Pinewood Derby!

Rules & Regulations | Links to More | Pack&District Photos

A Pinewood Derby is a racing event for Cub Scouts in the Boy Scouts of America. Cub Scouts, with the help of parents, build their own cars from wood, from kits containing a block of pine, plastic wheels and metal axles. They race them on special tracks. Awards are often given to recognize the hard work the boys have done and in appreciation of the final results, as well as for winning the speed races.

Pack 126 has had a tradition of running annual Pinewood Derby races.  Each year, the boys are encouraged to do some form of service in order to earn their car kits. For the February 2009 race the boys were asked to make hand-made cards to be delivered to the Children's Hospital. 

Upcoming Derby:  April 2, 2011 (tentative)

Watch this space for more information as it becomes available!

(and read on for Pinewood Derby tips!)

All cars competing for the speed awards must conform to the District Cub Scout Regulations. Each Cub Scout may enter one car. Siblings are welcome to purchase a kit and make a car, however we do not normally run "official" siblings races.  Parents may purchase a kit and enter the Outlaw Class racing heats.  The Outlaw Class will have rules slightly outside of the normal Scout rules.

Vaughn Hall is our Pinewood Derby official. He provides the track and conducts the racing heats for Scouts all over the District. His track is regulation, with a steep slope, a raised center in the lanes, and the horizontal length sits on the floor.  It uses an electronic finish line with indicator lights for the first car over the line.

We will be using the District Rules and Regulations for our Pack Derby this year.  This allows the Cub Scouts to enter their cars in the District Pinewood Derby (held at the annual Cub-O-Ree campout) without having to make any modifications.

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The 2009 Pinewood Derby was held on February 14th, 2009 at Faith Community Church of the Nazarene.  Weigh-in began at 9am, with the races starting at 10am. 

--- -2010- ---

The 2009 Pinewood Derby was held on April 10th, 2010 at Faith Community Church of the Nazarene.  Weigh-in began at 9am, with the races starting at 10am. 

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Before I offer the page of Derby links I have collected, I'd like to give a few tips from all the Derby reading I've done to get this part of the site ready, and from some personal experience.

Some derby racing fans have discovered that sometimes the block of wood from the kit races just as well, if not better than a car that has had a lot of work put into it, so let the kids have their head on the design.  The thought is that the track really isn't long enough for aerodynamics and drag to play all that much a part.  If you discard the thought of aerodynamics, then really sky's the limit with your design.  Up to you, of course. 

Have your son draw it out on paper first.  They learn about how to draw the side view and top view, and pick the colors they want.  I usually try to steer my boys to simpler lines, as they are easier to trim, but the designs are their own.

An adult should do any cutting requiring the use of power tools. A parent can trim down to the basic shape with them, so that the boys don't have so much wood to cut away to get to their design.  Bears and Webelos who have earned their whittlin' chip can use their pocket knives if they wish (make sure knives are sharp!).  Dremmel tools are fine, but adult supervision please!  A boy with a piece of sandpaper can do wonders... Don't forget to consider small rasps or files that may help.

The best finishes are often done with spray paint, and you can show your son how to mask off areas for creating stripes and lines, etc. and allow them to spray, in a well-ventilated area.  (We made an impromptu paint stand with two large nails in a chunk of wood.)  A final clearcoat is a nice touch.  I do NOT advise the use of markers, even permanent ones, unless you use a sealer after, because the markers often run or stain hands or clothes.  Paint pens might be a good idea. Crayons work if that's all you have. Again, I would suggest a sealer to finish.  The car can be painted before or after any weight is added, but remember that paint Does add weight to the car!  Be sure to weigh the car as you move through the process of completing it.  (Ask around, several Pack parents have scales, and sometimes the post office will weigh them for you.)

The boys often like to use small figurines they have in their toys, which is fine. Just be sure the figure is attached securely to the car, or that it can be removed for the race. There is a large variety of decals available online and at the Scout Shop, or you can make your own on your computer from any images you find.  There are also plastic cockpits and windshields you can get, though I've rarely seen any of them used in our pack.  You can attach objects to the car for design, but again, they should be securely attached, or removable for the race. Be mindful of the height and width requirements for the cars as they will race side-by-side and must fit the lanes and be able to pass under the finish line.

You can get wheel polishing kits at the Scout Shop.  These are small metal pieces you can put in an electric drill to hold the wheel so that you can smooth off any burrs with sandpaper.  Be careful that you don't thin the wheel or change it's shape.  A bit of powdered Teflon can be polished onto the wheels which will make them shine.  (powdered Teflon is prefered to graphite for safety reasons.)  Be sure to polish the axels too.  They are small nails and have ridges near the head, and you want to polish off these ridges with a thin strip of sandpaper till the axels shine too. We suggest using dry Teflon for lubrication of all parts.

I believe that you can now get colored wheels at the Scout Shop that are Scout Regulation. Also, you may want to cover or "guard" the axels, as they rest in an open slot in the car block. You can purchase axel guards at the Scout Shop for this purpose, or simply put a piece of tape across the open axel slots. Be sure this does not interfere with the free spinning of the wheels.

You will need to add some weight to your car to bring it up to the limit of 5oz.  Most folks generally like to get as close to the maximum weight limit as possible. But don't go over or you will be disqualified.  There are flat weights you can purchase online or at the Scout Shop and these are fine, but do not put them on the bottom of the car body, because they drag on the raised center of the lanes and slow you down.  You can use most any kind of weight.  Many like to drill a cavity into the body of the car and pour in melted weight of some sort.  Be careful how you do this, as molten weight material can burn through or leave burn marks in the wood if the cavity walls are thin, and you probably don't want that to show on the outside of your vehicle.  I would suggest you put a tiny screw into the wood inside the cavity if you do this, to give the melted weight something to hang on to as it hardens.  If you don't, you may turn your car right-side up and find the solidified weigh falls right out! (Yes, it happened to us.) Most veterans suggest the best place for most of the added weight is just in front of the rear axel.  Be sure to test your car, so it doesn't end up doing a wheelie down the track! (Yeah, we've had a couple of those, too.) The weight of choice is often molten lead, from lead fishing weights, however the fumes from melted lead are not safe and this should NOT be handled in any way by a child!

Find links to more Pinewood Derby information

HERE

Get ready to Race for the Checkered Flag!

(For photos from past Pack 126 Pinewood Derbies, go to the News page and click on the Photo Album button.)

("Eat My Graphite" and derby track photos are from past Pack 126 Pinewood Derby Races.)

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