Pinewood Derby Overview

Pack 648: Welcome to the World Famous Pinewood Derby!

The Pinewood Derby teaches Cub Scouts how to plan a project, use tools, and work with their hands.  Most importantly, it makes memories that will last your child a lifetime.

The Cub Scouts, with the help of their parents, make their own cars from a wooden block and includes metal nail axles, and plastic wheels. Each car will race on a gravity driven track against each other on race day. There are prizes in many different categories, more details are provided below!

Family and friends are encouraged to make their own cars and separately race…

Quick Links: Pinewood Derby Template and Pinewood Derby Rules

Check-in Day

Time: You will receive an email with the time and location.

Bring your cars to get checked in the day before the race.  Each car will be inspected, weighed, and impounded.

For a smooth check in, please see ‘Pro tips’ below which include common mistakes to avoid.

Race Day

Hilltop Recreation Center 9711 Oviedo Way, San Diego, CA 92129 

The scouts will race for the fastest average time.

Scouts, please wear your Class A uniform.

Awards

• • • • • • 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place trophies for the fastest scouts

          •  1st, 2nd, and 3rd place ribbons for the fastest scouts of each den

Award certificates can go to the scouts or the parents:

• • • • • • Best in Show:         Best looking overall

          • The Comedian:       The funniest

          • Speeding Ticket:     Fastest looking

          • Most unique:          Best design that does not look like a car

          • Best theme:           Most creative to match the theme selected for the given year

Pro Tips

Get started over Winter Break

The closer we get to crunch time, the more likely it is for the workload to shift from scout to parent.  Give yourself plenty of time.  Work in <1 hr blocks.  Plan ahead, come up with a schedule and learn how to how to stick with it. 

One great way to teach a scout how to build is by having the parent make their own car.  They can teach by example while still allowing the scout to do the majority of the work on their car.

Do not add weight to the bottom of the block.  It will not clear the track.

Do not go over the weight limit.  That leads to an unpleasant inspection day.  You will have to remove a lot of wood to drop the weight even a small amount.  The sawdust gets into the axles.  The paint job gets destroyed.  The whole process is bad.

Consider the following strategy: Leave your car a little underweight.  Go to the inspection with some glue, spare weights, and small spaces pre-cut into the car where you can add them.  Put the car on the scale and then add the spare weights until you get to 4.99oz, then glue them in.

Please avoid submitting a car with:

• • • • Wet paint

      • Wet glue

      • Excessive graphite (can foul the track)