GENERAL INFO

INSPECTION & IMPOUND

Registration, inspection, and impound will occur at the Pack Meeting before Race Day. No cars will be accepted for racing after this time.

Cars will be inspected for compliance to the specifications set forth in the Rules section (below).

Cars that in the opinion of the official race judge(s) do not adhere to the specifications will be given an opportunity to correct the deviations during the specified inspection & impound time period. Cars that cannot be brought into specification by the end of the inspection period will be disqualified.

After being impounded, repairs will be limited to replacement of axles/wheels that are broken/lost during the races.

RULES

The Scout should substantially build the car. Parental supervision in the construction of the car is encouraged. The car must be newly built for the current Cub Scouting year. You may not reuse a car built in a previous year.

BODY:

The body of the car must be made substantially from the block of wood in the Official BSA Pinewood Derby Kit. Bodies of other materials will be grounds for disqualification. Note that semi-finished bodies available at hobby shops (Michael’s), toy stores, etc. are not allowed. The wheels & axles in these kits do not match the Official BSA kits, and the dimensions may not be correct. The body may be shaped, hollowed out, or built up from the original block, as long as it meets all other specifications. Any additions to the original body, i.e. steering wheels, drivers, decals, weights, etc. must be firmly attached.

WIDTH - Maximum width of the car, including wheels, may not exceed 2 3/4". The car body width at the wheels may not be modified; it must be the same as the original kit.

LENGTH - Overall length may not exceed 7".

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CLEARANCE - Anything on the bottom of the car (weights, decoration, etc.) must be flush with the wood at bottom of the car. Any protrusions could interfere with the car's ability to go smoothly down the track.

WEIGHT - The weight of the race-ready car must not exceed five (5) ounces as measured on the official scales.

WHEELS:

The wheels of the car must be from the official BSA Pinewood Derby kit or an official BSA wheel replacement kit. Wheels may be sanded lightly to remove the flashing (mold projection defects) only. NO reductions in width or diameter, or changes in shape are allowed. NO washers, bushings, or bearings are allowed.

AXLES:

The axles of the car must be from the official BSA Pinewood Derby kit or an official wheel replacement kit. Axles must be firmly attached to the car. NO one-piece axles are allowed. The car must have a separate axle for each wheel, as provided in the official BSA Pinewood Derby kit. It is recommended that you use the axle slots provided on the block of wood, but if you decide to create your own they must be at the same height from the bottom of the block as the pre-drilled axle slots. The use of a flexible suspension system of any type is prohibited.

LUBRICATION:

Dry lubricants may be used - graphite powder or PTFE (Teflon). No liquid lubricants. Warning - other lubricants, such as oil, may damage the plastic wheels and keep them from turning freely. Once the car is impounded, it may NOT be re-lubricated except when a wheel is damaged or becomes dislodged during a race. Graphite must be applied over a trashcan or outside of the race building. We do not want to wear out our welcome at the school by making a mess of the cafeteria.

IDENTIFICATION:

Do not mark your car in any way that would identify the owner, to allow for anonymous judging in the appearance categories. During the impound your car will be assigned a number.  

OTHER:

Cars must free wheel with no stored energy or movable weights. The motion of the car may not be mechanically aided - motor, springs, rubber bands, etc. are prohibited.

There is no designated front or back to the supplied body, either end may be the front. If there is any question about which end is the front of your car, please indicate the front by marking it CLEARLY with an arrow on the bottom of the car.

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The front of the car may not be designed to gain an unfair advantage at the start or to interfere with a fair start. The front of the car may not extend past the starting pin on the track, either by going over it, or by going around/beside it.

RACE DAY

Schedule (please try to arrive 30 minutes before your den's start time)

9:00am - Lion and Tiger Dens

9:20am - Wolf Den

9:40am - Bear Den

10:00am - Webelo/AOL Dens

10:30am - Parents/Siblings

11:00am - Leaders

11:20am - Pack Final (top 2 from each den)

12:00pm - Clean and Pack up

Race format will be lane rotation, with each den racing two rounds. The winning car will be the car with the lowest total time (highest average speed) across all races in the two rounds. Lane rotation means that each car will run once in each lane in each round. All cars in a den will race the same number of times and all cars will race evenly across the lanes in use. This is done to ensure that a lane that is slower or faster than the other lanes does not affect any car’s standing. The number of times your car will race per round will depend on the number of cars entered in your den.

TROPHIES & RIBBONS

Trophies will be awarded for 1st, 2nd & 3rd place finishers in each den, with 1st & 2nd place advancing to the pack finals. Also, the fastest 3rd place finisher from across all dens will qualify for the pack finals.

Trophies will be awarded for 1st, 2nd & 3rd place finishers in the pack finals.

Ribbons will be awarded for other categories as voted on by the group on Race Day.

There will be separate races for siblings & adults where they can build their own cars and compete against one another. The current-year rule does not apply in these categories.

IMPORTANT RULES

You must be present to race!

You may not touch any other competitor’s car. After the Thursday impound, you may only touch your own car if directed to do so by the race officials.

Cars will be disqualified if the Scout or his parents display unsportsmanlike conduct on the race site. Please remember that this is not about winning. It is about designing & building a car, and participating in a friendly competition. Parents, please set a good example for your children.

The decisions of the race officials (Pinewood Derby Chairman, Cubmaster, Pack Committee Chairman) are final.

**** Scouting encourages good sportsmanship. ****

RESOURCES

Many craft stores and builder supply house have a Pinewood Derby section. Here you can get tools, weights, sticker kits, lubrication and other supplies.  GO EARLY! MANY PEOPLE START ON THEIR CAR AFTER CHRISTMAS AND THESE DISPLAYS ARE PICKED DRY IN EARLY JANUARY!!

The Scout Shop has a great selection of pinewood derby accessories.

1800 Circle 75 Pkwy, Atlanta, GA 30339

Stores that might have a Pinewood section:
Hobby Lobby
Home Depot
Lowe's

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Online Help and Ideas:

Pinewood Pro

Boy's Life

Maximum Velocity (Five Keys to Derby Success)

ABC Pinewood Derby (good info)

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