Pinewood Derby Rules

ALL  CARS  MUST  PASS  INSPECTION  TO  QUALIFY  FOR  THE  RACE!

The following rules will apply to the Northeast Cape Fear District Race. Only cars that are built in the current Scout year are accepted.  Pinewood Derby cars/trucks may be used if they meet all of the following requirements:

Car Dimensions:

1. The maximum overall width shall not exceed 2 ¾”, this includes wheels and axles.

2. The maximum length shall not exceed 7”, this includes the wheels.

3. The minimum width between the wheels shall be 1 ¾” so the car will straddle the center guide.

4. The minimum clearance between the bottom of the car and the track shall be 3/8” so it will clear

the center guide.

5. The wheelbase slots may not be modified from the official Pinewood Derby kit of 4 3/8”.

6. The maximum height of the car cannot exceed 5 inches (Adjust this limit so that the cars will pass under your finish gate). 

7. The wood provided in the kit must be used. The block may be shaped any way that is desired.

Weight and Appearance:

1. Weight shall not exceed 5 ounces. The readings of the official race scales will be final. The car

may be hollowed out and built up to the maximum weight by the addition of other materials,

provided they are securely fastened to the car. No loose materials of any kind may be used.

2. No liquid ballast of any kind may be used.

3. Items such as steering wheels, driver, spoilers, decals, and plastic after-market body parts are

permissible provided they do not exceed the weight and length requirements.

4. Cars with wet paint or glue will not be allowed to race.

Wheels and Axles:

1. Only official BSA Pinewood Derby grand prix wheels and axles can be used. The fluting and

other BSA markings on the outside wheel area must remain visible.  Car MUST have 4 wheels.

2. The wheels may be sanded and polished to remove excess molding plastic and to true up the

wheels. The wheel surface must remain flat; no contouring of the wheels will be permitted.

3. Beveling, tapering, thin sanding, wafering (making the wheels narrower) or channeling the tread

surface is not allowed.

4. Wheel bearings, washers, or bushings are prohibited.

5. The car shall not ride on any type of spring or suspension system and must rely on freewheeling

without starting or propulsion devices.

6. The addition of fabricated wheel covers (fenders) or hubcaps are acceptable.

7. The axle slots provided with the car kit must be used. Drilling holes above or moving the slots is

not permissible.

Lubrication:

1. Only dry type powders and lubricants, such as graphite may be used.

2. No oils or liquid lubricants of any kind are permitted.

3. Cars will be permitted to be lubricated before pre-race inspections. After the car has been

inspected (check-in), there shall be no further lubrication allowed.

Rules for the Race:

1. Only one racer and car will be allowed to go to the district race (the first-place winner). The

first place winner of each rank; in other words, one Tiger, one Wolf, one Bear, one Webelo I

and one Webelo II shall be invited to go to the district race. In the event the first place

winner from that respective Pack’s rank cannot attend the district race, then the second place

winner from that rank and so on will be able to go in his place with their own car.

2. Each car must pass inspection by the official race committee before it can compete.

Therefore, you will have to be at the race site in a timely fashion to allow a proper inspection.

The inspection team has the right to disqualify any car that does not meet the race

qualifications. The car owner will be notified of any violations and given an opportunity to

make the necessary corrections provided there is time.

3. The parent has the right to appeal a decision of the inspection or the rules. The race

committee will vote, and the outcome is based on the majority vote. This ruling is final.

4. Once a car has completed pre-race inspection, it may not be handled by anyone but the owner

and/or members of the race committee. The race committee members are to be the only ones

handle the car for race activities such as placing the car on the track and retrieving the car

from the track. Participants may not work on (meaning lubricating and adjustments) their car

unless the car was damaged during the race and then the race committee approves the repairs.

5. Racers will have ONE opportunity to make repairs only if for example a wheel falls off.

Broken pieces may be reattached, but slow drying glue may not be used. Any repairs must

comply with the requirements above. The car will be re-inspected and weighed. The race

will not be delayed for any repairs. If a car does not race in its proper heat, it will be

disqualified from that heat.

6. If a car leaves its lane and/or interferes with another car(s) during a heat, the race committee

may decide to rerun the heat. The race committee may also decide to rerun a heat due to

track, timing, or technical issues that would impact the fairness of the race.

7. Only race officials and participants will be permitted in the registration, inspection and track

area. This rule will be strictly enforced.

8. The race official should be the one to pick-up the car at the race and place it on the track. The racer can instruct on how to place the car on the track and the committee will do its best to comply.

9. The Pack/District race will be done as such: Up to (4) cars will race at a time on a

computerized track. Each car will race (4) times, once in each lane (in so far as possible).

The car’s slowest time will be dropped and the other (3) race times will be combined for an

overall average time. The lowest overall time will be declared the winner.

10. If the race committee feels that the race car will not trip the electronic sensor at the finish line

of the track they will adhere or mark the bottom of the car so that the sensor will detect the

passing of the vehicle. If the racer does not wish to have their car’s bottom altered, then the time for that racer’s heat will be left to the fate of the sensing device.

11. No part of the car body, wheels or attachments may protrude in front of the starting peg. The

race committee reserves the right to put tape on the front of the car to square it off in the event, the racer has grooved/notched out the front. For example, racer has grooved out the front of the car, V shape, and would cause the car to be slotted in an unfair advantage on the track.

12. We reserve the right to change the rules and give notification in order to make a fairer event.