Pinewood Derby Car Requirements
- The car being entered shall be a new car – not a car built for
a previous race.
- Pack 166 will sell Official
Pinewood Derby kits for $4.00 at the December pack meeting. Or buy
one at the Denville Patriot’s Path Council scout shop or Ramsey
Outdoor in Succasunna.
- The pinewood body from the Official Pinewood Derby kit must be used.
It can be shaped, built up, and/or hollowed out as long as it satisfies
all other specifications.
- The wheels and axles from the Official Pinewood Derby kit must be
used. No washers, bushings, bearings, or springs are allowed. Wheels
may be sanded to remove flashing only. No reduction in width or
diameter, or changes in shape are allowed.
- Maximum overall width (including wheels and axles) must not exceed
2 ¾ inches.
- Minimum clearance between the bottom of the car and the bottom of
the wheels shall be 3/8 inch so that the car will clear the center guide
strip.
- Maximum total length of the car shall not exceed 7 inches.
- No part of the car can protrude beyond the starting post. Tapered
fronts and spoilers are permitted providing that they satisfy this requirement.
Starting post is 3/8" rising approximately 1" from the center
of the track.
- The weight of the car shall not exceed 5 ounces (141.7 grams). The
reading of the Official Race Scale will be considered final.
- Only dry powdered lubricants can be used. Cars should be lubricated
prior to inspection. No other lubrication by the racers will be allowed.
The Race Committee will make a best effort to add lubricant to all cars
that qualify for the pack finals.
Guidelines For Pinewood Derby Race Day
- Kindly arrive in accordance with the schedule above.
- Cars will be inspected at registration. Owners will be informed of any
violations to the above specifications and will be given an opportunity
to bring their car into compliance up until the scheduled race time. To
make race day more fun for everyone, please complete your car before
check-in.
- After registration, cars will be impounded for the duration of the
race and design judging. If a wheel falls off, the Race Committee will
make an attempt to replace it prior to the next race. No other changes
are permitted.
- Each den will race their cars against each other. First, second, and
third place finishes in each den will qualify for the Pack Finals.
- Trophies will be given to the top three finishers in each Den and top
four finishers in the Pack.
- Three pack trophies will also be given for design. Subjective judging
will be based on appearance, originality, uniqueness, and craftsmanship.
Two cars from each den qualify for the design finals. The final judging
will take place prior to the Pack Final races.
- All Race Committee decisions are final.
Heat and Finals Format
"The
Judge" is our electronic finish line that optically
senses the car's finish line position.
First place - solid light
Second place - blinking light (half on / half off)
Third place - winking light (off for more time than blinking)
Fourth place - no light
Ties are rare, but possible - the heat is re-run with
only the cars involved in the tie on the same lanes.
We run a "Modified Round Robin" instead of
"Double Elimination". This race format is fairer because it
ensures that:
Each car is guaranteed to run at least 4 heats
Match-ups are more "balanced" - you race
against more different opponents
Each car runs on every lane
The decision of "The Judge" is
final in all races.
For The Den Races:
Each car runs 4 heats, each in a different lane.
Points are assigned to each place finish.
4 points for First place
3 points for Second place
2 points for Third place
1 point for Fourth place
After all Den heats are completed, the highest point
totals determine the Den winners.
In the case of a point total tie, a single (sudden
death) tiebreaker will be used.
The top 3 finishers in each Den receive a trophy and
advance to the Pack Finals.
For The Pack Finals:
All cars that qualify for the finals get a position in the Finals Table.
Each car runs eight heats, two heats per
lane.
Points are assigned as in the den races.
Final point total determines winners.
In case of a tie of 4 or less cars, a
single (sudden death) heat will be used to break the tie.
In case of a tie of more than 4 cars,
we'll run a Modified Round Robin to break the tie.
|