Hello all,
New here and new to pinewood car derby building. Just received the rules from our pack and wanted to get your opinions on the application.
I want to help my son build a fast car; in fact his priority is speed over appearance, but also want to make sure we hold true to good integrity and do not do anything that may be construed as cheating or an interpretation that is not true to the values of the scouts.
I'm asking the veterans here as I think the rules are not that well written.
For example: All cars entered shall be constructed from the "Official
Grand Prix Pinewood Derby Kit". Does this mean only the kit that was given to the cub by the den or other official kits?
The ones I'm the most confused about are T3 and T6 regarding wheel and axle treatment. It says that only the nails from the kit can be used, but does that mean I can but BSA polished nails from DD4H or I need to polish the nails in the box? Also, would it be cool to buy a block or am I stuck with the block from the box?
Same for wheels. Can I buy treated wheels, or am I stuck buying tools to bore and shave and true the wheels from the box? Which wheels in the DD4H site would meet the rule an give the fastest car?
Thanks so much, I'm sure I'll have many more questions. The rules are below:
GENERAL RULES: (Applies to all Race Events)
Essential Materials: All cars entered shall be constructed from the "Official
Grand Prix Pinewood Derby Kit" (referred to below as the kit).
Competitor Categories: All Tiger, Wolf, Bear, Webelos I, and Webelos II Cub Scouts will compete with others in the same Rank.
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. (some Pack 159 leniency to this rule on a case by case basis)
G-5. "New Work": Construction of ALL entries MUST have begun AFTER last year's (2011) Pinewood Derby Race.
G-6. Single Entry per Cub: Only one car per cub may be registered.
G-7. Inspection and Registration: Each car must pass a technical inspection before it may compete. Technical inspection and registration of cars occurs on the day of the race.
G-8. Failure to Pass Inspection: The Inspection Committee shall disqualify cars which do not meet the rules as described herein. If a car does not pass inspection, the owner will be informed of the reason his car did not pass. The owner may take the car, with the assistance of his adult partner, and make modifications required to get the car in compliance with the Race Car Design Standards. This may be done as often as needed up to the closing of Technical Inspection and Registration for that rank. Cars which fail the inspection may be allowed to race but will not be eligible for prizes nor will be allowed to advance past the first round.
G-9. Impound: No car may be altered in any way after it has been registered. After a car passes registration, it will be stored by the Pinewood Derby Race Committee until its race.
G-10. Car Design Rules Interpretation: Interpretation of the rules are at the sole discretion of the Inspection Committee Judges present during the Registration and Inspection process.
G11. Race-Day Rules Interpretation: On Race-Day, the Cub Scout must make all questions of rules interpretations and procedures to the Pinewood Derby Chairman or 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 Trackmaster 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). Materials from the kit may be supplemented but not replaced.
T-2. Weight: Race cars may weigh no more than five (5) ounces (total weight) as determined on the official scales during the pre-race check-in.
T-3. Wheels and Axles: The car shall roll on the wheels from the kit. The wheels shall turn about the axle nails from the kit. The axle nails shall be firmly affixed to the wood of the car body, and MUST be placed in the 'axle grooves' in the supplied wooden block. It must be obvious to the judges that the grooves, wheels, and the nails from the kit are being used. All four wheels MUST touch the ground when placed on a level surface.
T-4. Size: Race cars may be no longer than 7 inches, or 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 race track. Adequate clearance is the responsibility of therace car builder. Since track timers have clearance limitations, it is requested that cars be no taller than three inches.
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, by permanent glue, nails, screws, or Coin Pockets but not by "sticky substances", such as tape, or tack spray. Weights shall be passive, i.e. non-moveable, non-magnetic, non-electric, non-sticky, etc.
T-6. Wheel Treatment: Wheel treatment (hub and tread smoothing and polishing) may not result in substantial removal of mass or in reducing the wheel width from the original kit wheels. Some of the original "tread marks" on the wheel face must remain intact, i.e. apparent to the inspector. Wheels may not be machined to a beveled condition and the portion of the wheel surface that contacts the track must remain parallel to the axle.
T-7. Unacceptable Construction: The following may NOT be used in conjunction with the wheels or axles: hubcaps, washers, inserts, sleeves, bearings, or riding on springs. The following may NOT be incorporated into the construction of the car: protrusions (i.e. wires) that extend beyond the front of the car; cuts that allow the front of the car to extend beyond the starting line; or additions to the car that cause the car’s front wooden edge to not be in contact with the starting pin.
T-8. Gravity Powered: The race 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. Lubricants must be applied before entering the building. No lubricant may be applied to the car after it has been inspected or registered.
New here and new to pinewood car derby building. Just received the rules from our pack and wanted to get your opinions on the application.
I want to help my son build a fast car; in fact his priority is speed over appearance, but also want to make sure we hold true to good integrity and do not do anything that may be construed as cheating or an interpretation that is not true to the values of the scouts.
I'm asking the veterans here as I think the rules are not that well written.
For example: All cars entered shall be constructed from the "Official
Grand Prix Pinewood Derby Kit". Does this mean only the kit that was given to the cub by the den or other official kits?
The ones I'm the most confused about are T3 and T6 regarding wheel and axle treatment. It says that only the nails from the kit can be used, but does that mean I can but BSA polished nails from DD4H or I need to polish the nails in the box? Also, would it be cool to buy a block or am I stuck with the block from the box?
Same for wheels. Can I buy treated wheels, or am I stuck buying tools to bore and shave and true the wheels from the box? Which wheels in the DD4H site would meet the rule an give the fastest car?
Thanks so much, I'm sure I'll have many more questions. The rules are below:
GENERAL RULES: (Applies to all Race Events)
Essential Materials: All cars entered shall be constructed from the "Official
Grand Prix Pinewood Derby Kit" (referred to below as the kit).
Competitor Categories: All Tiger, Wolf, Bear, Webelos I, and Webelos II Cub Scouts will compete with others in the same Rank.
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. (some Pack 159 leniency to this rule on a case by case basis)
G-5. "New Work": Construction of ALL entries MUST have begun AFTER last year's (2011) Pinewood Derby Race.
G-6. Single Entry per Cub: Only one car per cub may be registered.
G-7. Inspection and Registration: Each car must pass a technical inspection before it may compete. Technical inspection and registration of cars occurs on the day of the race.
G-8. Failure to Pass Inspection: The Inspection Committee shall disqualify cars which do not meet the rules as described herein. If a car does not pass inspection, the owner will be informed of the reason his car did not pass. The owner may take the car, with the assistance of his adult partner, and make modifications required to get the car in compliance with the Race Car Design Standards. This may be done as often as needed up to the closing of Technical Inspection and Registration for that rank. Cars which fail the inspection may be allowed to race but will not be eligible for prizes nor will be allowed to advance past the first round.
G-9. Impound: No car may be altered in any way after it has been registered. After a car passes registration, it will be stored by the Pinewood Derby Race Committee until its race.
G-10. Car Design Rules Interpretation: Interpretation of the rules are at the sole discretion of the Inspection Committee Judges present during the Registration and Inspection process.
G11. Race-Day Rules Interpretation: On Race-Day, the Cub Scout must make all questions of rules interpretations and procedures to the Pinewood Derby Chairman or 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 Trackmaster 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). Materials from the kit may be supplemented but not replaced.
T-2. Weight: Race cars may weigh no more than five (5) ounces (total weight) as determined on the official scales during the pre-race check-in.
T-3. Wheels and Axles: The car shall roll on the wheels from the kit. The wheels shall turn about the axle nails from the kit. The axle nails shall be firmly affixed to the wood of the car body, and MUST be placed in the 'axle grooves' in the supplied wooden block. It must be obvious to the judges that the grooves, wheels, and the nails from the kit are being used. All four wheels MUST touch the ground when placed on a level surface.
T-4. Size: Race cars may be no longer than 7 inches, or 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 race track. Adequate clearance is the responsibility of therace car builder. Since track timers have clearance limitations, it is requested that cars be no taller than three inches.
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, by permanent glue, nails, screws, or Coin Pockets but not by "sticky substances", such as tape, or tack spray. Weights shall be passive, i.e. non-moveable, non-magnetic, non-electric, non-sticky, etc.
T-6. Wheel Treatment: Wheel treatment (hub and tread smoothing and polishing) may not result in substantial removal of mass or in reducing the wheel width from the original kit wheels. Some of the original "tread marks" on the wheel face must remain intact, i.e. apparent to the inspector. Wheels may not be machined to a beveled condition and the portion of the wheel surface that contacts the track must remain parallel to the axle.
T-7. Unacceptable Construction: The following may NOT be used in conjunction with the wheels or axles: hubcaps, washers, inserts, sleeves, bearings, or riding on springs. The following may NOT be incorporated into the construction of the car: protrusions (i.e. wires) that extend beyond the front of the car; cuts that allow the front of the car to extend beyond the starting line; or additions to the car that cause the car’s front wooden edge to not be in contact with the starting pin.
T-8. Gravity Powered: The race 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. Lubricants must be applied before entering the building. No lubricant may be applied to the car after it has been inspected or registered.
