Pinewood Derby

Pinewood Derby

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Go to Pinewood Derby How to This is the best HOW TO website for pinewood derby I have seen on the web. Read their front page for the best information.

Go to their template page for car designs. The PDF files given here can be printed to serve as templates to trace onto your wood car blank. There are 15 sheets of designs.

Go to Pinewood Car Designer
Scouts may use the Pinewood Derby Car Designer to design their car. Then, you can print it out, and draw the design on the car and cut it.

Go to Scoutorama Do you like to over engineer things? WELL RESIST IT!!! THE SCOUTS ARE SUPPOSE TO DO THEIR OWN CARS!!! Okay, so your scout likes to tinker and overengineer….. Then, here you go, a resource to keep him busy all year long.

Go to Boys Life Game
Let your scout practice for the pinewood derby… Okay, not really, but your scout will love the Boys Life Online Game.

Places for supplies. We do not endorse or promote these vendors but list them as reference.

TF Train & Hobby
26A Righter Ave, Denville, New Jersey 07834, USA
(973)784-4220
(973) 784-4219
Store hours: Mon-Fri 10A-8P, Sat-Sun 10A-6P
If you go to TF make sure to tell them you are in Scouting to get a 15% discount (they are long time supporters and members of scouting). Also, they will gladly work with you to get what you want or need. They agreed to stock up for the pinewood derby season.

Hobby Town
U.S. 206
Newton, NJ 07860
(973) 300-9799
They have a nice supply, but getting specialty things can be a problem, and restock is sometimes slow.

These are the rules we used for our Cub Scout Pack Pinewood Derby race. Rules may differ, so be sure to read and abide by the rules for your race. ALL CARS MUST PASS INSPECTION TO QUALIFY FOR THE RACE

Do you have a sibling just drooling over your Scout's car?? Well get them a kit and get to work. Enter the car in the open race with the Boy Scouts and other siblings

One of the fun things for the boys to do is take their car to the Post Office. The Post Office knows when it is Pinewood Derby Season and will weigh the car and tell you if you are over or under. The Post Office Employees also get a kick out of seeing the cars.

Following are the inspection points

The car weight shall not exceed 5.0 ounces. You can add weights to get to 5oz. The official race scale shall be considered final.
The overall length of the car shall not exceed 7 inches.
The overall width of the car shall not exceed 2 ¾ inches.
The car must have 1 ¾” clearance between the wheels.
The car should have 3/8” clearance underneath the body. (Pack 97’s track will allow for lower clearance if needed, not recommended)
The wood provided in the kit must be used. The block may be shaped any way that is desired.
Only Official BSA wheels may be used and you can fix imperfections in the wheel. You may use the wheels supplied with the kit, or you can buy colored wheels at The scout shop. The wheels may not be cut, drilled, beveled or rounded. You may remove the seam from the wheels. But they may not be thinned or narrowed, and everybody sands them smooth inside and out.
The axles supplied with the kit must be used. You may remove the burr at the top, and they may be polished and/or lubricated.
The car must not ride on any type of springs.
The car must be freewheeling, with no starting devices. No loose material of any kind, such as lead shot, may be used.
The car body may have no moving parts.
Construction of ALL entries MUST have begun AFTER last year's races.
Only one car may be registered by any person in the Pinewood Derby.
Only dry lubricants such as graphite or powdered teflon "white lube" will be allowed for lubricating the wheels. Lubricants may not foul the track. If a lot of lubricant is observed on the car at inspection, you may be asked to gently blow some of it off.
Only one lubrication is allowed before inspection. The car will be impounded and the scout may not touch it during the derby. Repairs may be made at the discretion of the race committee, but no lubrication may be added during repairs.
Details such as the steering wheel, driver, decals, painting, and interior detail are permissible as long as these details do not exceed the maximum length, width, and weight specifications.

Each car must pass inspection by the official inspection committee before it will be allowed to compete. The Inspection Committee has the responsibility to disqualify those cars that do not meet these specifications. Come early so you may make any modifications that need to be made.

Pack 97 Track

Starting Gate