Pinewood Derby

Weekdays from 10:00 am – 6:00 pm & Saturday from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm

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Build Your Pinewood Car

How-To Resources

Detailed books and guides are available at the Fargo Scout Shop:

Build your Car

Design Your Car – Steps in preparing for Pinewood Derby season is designing your car are listed below! Whether you are going for ultra-fast or flashiest, make your dreams come to life. Get the perfect look and feel with the best paints, sound and light kits, peel-n-stick decals, and bright wheel colors.

Blank Template – to design your own car

THE BASICS Cub Scouts get in motion!

All you need is an official Pinewood Derby® car kit and your imagination. Inside the kit you’ll find the wooden block, wheels, and axles – everything you need to get started.

Brainstorm with your adult mentor to come up with a design that’s a fun challenge, but not too difficult to build. You’ll need to know your pack’s race rules and what awards you can shoot for, so you can be sure to meet the requirements and aim to be the Fastest, Most Original, Best Craftsmanship or other fine achievements.

FOLLOW THESE STEPS ON YOUR PATH TO GLORY!

Draw out some design ideas (using graph paper is helpful)
Sketch the outline of your chosen design on the wooden block (with the help of your mentor)
Cut out the car shape using woodworking tools (let your mentor help with the hard parts)
Use sandpaper to smooth the surface.
Paint your car and add decals available at Scoutshop.org.
Add the axles & wheels (Make sure they fit the car body correctly & that the wheels spin easily)
Add accessories if you’d like (remember to check your local rules)
Now you’re ready to race!

10 STEPS TO GET YOU MOVING

Step 1 – Design your car’s body

Choose your favorite design and outline it onto your paper template or graph paper. Be sure to maintain a width of 1-3/4 inches where the metal axle will be inserted. Outline the bare block of wood onto the paper. Keep the design simple enough to avoid overly detailed cutting.

Step 2 – Shape your car’s body

a) Keep in mind the tools you have available, such as saws, drills and sanders, when formulating your design. Consider safety as well. Usually, the adult makes the major cuts with the power tools and then lets the youth file and sand.

b) Check that both axle grooves are at a perfect 90-degree angle to the car body. A car with untrue axles tends to steer to one side or the other and rub against the sides of the track, which slows it down.

c) Cut away the large sections of waste wood first before etching out the final design. This makes it easier to form the shape and details of your design. Have a definite plan and remember, you can’t add wood back that you’ve taken off!

d) Do not forget to leave a place for weight if you need it. Weight may be placed anywhere as long as it is not taped on and does not exceed the official specifications.

Step 3 – Inspect the wheels

a) Only official wheels are acceptable.

b) Wheels can be sanded to remove surface imperfections, but the treads must be left flat.

c) Inspecting the wheels is important. Make sure all wheels roll freely and smoothly around the axle. Get a drill bit that fits just inside the wheel where the axle fits. This cleans out any roughness or burrs that cause wheels to not spin freely.

Step 4 – Insert axles

a) Check each axle for any burrs on the underside of the head.

b) So the wheels will run as freely as possible, place each axle in a hand-drill chuck to hold it steady, then smooth the burrs with a fine emery cloth or file.

c) To fine-tune your axles, polish them using a PWD High Speed Polishing Kit. These items can be purchased at ScoutStuff.org.

Step 5 – Paint

After shaping and sanding your car to your satisfaction, prime it, then sand it with fine sandpaper, and add additional coats of paint or a “skin.” Don’t glue any details on yet!

Step 6 – Install wheels and axles

Now you can put the axles and wheels on the car, but don’t glue on the axles. Weigh your car, being sure to place the car and any accessories on the scale (driver, steering wheel, roll bar, etc.)

Step 7 – Add weights

a) The car may not weigh more than five ounces. For best speed results, get your car as close to that weight as possible.

b) If you do not have a scale, the U.S. Postal Service, or a supermarket, might weigh your car for you. Your pack leaders may have official scales available for you to use, and some Scout shops offer free weigh-ins (not considered an “official” weight for the race.)

c) Any added weight may not be taped on. The car can be hollowed out and weight inserted to build it up to the maximum weight, but it must be securely attached or built into the car body, so it won’t fall off onto the track.

Step 8 – Test your car

a) Once the weight is securely mounted slip the wheels back on. Place the car on a long, flat surface and give it a gentle push. The car should travel in a straight line for a reasonable distance (five to ten feet.)

b) A Practice track may be available through your pack.

Step 9 – Lubricate your car (and be sure to check your pack’s lube rules!)

a) Lube and mount the wheels permanently. Dry, fine powdered lube works best. Dust a little powdered lube in the hole where the axle is inserted, some on the axle where the wheel rides, and a little at the axle head.

b) Slide the axles and wheels onto the car and glue into place. Use an epoxy or non-resin glue, making sure to not get any on the surface of the axle where the wheel rides.

Step 10: Accessorize your car

Be sure any accessories are securely mounted on the car. Add stripes and decals – let your imagination fly!

About the Race

Join The Tradition

Become one of the millions of Cub Scouts who have been building and racing Pinewood Derby® cars since 1953. Partnering with a parent or adult mentor, Cub Scouts work together, strengthening bonds and building confidence – and their own custom race cars! They begin by choosing a car design, then carve it out and detail it with paint, decals and other accessories, and lastly, perfect strategies to compete in their pack’s own Pinewood Derby®. It’s a wonderful learning experience centered on teamwork, ingenuity, and sportsmanship.

Did You Know?

Since the first official derby, Cub Scouts have built close to 100 million Pinewood Derby® cars!

How Did It All Start?

Pinewood Derby was created by Cubmaster Donald Murphy in 1953. Murphy said, “I wanted to devise a wholesome constructive activity that would foster a closer father-son relationship and promote craftsmanship and good sportsmanship through competition.”

Cubmaster Don Murphy held the first Pinewood Derby® race in Southern California with Cub Scout Pack 280C at the Manhattan Beach Scout House. The derby was publicized in Boys’ Life magazine in October 1954 and became an instant hit. The rules set out for the very first race still stand today: “The derby is run in heats – two to four cars starting by gravity from a standstill on a track and run down a ramp to a finish line unaided. The track is an inclined ramp with wood strips down the center to guide the cars.”

Today the Pinewood Derby® stays close to its roots, giving Cub Scouts an excellent way to learn about craftsmanship, sportsmanship, and respect for others through friendly competition.

Fun Fact

A Pinewood Derby® car can reach a speed of nearly 20mph, and if a derby car and track were enlarged to the size of a real automobile the car would be speeding at more than 200mph!

PLANNING YOUR PWD RACE

Each pack organizes its own Pinewood Derby®, establishes their own rules and conducts the events. The Cubmaster can designate volunteers (for small packs) or a committee (for larger packs) to manage the event. The following outline makes it easy for your pack to get started:

Get the pack interested and excited about the event
Evaluate your unit’s capabilities and the experience of your leaders
Gather your resources and consult with neighboring Scout packs if necessary
Organize the volunteers
Make sure every Scout has access to the materials and tools they need to build and race
Buy, borrow, or build a track to race on
Be sure to test that it’s in good working order in advance of the event

*Helpful Hint: No boy or girl should miss out on the fun – this means the Cub Scout pack may need to gather resources to help the dens – or an individual Cub Scout – to make sure everyone has access to tools and necessary materials to build their cars.

As the Cub Scouts are completing their designs, test runs can be useful in fine-tuning and building excitement for the upcoming race day. Check with your local Scout Shop for weigh-ins and special event dates!

GOOD TIMING

Three Months Before Race Day

Determine the date/time of your Pinewood Derby and add it to pack/den calendars
Decide on the derby location and reserve the space
Put together an event staff by using a mix of veterans and newcomers. This provides a good mix of continuity and fresh ideas
Buy, borrow or build a track and make sure it’s working properly
Some packs have agreements with Scouts BSA troops to provide a track and run the derby for the Cub Scout pack as a service project
Finalize your pack’s rules and scoring methods for distribution at the next pack meeting
See general rules and scoring tips below

*Helpful Hint: If you don’t have experienced leaders, consult with your district and neighboring Cub Scout packs.

Two Months Before Race Day

Assign responsibilities to derby volunteers
Arrange for all participating Cub Scouts to obtain official kits
Some packs purchase and provide the kits, others inform parents how to obtain the kits themselves
Kits can be purchased at your local Scout Shop or scoutshop.org
Check out Pinewood Derby® trophies, ribbons, decorations, etc. to use for your event at your local Scout Shop

One Month Before Race Day

Distribute Pinewood Derby® kits to pack
Verify that all boys and girls in the pack have received their kits
Optional: Host a car-building day for Cub Scouts and their adult mentors
Provide access to plenty of tools and guidance from derby veterans

One Week Before Race Day

Visit the derby site and decide where to place the track, check-in center, and refreshments
Set up alternate activity areas and tables for displaying cars and awards
Plan set-up and clean-up with site managers to ensure a successful event
Coordinate volunteers in charge of refreshments, check-in, and weighing race cars
Gather materials needed for repair center (charts, scales, and tools, including glue, spare wheels and axles, and other materials teams may need to make adjustments and repairs)

PINEWOOD DERBY DAY

Committee/Volunteers

Set up the race area and test the track, timing devices, and derby race tracking programs

Cub Scouts

Register and weigh their cars
Get assigned a car number which is inserted in the derby scoring system

Ready, Set, Race!

Hand out awards and share snacks and highlights!

Rule of the Pinewood Derby

BSA’s Pinewood Derby Car Building Rules

Each local Pinewood Derby committee determines the rules for building and racing cars. The committee will need to make sure their rules don’t conflict with those of the district or council to ensure their members can participate in events at those levels.

According to the BSA’s Cub Scout Leader How-To-Book, the general rules are as follows:

All cars must pass the following inspection to qualify for the race:

Width shall not exceed 2-3/4 inches.
Length shall not exceed 7 inches.
Weight shall not exceed 5 ounces.
Axles, wheels, and body shall be from the materials provided in the kit. Additional wheels can be purchased separately.
Wheel bearings, washers, and bushings are prohibited.
No lubricating oil may be used. Axles may be lubricated with powdered graphite or silicone.
The car shall not ride on any kind of spring.
The car must be free-wheeling, with no starting devices.
No loose materials of any kind are allowed in the car.

SAFETY

Make safety your top priority. David Meade, author of Pinewood Derby® Speed Secrets, offers useful guidelines for maintaining safety:

Gather your safety essentials: dust mask, goggles, and latex gloves.
Wear eye protection at all times.
Monitor Cub Scouts’ use of tools.
Wear a dust mask when appropriate.
Work in a well-lighted and well-ventilated area.
Consider wearing gloves when using sharp tools.
Do not wear loose-fitting clothing.
Do not melt lead; handle lead with care.
Follow all safety rules and precautions listed on the tools and products you use.
Keep your work area clean and organized.

COMMON SCORING METHODS

Remember: The derby is a friendly competition with an emphasis on fun and good sportsmanship!

Double Elimination

This method uses a “winner’s bracket” system that begins with every car filling one spot. At the end of each heat, the winning car advances to the next level of the winner’s bracket while the other cars are entered in the loser’s bracket. Those cars then race against one another, with the winners of each heat advancing. The final car of each of the two brackets competes with the other for first place.

Advantages: The system is straightforward and moves quickly. Each car has at least two chances to advance.

Disadvantages: Certain track lanes might be faster than others. Some fast cars can be eliminated early if they are in the same part of a bracket. Once a race car is eliminated, the Cub Scout who built it may lose interest in the rest of the derby.

Recorded Speed

To use this method, your track must be equipped to record individual race times. Cars are scheduled to race once in each lane of the track, then the time for every run is compiled, and the car completing the heats in the least amount of time is the winner. Other cars can be placed according to their elapsed time, too.

Advantages: this system finds a clear winner and all the places that follow. Each Cub Scout gets to run his car once on every lane.

Disadvantages: heats that involve running every car in every lane can be more time-consuming than other systems.

Schedule-Free System

If working together on designing and building the cars is more important to your pack than declaring an ultimate winner, using a “schedule-free” racing system might work best. It allows teams to run their cars on the track against other teams of their own choosing. To manage the races, pack leaders can give each Cub Scout a number of tokens good for one race each.

Advantages: there is no need for a scoring system to oversee the involvement of all the cars. Scouts get to race their cars against others of their own choosing. The number of tokens will determine how many opportunities the Scouts have to send their cars down the track.

Disadvantages: if a pack history has always declared a Pinewood Derby winner, some adults and kids involved in the program might resist changing over to a schedule-free system.

OTHER FUN RACES

Members of each den race their cars against one another. The fastest car represents the den in a final competition with the winning racers from the other dens.

Sibling Racing

Cars can be built and raced by siblings of Cub Scouts in the pack. Some packs require that siblings must be under age 11. The race is a terrific way to bring families together in friendly competition and increase interest in Scouting.

Unlimited Racing

Unlimited races allow grown-ups to build and race cars against other adults as well. Some packs insist that the adults follow the same car standards as those of the Cub Scouts. Other units have no limitations other than length and height. Whatever method you choose, the goal is the same for every Pinewood Derby; encouraging Cub Scouts and adults to work and learn together, and have the satisfaction of completing a project as a team. That’s what makes everyone a winner, and every Pinewood Derby a success.

FAQ

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Where can we get our Pinewood Derby kit?

Your local Scout shop has them. Scout leaders may arrange ways to directly provide them to members of your Cub Scout pack, and you can always order kits through ScoutShop.org.

Who builds the car?

Participating in a Pinewood Derby is a team effort for a Cub Scout and an adult mentor. They design the car and build it together, and then enter it in the race. Each Scout can work with one or both parents, a guardian, grandparent, or other mentor.

What are the weight limits for a Pinewood Derby car?

All cars in a Pinewood Derby® must be of a certain size and weight so they have an equal chance to win. Using the official Pinewood Derby® kit will ensure that you start with the correct size. For most derbies, the finished car can weigh no more than five ounces.

What are the other rules?

Each Cub Scout pack decides its own rules. For most derbies, your car must be built with the parts found in the official BSA Grand Prix Pinewood Derby® kit – the wooden block, official BSA® wheels, and axles. Paint, decorations, decals, and weights can be added as long as the final car stays under five ounces.

Can we substitute our own wheels, axles, or wood block for those from the Pinewood Derby® kit?

No. Starting with identical materials gives every Cub Scout a fair chance in the derby, but there are fun wheel and axle kits in regulation available at ScoutShop.org.

How can we make our car go fast?

There are lots of different ways! Check out our tips here: 10 Tips and Tricks to a Fast and Cool-Looking Pinewood Derby Car.

Is it okay to lubricate the axles?

Check your Cub Scout pack’s rules. Dry lubricant such as powdered graphite is often allowed.

How can we practice before a race?

A Pinewood Derby® Practice Track for testing the speed and balance of a car is available at ScoutShop.org ; Some Scout Shops offer free weigh-ins.

TIPS & TRICKS

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Up your game this year and try a new design or technique that shaves off time. Or… make your car stand out from the crowd by adding lights and sounds! Our experts have shared their advice on everything from how to throw a successful Pinewood Derby race, to easy-to-implement car tricks and hacks, along with how to install weights, lights and sound kits.

FUN & GAMES

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Everyone knows that Pinewood Derby time is all about the FUN! Take a break from building your car and enjoy some creative videos and games. Who knows, you might find some inspiration for your own derby car here (and beat some high scores).

FEATURED BLOGS

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How To Host a PWD Event Safely This Year

Pinewood Derby is NOT cancelled because of COVID! Whether your event needs to be fully virtual or a hybrid between in-person and virtual, here’s your support to make it awesome.

PWD Event Essentials

Do lists make everything easier for you? Well, we’ve put together the list you need to check-off your way to organizing the best Pinewood Derby event!