OFFICIAL
PINEWOOD DERBY
EVENT RULES
AND PROCEDURES
Table of Contents:
PREFACE:
Pinewood Derby Philosophy
I. GENERAL: (Applies to all Race Events)
Rules about entering your car.
II. CUB SCOUT RACE CAR DESIGN STANDARDS
Rules about building your car.
III. CONDUCT OF THE RACES
Rules that will be used during the races
IV THE RACING ENVIRONMENT
Things you need to know about the track, timers, and scoring
V. PARENTS RACE CAR DESIGN STANDARDS
A race for Moms and Dads only
VI. SPECIAL NOTE TO ALL CONCERNED
Some notes on Sportsmanship!
PREFACE: Pinewood Derby Philosophy
The Scout is to build every piece of the Pinewood Derby car as is possible. What is possible varies by age is dictated by safety, skill level and the abilities of Scout.
Benefits
I. GENERAL RULES: (Applies to all Race Events)
G-1. Qualification: All registered Pack 195 Tiger, Wolf, Bear and Webelos Scouts may design, build and enter cars that are eligible to participate in the "Cub Scout Race" event. Parents or guardians of Cub Scouts registered in Pack 195 may design, build and enter cars that are eligible to participate in the "Akela Race" event.
G-2. Essential Materials:All cars entered shall be constructed from the "Official Grand Prix Pinewood Derby Kit" (referred to below as the kit) as distributed at the individual Den Meetings during the first two weeks of February. Additional kits may be purchased from the Scout Stores in Dayton or Springdale, Ohio.
G-3. Competitor Categories:There will be five divisions in this year's race: Tiger, Wolf, Bear, Webelo and Akela. Scouts that are registered within Pack 195, and Parents or guardians with registered sons may enter this Pinewood Derby. All entrants will compete within their individual divisions. The first, second and third place winners from each division will qualify for the Pack 195 finals, with the exception of the Akela division. The Akela division is for fun.
G-4. Attendance:The Cub Scout MUST enter his own car. This means that the Cub Scout must be present at "Inspection and Registration" to enter his car into competition. For tare and extenuating circumstances such as illness or family emergency, an ADULT may proxy for the racer. Another scout may not proxy for the missing racer.
G-5. "New Work":Construction of ALL entries MUST have begun AFTER the previous year's Pinewood Derby Races.
G-6. Single Entry per Person: any scout entering the Pinewood Derby may register only one car. Akelas may enter more than one car provided they pay the $4.00 entry fee for each car entered.
G-7. Registration occurs at the event:Each car must pass a pre-race technical inspection before it may compete. Registration closes 15 minutes before the race begins due to setup time needed on the computer. If a scout has not COMPL:ETED registration prior to minutes before race time, the scout will not be allowed to race due to impact on the overall event. No exceptions.
G-9. Failure to Pass Inspection: Inspectors shall disqualify cars that do not meet the rules as described below. If a car does not pass inspection, the owner will be informed of the reason his car did not pass. Cars, which fail the initial inspection, may be taken outside the gym for modifications, but must be brought back and complete registration in time as stated in G-7.
G-10. Race Day Weight Verification and Impound: All cars will be re-weighed and inspected on race day. No car may be altered in any way after it has been verified. After the size and weight of the car have been verified, the scout or Akela will take their car to the Garage, where it will remain until the scout is called to race.
G-11. Car Design Rules Interpretation: Interpretation of the rules described in G1 through G-11, and T-1 thru T-12 are at the sole discretion of the Inspection Committee Judges present during the Registration and Inspection process.
G-12. Race-Day Rules Interpretation: On Race-Day, the Cub Scout must make all questions of rules interpretations and procedures to the Pinewood Derby Race Officials promptly. Decisions of Race Officials on questions of rules interpretations and procedure may be appealed to the Pinewood Derby Chairman. All decisions of the Pinewood Derby Chairman are final. Decisions of Race Officials on questions of fact (i.e. the result of a specific race) may not be appealed beyond the Track Supervisor and/or Finish Line Judges. Note: Unsportsmanlike conduct by any participant or spectator will be grounds for expulsion from the competition and/or the race area.
II. CUB SCOUT RACE CAR DESIGN STANDARDS
T-1. Material: Race cars shall be constructed for this event from the parts contained in the Official Grand Prix Pinewood Derby Kit (referred to below as the kit) as supplied to the scouts by the pack. Materials from the kit may be supplemented but not replaced.
T-2. Weight:Racecars may weigh no more than five (5) ounces (total weight) as determined on the official scales during the pre-race check-in. Note: The official scale(s) will be available during the trials and again at the weight/size verification on the day of the race.
T-3. Wheels and Axles:The car shall roll on the wheels from the kit, or on wheels available from Grand Prix Pinewood Derby Axles and Wheels kit sold at the Boy Scout stores in Dayton and Springdale. The wheels shall turn about the axle nails from either of these kits. The axle nails shall be firmly affixed to the wood of the car body. It must be obvious to the judges that the grooves, wheels, and the nails from either of these kits are being used.
T-4. Size:Racecars may be no longer than 7 inches, nor wider than 2-3/4 (2.75) inches, as determined by the official gages during the Registration and Inspection. Underside clearance of at least 3/8 (0.375) inches and inside wheel-to-wheel clearance of at least 1-3/4 (1.75) inches is recommended, so that the car will run on the racetrack. Adequate clearance is the responsibility of the car builder.
T-5. Weights and Attachment:Weight may be added to the car and will be considered part of the car for purposes of all measurements. "Weight" is considered to be any material on the car that is not provided in the kit. All weight must be securely fastened to the car, e.g. by permanent glue, nails or screws, but not by "sticky substances", e.g. tape, or tack spray. Weights shall be passive, i.e. non-moveable, non-magnetic, non-electric, non-sticky, etc.
T-6. Wheel Treatment:Wheels may be polished to remove surface imperfections that could cause increased friction. The tread area may not be drilled to remove mass, however the 12 small circles within the spokes of the wheels may be drilled out to give the wheel the true spoke look. Any hub or tread smoothing/polishing may not result in substantial removal of mass, nor in reducing the wheel width from the original kit wheels. Hub coning will not be allowed. Wheels may not be machined to a beveled or canted condition and the portion of the wheel surface that contacts the track must remain parallel to the axle. The nail heads of the axles must be clearly visible (no hub caps holding graphite).
T-7. Unacceptable Construction:The following may NOT be used in conjunction with the wheels or axles: springs, hubcaps, washers, inserts, sleeves, bearings, hollow tubes, etc.
T-8. Gravity Powered:The car may not be constructed or treated in such a way that the track's starting mechanism imparts momentum to the car. (For instance, this provision disqualifies cars with sticky substances on the front of the car and protrusions, which may catch on the starting pin.)
T-9. Lubricants: Only dry lubricants such as graphite or powdered Teflon "white lube" will be allowed for lubricating the wheels. Lubricants may not foul the track. There will be a lubrication table set up at the race. In the interest of fairness , cars must be lubricated prior to registration and then never again. In other words NO lubrication may be added after the car begins racing. FINALLY, GRAPHITE IS VERY MESSY AND HARD TO CLEAN UP. NO GRAPHITE WILL BE ALLOWED IN THE GYM.
III. CONDUCT OF THE RACES
Competition will consist of heat races within each division, and a series of final heats at the Pack level. Track officials are responsible for the proper conduct of the races.
C-1. Inspection Gages: The race-day "Pit Stop" area will have the official scale and length box. That check-in equipment will be the official equipment for the race. (The same scales used for the Trial Run will be used on race day. All scouts should have tools ready to make any last minute minor adjustments, if needed.
C-2. Race Day Lubrication: In the interest of fairness, only one lubrication is allowed before the beginning of the first heat race and then once again before the beginning of the first race of the finals. The initial lubrication should be performed before the car is checked into the garage prior to the first race.
C-3. Car Handling Responsibility: Scouts will personally register their car s, then the cars will be put into the garage prior to the race. As they are called, scouts will retrieve their cars from the Garage Boss and report to the track/lane where they will race. Scouts will place and align their cars on their assigned track and lane, under the direction and supervision of the Track Supervisor.
C-4. Lane Assignment: Each car in each division will be entered into the Grand Prix Race Manager Software, which will be used to generate the race heats. To equalize differences among track lanes, each car in each division will race each other car in that division in each lane on each track. For example, if there were 12 cars in a division running on two 2-lane tracks (4 total lanes), there would be 2 heats consisting of 12 runs each.
C-5. Scoring: The track(s) will use digital timers accurate to 1/1000 of a second to obtain the finish times of the cars in each lane. These times will be automatically captured by the software, but will be verified by the track teams upon completion of each race. The top three finishers with the lowest cumulative time(throwing out the car's worst time) at the end of all heats within a division will win their division and advance to Pack Finals.
C-6. Car Leaves Lane: If, during a race heat, a car leaves its lane but proceeds down the track in a manner that does not interfere with its opponent, then the race will be called normally. If the car leaves it's lane and interferes with another car, the race will be re-staged and re-run. If the same car again leaves it's lane and interferes with another car, that car will be judged last place, and the race will be re-staged and re-run without that car.
C-7. Car Leaves Track: If, during a race heat, a car leaves the track without interfering with its opponent, it shall be considered to have ended its heat at that point.
C-8. Car Repair (Without Fault): If, during the race, a wheel falls off or the car becomes otherwise damaged, then the SCOUT may, to the best of his ability perform repairs with the assistance of his adult partner or Pit Crewmember.
C-9. Car Repair (With Fault):If a car is damaged due to track fault, or damage caused by another car or person, then the Track Supervisor, at his sole discretion, may allow additional repair assistance to the Cub.
C-10. No Finishers:If, during a race heat, no car reaches the finish line on the track, the car, which went the farthest in its lane, shall be declared as the heat winner.
C-11. Call to Race:Competitors will be called by their assigned car number prior to each heat. When his number is called, each SCOUT will retrieve his car from "the Garage" and go directly to their assigned track and lane. If the Cub does not respond, his name will be called a second and third time. If the Cub has not presented himself in time for his heat, he will be judged as placing last for that race heat. If no competitor is present, the track chairman may, at their sole discretion, defer the race heat in a manner that does not interfere with progress of the racing.
C-12. Division Champions:The top three finishers from each division shall be move on to the Finals. Cars will be impounded in the Garage until the start of the Final Heats. No modifications shall be done to the cars prior to the running of the finals.
C-13. Track Fault:If a car leaves its lane, at his sole discretion, the Track Supervisor may inspect the track and, if a track fault is found which probably caused the initial violation, the Track Supervisor may order the race heat to be rerun after the track is repaired.
C-14. The Race Area: Only race officials may enter the track area. This rule will be strictly enforced.
C-15. Rewards and Recognition: The most important values in Pinewood Derby competition are parent/son participation, good sportsmanship and learning how to follow rules. The Awards Committee is responsible for recognizing and encouraging these qualities in addition to traditional racing awards. Racers will be recognized as follows:
a.)Every participating Scout will receive a Pinewood Derby patch and certificate.
b.)Cars will be judged in several categories, including Most Creative, Most Humorous, Best Craftsmanship, Most Colorful, Best Looking Car built by a Tiger Scout, Best Use of Scouting Theme, etc. Cars winning in each of the categories will receive a certificate or and/or a ribbon for winning.
c) First second and third place ribbons will be awarded at the Den/Patrol Level.
d)Trophies will be awarded to the first, second and third-place finishers in each Division: Tiger, Wolf, Bear, and Webelo.
e.)Trophies will be awarded for the first thru third place finishers overall in Pack 195.
IV. AKELA DIVISION: PARENT'S RACE CAR DESIGN STANDARDS
(... or "Why should the kids have ALL the fun?")
The purpose of the Akela Division is to have a little fun.
All adults are encouraged to build their own cars. The adult's race will be held immediately following the Scouts race. Any parent or guardian of a Cub Scout who is registered in Pack [number] may enter this race.
P-1. Technical standards: The Technical Standards for the Cub Scout race (above) will be used in the Parents Race with the exception that items T-6, T-7 and T-12 do not apply. More precisely, we will be VERY lenient with the rules. If the car doesn't harm the track or the other cars it is racing with, it will be considered a valid car.
P-2. Entry Fee: An entry fee of $4.00 will be paid prior to participating in the race.
P-3. Number Of Entries: You may race as many cars as you wish as long as you pay the standard entry fee for EACH car.
P-4. The Car: You may NOT use your son's current car for this race.
P-5. Weigh-In: Cars will be inspected, weighed, and registered just prior to the race.
VI. SPECIAL NOTES TO ALL CONCERNED
This project is a parent and son event, and is recommended as such by the National Boy Scouts of America. The Pinewood Derby Committee STRONGLY SUGGESTS that each parent emphasize this idea with your son. In all of the events, we require that the cars be built this year.
Sportsmanship:
Two things the Pinewood Derby requires each participant to learn are 1) the craft skills necessary to build a car, and 2) the rules that must be followed. Even more important, though, is how we act and behave while participating in the Pinewood Derby or any other group activity. This is called sportsmanship.
The first thing to remember about sportsmanship is that everyone's skills are a little different. You may be good at something like singing or drawing, but not as good at something else like basketball or computers. Parents have different skill levels, too. This doesn't mean that you are a good person one time and not good another time. You can always be a good person, whether or not you have good car-building skills. Remember, you and your friends are individuals first and racers second. This idea is often called having respect for others.
The second thing to remember is that is it up to you to be honest. Without rules, there would be no way to have a fair Pinewood Derby. You will never know if you are really good at doing something unless you follow the rules.
The third thing to remember about good sportsmanship is that there are winners and losers in every competition. You accept this when you choose to compete. There may be times when you win and feel happy, and times when you lose and feel unhappy. Being a winner is easy, and losing is sometimes hard. If you win, you must not brag or gloat. If you lose, you must not feel jealous or bitter. To be a good sportsman, you must be able to say "I did my best" and be satisfied with the results. Finally, follow the golden rule and congratulate other scouts when they have success.