Oscar Mayer

In 1953, Don Murphy organized the first pinewood derby in Manhattan Beach, CA, because his son was too young to participate in the traditional soap box derbies. Since then, thousands of children all over the country have been carving race cars out of blocks of pinewood in the hopes that their model would be faster than their neighbors’ when it cruised down the lane.

Collin, from Pittsboro, NC, wanted his pinewood derby car to stick out from the pack, so he carved a Wienermobile. Little did he know that a few days later, he would be able to catch a glimpse of the real thing. Torey Toppings and I were thrilled to be able to show off what inspired him to create what was sure to be a winning vehicle.

The Wienermobile with its smaller counterpart.