VIENNA, W.Va. - A week before the NASCAR season kicks off with the Daytona 500, local Cub Scouts will have their own racing event Saturday at the Grand Central Mall.

The 37th annual Davis Anderson Memorial Cub Scout Pinewood Derby Allohak Council Championships start at 10 a.m., with Scouts from several surrounding counties racing cars of their own design and craftsmanship.

The annual event will have more than 1,000 youth racing on five tracks throughout the mall.

Pinewood Derby chairwoman Kathy Anderson Wise said the purpose of the derby is to help Scouts build a team relationship with their parent or helper, experience a sense of accomplishment, learn new skills, experience the excitement of competition, learn good sportsmanship and have fun. The model cars are made of wood to specified dimensions, created, carved, assembled and decorated by Cub Scouts under the guidance of parents or helpers.

"The idea for the race is to give the boys an opportunity to experience good friendly competition and track good sportsmanship. Boys will come away from here with a sense of satisfaction that 'I may not have won, but I had a good time participating,'" said Wise.

All Scouts are required to build a new car each year. Cubmasters review these guidelines with their packs before the derby. On race day, the cars will be weighed, measured and inspected to confirm that the race rules have been followed.

At noon Saturday, the Scouts will play host to the Mayors and Area Dignitaries/Celebrities Race at Center Court.

While the first local Pinewood Derby was held in 1973, the derby has been an annual event at the Grand Central Mall since 1974. Wise credits the mall, its merchants and other area merchants for their cooperation and support as several hundred Scouts and their family members spend the day at the facility.

The derby kicks off Scout Anniversary Week as Scouts from the area and across the state celebrate the Boy Scouts of America's 99th anniversary. Scouting continues to be a strong force in instilling values in the youth of America as one of the nation's largest youth organizations with a membership of more than 4 million youth, Wise said. The Allohak Council has over 9,000 youth participating in Scouting on an annual basis.

For more information, visit the council's Web site at www.allohak.org.