Derby Rules & Information
Race Day
The Derby will be held on March 12th, 2022. Weigh-ins start at 9:00AM, racing starts at 10:00 AM sharp. This is a family event so bring the grandparents, uncles, cousins, and anyone else who might enjoy the race.
The pinewood derby is one of the most popular and successful family activities in Cub Scouting. Pinewood derby cars are small wooden models that Cub Scouts make with help from their families. Then they race the cars in competition. The cars are powered by gravity and run down a track. Every child can design and build their own "Grand Prix" car to enter in the race.
Race Day Highlights
There will be two divisions this year due to the number of Scouts that will be participating in the race (sorry parents, you won't be racing this year):
Prizes and Recognition
The Derby is about doing one's best and having fun, so all child participants will be recognized; however, that doesn't mean our race winners won't take home some shiny hardware! Especially the leaders who battle and fudge and manipulate their way to the oh so awesome victory lane for that oh so elusive glass of milk.
The most important values in Pinewood Derby competition are parent/scout participation, good sportsmanship and learning how to follow rules. Everyone is responsible for recognizing and encouraging these qualities in addition to traditional racing awards.
Every participating Scout will receive a Pinewood Derby patch or ribbon. Winners will be awarded for the following categories:
Equal Ground
Sportsmanship & Guidelines
The Pinewood Derby is a family project. Please feel free to give guidance and minimal assistance to your child as they build their Pinewood Derby car. This is a chance for your child to be part of a team (parent & child) and to enjoy the spirit of friendly competition with their peers. It's also a time for your Cub Scout to enjoy the satisfaction of building their own car from the kit provided.
A special note to all parents and scouts: Together, please read the following on sportsmanship with your child.
While everyone will be trying to win, it's always a good idea to start out by remembering the Cub Scout Motto, "Do Your Best," and some of the basic ideas behind good sportsmanship. There are two things the Pinewood Derby requires each participant to learn:
Even more important, though, is how we act and behave while participating in the Pinewood Derby or any other group activity. This is called sportsmanship. The first thing to remember about sportsmanship is that everyone's skills are a little different. You may be good at something like singing or drawing, but not as good at something else like basketball or computers.
Parents have different skill levels too. This doesn't mean that you are a good person one time and not good another time. You can always be a good person whether or not you have good car-building skills. Remember, you and your friends are individuals first and racers second. This idea is often called having respect for others.
The second thing to remember is to follow the rules. Without rules, there would be no Pinewood Derby. You will never know if you are really good at doing something unless you follow the rules. This is often called being honest.
The third thing to remember about good sportsmanship, is that there are winners and losers in every competition. You accept this when you choose to compete. There may be times when you win and feel happy, and times when you lose and feel unhappy. Being a winner is easy, and losing is sometimes hard. If you win, you must not brag or gloat. If you lose, you must not feel jealous or bitter.
To be a good sportsman, you must be able to say "I did my best" and be satisfied with the results. You must also be able to appreciate and feel happy for someone else when they run a good race or build a neat car.
Inspection & Registration
Ground Rules & Competition
(The race is open to all Cub Scouts registered in this Pack. Siblings are in a separate division)
If a car becomes damaged and can be repaired in a reasonable amount of time (5 minutes), the race will be run again. If not, the damaged car will automatically lose that race.
Only race officials and scouts participating in the current race may enter the track area. This rule will be strictly enforced. Please help to keep the Scouts and siblings inside the marked areas.
Derby Car length, Width and Clearance
Derby Car Dimension Rules
Body, Wheels, Axles
Appearance
Race Day Prepared
BSA Cub Scout Pack 615. Est. 1987