Official Pinewood Derby Rules
Cub Scout Pack 173
Willowridge Elementary School
Amherst, NY

Sportsmanship

The purpose of the Pinewood Derby is to give Cub Scouts an opportunity to learn the skills necessary to build the car and to learn good sportsmanship in competition.

Learning the skills should be done with the assistance and guidance of a parent, guardian or trusted adult. The Cub Scout should be the primary builder of the car with help as needed.

More important than learning the skill of building is learning be a good sport. The parent, guardian or trusted adult should be a role model emphasizing the fun of building and competing, following the rules and cheering for everyone win or lose. Honesty, respect and sportsmanship are the most important things being built at the Pinewood Derby.

Qualification:

Only the official Pinewood Derby Kit passed out by Pack 173 may be used. No pre-built or other kits may be used.

The Pinewood Derby is open to all Cub Scouts currently registered in Pack 173.

Only new cars that were made for this year's race will be permitted. Cars or parts of cars that raced in any previous Pinewood Derby MAY NOT be reentered for this year's event.

The car must be free wheeling, driven entirely by gravity. No starting devices or other propulsion is allowed. There may be no use of springs, shocks, wheel bearings, bushings, washers or other suspension.

Technical Specifications:

Weight shall not exceed 5 ounces as measured by the official scale at check in before the race.

Maximum width including wheels and axles shall not exceed 2 3/4 inches.

Minimum width between the wheels shall be 1 3/4 inches to clear the center guide.

Minimum clearance from track to bottom of the car is 3/8 inch so the car does not hang up on the track during the race.

Maximum length of the car shall not exceed 7 inches.

Axles must be secured in the original grooves provided with the kit. The original axle grooves may not be altered.

The car may not be thinned at the position of the original axle grooves.

Only the axles and wheels supplied with the kit are allowed.

Axles must be glued securely in the original grooves at check in.

Wheels may be sanded to remove burrs but the tread must remain flat. The tread area may not be rounded, grooved, or shaped in any way.

No part of the car may extend beyond the starting gate pin prior to the start of the race.

Any added details must stay within the length, width and weight limits. All attachments and weights must be secured to the car or removed before check in.

Only dry lubricant will be accepted. Cars may be lubricated before check in, no further lubrication will be allowed after check in.

Cars with wet paint or glue will not pass inspection and will not be allowed to race.

Race Rules:

Each car will be inspected at check in by a race official.

All technical specifications will be checked.

Cars may be modified until the check in period is over, a warning will be sounded 5 minutes before check in closes.

Cars may not be designed to give it an unfair advantage. Please follow both the letter of the rules and the spirit of the rules.

Once checked in, the car will be impounded and handled only by race officials for the duration of the race.

If a car jumps the track or interferes with another car, the heat is run again. If it happens again, the heat will be run again without the interfering car, which will automatically place last in the heat.

If a car suffers a mechanical problem after check in, while being handled by race officials, the car will be repaired in the pit area by race officials.

The race official's decisions are final.