Pinewood derby

Building a Pinewood Derby car can be tricky; it’s often beyond the skills of a 6- to 10-year-old boy to do it himself. However, we encourage parents to allow their son to do as much of the work as he is capable of doing, and help only when necessary for safety and instruction. Remember, a Scout is Trustworthy.

In Pack 194, we practice good sportsmanship at our Pinewood Derby. This means doing the very best you can, following all of the rules, and being satisfied with the result. No bragging or gloating if you win; no feeling jealous or bitter if you lose. If we all do this, we will definitely have a fun and exciting race day!

You must build an original car for this year’s Pinewood Derby; no re-using parts or entire cars from previous Pinewood Derbies.

Please read the following carefully BEFORE starting your build.

Building your car - Official rules

Length, Width, clearance & Wheel location

Maximum overall width of the car (including wheels and axles) shall not exceed 2 3⁄4 inches.
Minimum width between wheels shall be 1 3⁄4 inches so the car will fit over the center guide strip.
Minimum clearance between the bottom of the car and track shall be 3/8 inch so the car will clear the center guide strip.
Maximum length of the car shall not exceed 7 inches.
Maximum height of the car shall be less than 4”, so the car will fit underneath the timing bridge.
The wheelbase (distance between the front and rear axles) may not be changed or altered. The precut slot in block must be used as the axle base (precut slots may be squared if needed).
The front end of the wooden block should rest against the starting peg on the racetrack, and no part of the car or anything on it can protrude in front of the starting peg.
The nose of the car may not come to a point and should be at least approximately 1⁄2” wide to rest on the starting peg and to trip the finish timer.

Weight & appearance

Weight shall not exceed 5 ounces, rounded to the nearest tenth of an ounce. The readings of the official race scale will be considered final.
The car may be hollowed out and built up to the maximum weight by the addition of wood or metal only, provided it is built into the body and/or firmly glued/affixed to it. Weights cannot be taped to the car.
The official Pinewood Derby block must be used. Details such as steering wheel, driver, spoiler, decals, lights, flags, painting, interior details, etc., are permissible as long as these details do not cause the car to exceed the maximum length, width, height, and weight specifications, and do not interfere with any other car.
No loose or moving materials of any kind, including mercury, are permitted in or on the car.
Liquid weights that transfer weight from one part of the car to another when the car is tipped or rolled are prohibited.
All paint and glue must be dry before presenting the car for inspection. Cars with wet paint or glue will not be accepted.

Wheels & axles

NOTE: Illegal wheels, purchased or modified, are the #1 cause for disqualification. Most of the wheels you can purchase on the Internet will cause your car to be disqualified. It is strongly advised that you use only the wheels that came with the kit on your car. Please ask if you have any questions.

Single axles that go all the way through the car are prohibited. Each wheel must be free spinning on its own individual nail head axle installed in the precut slots. Use of the axles that came with the kit is strongly recommended.
Axles may be polished, but may not be grooved. Axle diameter may not be decreased.
Wheels may be lightly sanded to remove mold imperfections and flashings. This light sanding is the only wheel modification allowed.
No material may be removed from the wheel. This includes removal of the step from either end of the wheel bore or outer hub face, or removing material from the wall of the wheel for “balancing.”
Wheels may not be shaped into any configurations such as v, u or b. Beveling, tapering, sanding (other than the light sanding in #3 above), wafering, rounding, lathe truing, reducing diameter, narrowing, thinning, etc., of the wheels is prohibited.
Wheel bearings, washers or bushings are prohibited and the car shall not ride on any type of springs.
The car must be free-wheeling with no starting device or other propulsion.
The car must have four wheels, but only 3 wheels are required to contact the track.
Axles may be bent or angled in the slot to adjust steering, angle a wheel or to raise a wheel from touching; however, the axles must be in the slot.
The axles, including the tip, must be visible to the pit crew. Any glue or epoxy in the slot must be transparent. Do not cover the axle slot with adhesive weights.

Lubrication

Only dry lubricants, such as powdered graphite, may be used.
Krytox, XOil, Nyoil, and similar liquid lubricants damage the track and are not allowed. Regular oils or silicone sprays may soften the plastic wheel or damage the track and are also not allowed.
Lubrication must be done prior to surrendering your car at weigh-in. Lubrication is not allowed on race day.
Cars may be lubricated before pit crew inspection. No further lubrication will be permitted, including between heats and during other stoppages in the action.

Pinewood Derby Templates.pdf

Derby Car template

PW Derby Inspection Sheet 2019.pdf

Inspection Sheet

Sibling cars

We will have sibling races during the course of the derby. Building specifications are the same in most regards, however, the maximum weight is 1 pound. Wheels need to be BSA wheels in the same dimensions for clearance in order to run on the track without damaging it.

The Weigh-in

Weigh-in will occur the Wednesday before the race.

Each car must pass inspection by the official inspection committee at weigh-in before it may compete.

The official race scale used at weigh-in is considered final. If at weigh-in, a car does not pass inspection, the owner will be informed of the reason for failure and given time within the official weigh-in period to make adjustments. Once a car has passed inspection, it must be surrendered to the committee who will bring it to the derby. It will not be re-inspected unless the car is damaged in handling or in the race. Committee decisions are final at weigh-in.

Cars will not be accepted on race day, no exceptions.

Finally, not every circumstance can be covered by these rules. If you have a question, please ask!

Race Day Rules

Each car will be raced 4 times, once in each lane of the track. The order in which the cars are raced is randomly generated by the computer. Actual times are recorded by the computer during each race.
The 3 cars with the fastest average time per rank will race 4 times in one final heat to determine placement for awards. (Because we record actual times and not placement in a race, it is possible for a car to place in first during races and not be one of the 3 fastest cars)
Official times will be recorded by car number and posted after the winners receive their awards.

As most of you can imagine, things may or may not occur during a race that affects the results. If an event occurs that affects the results of a race, a decision will be made by the race committee as to what steps should be taken that would be the most fair to all scouts involved.

Questions?

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