Girl Scouts Rev Up Community Spirit at Second Annual Trefoil Turbo Derby

On Sunday, January 11th, Girl Scout Troop 60431, a group of fourth-grade Girl Scouts from Woodbridge, hosted the second annual Trefoil Turbo Derby, an energetic racing event inspired by classic Pinewood Derby competitions. Designed and led by the girls themselves, the event welcomed Girl Scouts, friends, families, and community members from surrounding towns for a day filled with creativity, collaboration, and cheering from the sidelines.

Building on the success of its debut year, the Trefoil Turbo Derby continued to grow in both size and enthusiasm, featuring more than 75 handmade cars racing through a full afternoon of heats. While Troop 60431 organized the event, participation extended well beyond the troop, reflecting the girls’ goal of sharing their love of automotive-style racing with a wider audience.

The Girl Scouts were deeply involved throughout the process—from designing and racing their cars to supporting fellow racers and helping the event run smoothly. Their excitement was matched by strong parent involvement, with many families volunteering as pit crew helpers, race-day support, and organizers. The collaboration between girls and parents created a vibrant, community-driven atmosphere that defined the day.

The Trefoil Turbo Derby also served as a hands-on opportunity for girls to explore design, engineering, and friendly competition in an encouraging environment. Parents and spectators lined the track, celebrating not just speed, but creativity, effort, and sportsmanship.

“It’s been really exciting to see how interested the girls have become in automotive-style racing and engineering,” said Alexis Walter, co-leader of Girl Scout Troop 60431. “They take so much pride in building something themselves and seeing it race.”

This year’s event was supported by a number of local businesses. Sponsors, listed alphabetically, included British Botanicals; Capasso Landscaping; Crabtree Nissan of Middlebury; Dream Weavers LLC; Essential Pediatric Therapy; FCP Euro; Mike’s Auto Towing, Orange; Orange Landscaping; Quail and Ale; and Splash Car Wash.

Additional community support helped ensure the event ran smoothly. Cub Scout Pack 902 provided the race track, and Andrew Bertelli, Assistant Cubmaster for Pack 7, oversaw the track operations and timing software throughout the event.

“When girls get excited about how things work, it opens the door to confidence and curiosity,” added troop co-leader, Betsy Kirkham “This event gives them a fun, hands-on way to explore those interests.”

With growing participation, dedicated parent volunteers, and enthusiastic racers, the Trefoil Turbo Derby continues to build momentum. Troop 60431 looks forward to expanding the event in the years ahead and continuing to bring families together through creativity, teamwork, and fun.