — coaster cars — I was building them for everyone in the neighborhood when I was a kid.” Stump said, “It is really fun to come out here and see what the kids come up with.”

Although parents can help out, as part of the rules, their assistance must be limited. However, there was talk between dads of future concerning plans to revamp the 2x4s by installing Nitrous Oxide – “NOs” in racing terms.

Bob Thompson, owner of the My Girl Diner and Museum has held the races at his place for the past four years and said he has no plans of changing that.

“These kids really get into it and have fun,” Thompson said. “It makes it fun to watch.”