The Pinewood Derby

The Derby is unusual in Cub Scouting because it’s a genuine competition — which means all but one child might leave disappointed. We use it to promote sportsmanship, good citizenship, personal achievement and family togetherness. If your kids can cheer on their friends after their own cars are eliminated, we’ve done something right.

How race day works

1. Your child checks in. The car is weighed, inspected and assigned a number.
2. Once a car is weighed and accepted, only race officials and the cub may touch it.
3. Cubs race in groups of twelve, determined primarily by den. A heat takes 20–25 minutes, and every child races at least six times — once in each lane of the track.
4. The three fastest cars from each heat move on to a final round to decide the speed winners.
5. Scout voting for the design awards happens throughout the day.
6. The Family League races after the scouts have finished.

Design awards — voted by the scouts

• That Does Not Look Like a Car
• Scoutiest car
• Most colorful car
• Most hilarious car
• Dreamiest / most magical car
• Most historic car
• Most futuristic car
• Most animal-like car
• Car with the most hard miles on it
• Stealthiest car
• Most edible car
• Most friendly car
• Scout's Choice

Chosen by leaders and race results

• 1st, 2nd and 3rd place — fastest cars
• Cubmaster Favorite
• Family League Design Choice
• Demolition Derby Car — the car that leaves its lane the most

The rules

Dimensions

• Overall width no more than 2¾ inches, so it doesn’t interfere with the car next to it.
• 1¾ inches clearance between the wheels, so it runs on the centre rail.
• ⅜ inch clearance underneath the body, so it doesn’t rub on the track.
• Must fit under the timing gate at the end of the track — about 4 inches high.

Weight

• No more than 141.75 grams (5 ounces if the scale doesn’t show grams).
• The official race scale used at check-in is final.

Wood, wheels and axles

• The official pinewood derby kit block must be used.
• The front edge should be straight or U-shaped so it rests easily on the starting pin. Avoid V shapes.
• Official BSA wheels only. They may not be altered except for light sanding to remove seams and imperfections. Hubs may be painted. The alternate-color official BSA wheels are fine.
• The axle nails from your kit must be used. You may polish them to remove seams, and you may bend them.
• All four wheels must touch the surface of the scale at weigh-in.

Not allowed

• No lubrication of any kind, wet or dry. This means no graphite.
• No riding on fewer than four wheels.
• No wheel bearings, washers or bushings. No springs.
• No starting devices, propulsion or additional power — the car must be freewheeling.
• No loose material of any kind, such as lead shot.
• Pre-made car kits violate the spirit of the event.

How to actually win

You win by moving exactly five ounces of car downhill with as little friction and as much gravity-driven force as possible. Friction is anything opposing forward motion: the air, the track, and your wheels and axles.

• Smooth axles and an aerodynamic shape. If you can’t settle on a design, a simple wedge is very effective.
• Weight the back of the car, not the front. As the track’s slope changes, a rear-weighted car gets a gravity boost a front-weighted one doesn’t. Ideally most of the weight sits about an inch in front of the rear axle.

Designing the car

Print a blank template, let your scout draw whatever they want on it, cut the paper out and tape or glue it to the block. Then an adult cuts that shape into the wood, and the scout sands, paints and accessorizes.

The Family League

We’re parents too — we know how tempting it is to “help” a bit too much. So there’s a separate round of racing just for adults, siblings and other non-scouts. Your car has to meet all the same rules, but it can be entirely your own creation. Let’s see what you’ve got.