The Rules

OFFICIAL ‘ADULT’ PINEWOOD DERBY RULES AND REGULATIONS

Hello and thank you for your interest in our fundraising event, THE FAT6 ADULT PINEWOOD DERBY.

These Rules & Regulations have been researched, reviewed, and approved by the Friends & Alumni of Troop 6’s Adult Pinewood Derby Race Committee and will apply to the fundraising event hosted by the Friends & Alumni of Troop 6 on the date and venue to be announced.

The Race Committee feels that these Rules & Regulations are sufficient and cover what our objective which is a fair and fun fundraising event to benefit the youth of Troop 6 Quincy.

All participants are required to read and acknowledge these Rules & Regulations at the time of registration and to initial the Registration Form that they have done so as part of their entry.

Once an entry has been submitted and accepted by the Race Committee, all entrants are bound by these Rules & Regulations and no refunds will be issued unless exclusively granted for good reason by the Race Committee.

If there are any questions regarding these Rules & Regulations, they must be addressed immediately to the Race Committee so that if there is any need to make any changes and/or modifications, all race participants can be notified in a timely manner to make any necessary adjustments.

Please note that no rule changes will be made after date to be announced, so that if needed, all entrants will have ample time to be ready for the event.

If any questions regarding the Rules & Regulations and their interpretations arise on Race Day and are not addressed in this copy, the Race Committee will do its best to address them at the time of discovery.

Any participant may appeal to the Race Committee for interpretation and/or clarification of the Rules & Regulations. The Race Committee will consider such appeals and will be the final judge on all appeals.

All Pinewood Derby cars will be subject to inspection at the Sign-In Station on the day of the event and subject to these Rules & Regulations. Once the derby car has been inspected and accepted by the Race Committee, they will be in full force.

RULES & REGULATIONS FOR THE SPECIFICATIONS OF THE PINEWOOD DERBY CAR

PARTS AND MATERIALS: Each participating racer is to build a pinewood derby car using only the official pinewood derby car kit (BSA Part #17006) which will be offered with all paid registrations. No car or any portion of a car including wheels and axles, may be of other materials.
Official pinewood derby car kits, weights, and other optional accessories and kits may be purchase from approved Boy Scouts of America distributors, your local Scout Store, or from www.scoutstuff.org.
Upon the request from a judge or race official, proof may be required that the car was built using the proper materials so please, we request that you keep your receipts for proof of authenticity… Just in case.
Non-BSA parts can be used as accessories, decorations, props, decals, etc., as long as they are within the car specifications and do not enhance the performance of your car in any way, do not interfere with other racers, and/or do not pose risk of damage to the track.
If there are any questions about approved parts, please email the race officials at quincypinewoodderby@gmail.com for clarification.

WIDTH: Maximum overall width allowable, including wheels, is 2 ¾ inches.

LENGTH: Maximum overall length allowable is 7 inches. Note that NO portion of the car will be allowed to extend forward of the starting gate.

HEIGHT: Maximum overall height should not exceed 6 inches as to allow the car to be able to pass under the starting and finish gates.

CLEARANCE: Minimum clearance under the body is 3/8 of an inch. Minimum clearance between the inside of the wheels is 1 ¾ inches.

WHEELBASE: The car’s wheelbase may be extended, but the wheels are not permitted to extend past the front or rear of the car body.

WEIGHT: Weight cannot exceed 5.00 oz (141.75 grams). The car may be hollowed out and built up to the maximum weight by additional wood, metal or any other material, provided they are securely attached to the body and chassis. No loose material of any kind is permitted in or on the car including, but not limited to, liquids. Materials that could potentially be health hazards are not permissible to be used as weight. Lead is permissible for weight provided that it is completely enclosed within the body of the car and declared to the Race Committee (for safe handling purposes).

MATERIAL: The car body, wheels, and axles must be from the official pinewood derby car kit (BSA Part #17006). The car may not ride on any type of springs. Details such as decals, pin stripes, cockpit accessories and interior detailing are permissible as long as the car does not exceed the maximum weight, and they are BSA standard products. Plastic and metal detail parts are allowed as long as they are securely attached to the body and chassis and do not exceed the maximum length, width, and height.

WHEELS: Wheels must be from the official Pinewood Derby Car Kit (BSA Part #17006) or from the new optional colored Cub Scout Derby Wheels and Axle Kit (BSA Parts #17553, 17554, 17556 and 17557). The wheels may be polished using files, sandpaper, etc., or by using the Pinewood Derby High Performance Kit (BSA Part #16988) to remove burrs, scratches, and ridges. They may not be shaved or reduced in diameter or width. Wheels may not be beveled, tapered, or in any other fashion modified from the original size and shape. Wheels may not be painted. Wheel covers, bearings, washers, and bushings are strictly prohibited.

AXLES: The axles (round head nails) must be from the official pinewood derby car kit (BSA Part #17006) or from the new optional colored Cub Scouts derby wheels and axles kit (BSA Parts #17553, 17554, 17555, 17556, and 17557). Axles may be polished using files, sandpaper, etc. or by using the pinewood derby high performance kit (BSA Part #16988) to remove burrs, scratches and ridges. The axles may not be machined or reduced in diameter anywhere along the axle shaft. Substituted axles will not be permitted.

LUBRICATION: Pinewood derby axle lube (BSA Part #17106) and graphite are the ONLY permissible lubrication. All other forms of lubricant (oils, etc.) are strictly prohibited. Any lubrication on exposed surfaces of the wheels, body or chassis is prohibited. Lubricant, if used, must be applied prior to inspection and submittal of the car. No lubrication is permitted after the car has been accepted and entered into the derby.

OTHER: Some other points

• We encourage creativity. Details such as decorations, steering wheels, drivers, paint, decals, etc. are permissible as long as these details do not exceed the width, length, height, clearance, and weight specifications and must be securely attached to the car.

• Any car with wet paint, wet glue, etc. at the time of registration shall not be accepted. No part of the car is to be sticky or tacky to the touch.

• No car will be permitted to race if parts are made to intentionally come off during the race or interfere with another race car.

• All weights must be securely attached to the car and withing dimensional specifications. The car body is to have no moving parts that may add to the cars speed.

• Liquids, magnets and slip weights are prohibited.

• All cars must be freewheeling with no starting devices and powered by gravity only. No cars may be constructed and/or treated so that it uses the track’s starting mechanism to gain momentum

RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR REGISTRATION, INSPECTION, AND HANDLING OF THE PINEWOOD DERBY CAR

REGISTRATION: All cars must be built and within the above-mentioned specifications to be entered into the Adult Pinewood Derby. The cost per entry is $40 and must be paid prior to entry.

All cars will be inspected at Check-In starting three hours prior to the event on the day of the event. Registration and inspections will conclude one half-hour prior to the start of the scheduled race times so that races can commence on time as scheduled.

INSPECTION: All cars entered into the Adult Pinewood Derby will be subject to visual, dimensional, and weight inspection by the race officials on Race Day and must meet race day criteria as mentioned above in regard to; parts & materials, weight, clearance, size dimensions & limitations, and car modifications.

Any car found to be using illegal lubricants will not be allowed to participate and disqualified.

Cars will be subject to weigh-in on one of two Calibrated Race Scales provided by the Race Committee. If a car is found to be ‘overweight’ on one of our scales, it will be re-weighed on the other scale for verification. In the case of two different scale weights, the Race Committee will defer to heavier weight and the car may be modified to adjust the weight. The car will then be reweighed (and reinspected if necessary) after modifications for compliance and verification.

Cars may be subject to our Go/No-Go Car Inspection Gauge which will measure the following criteria:  

• 2-3/4 inches maximum width

• 7 inches maximum length

• 1-3/4 inches minimum wheel spacing

• 3/8 inches minimum underbody clearance (guide rail measuring underbody clearance)

• Wheelbase Length (verifies wheels do not exceed length of car and/or 7 inches)

• Start Pin (verifies that no part of the car extends past the starting pin)

Note: If the car fits fully inside the gauge with no issue, then the car should meet specified dimensions. If not, modifications can be made, and car is subject to reinspection.

A Go/No-Go Wheel Inspection Gauge which measures the width and diameter of the wheels may be used to inspect the wheels if warranted.

A Race Repair Table may be made available to adjust or modify any cars either prior to inspection and submittal or, if needed, after inspection where modifications are needed to be made. Any car found with illegal parts during inspection may have them removed and/or replaced with legal parts and allowed to participate in the race after reinspection.

HANDLING: After inspection and acceptance of cars, then and only then race officials may handle cars. A racer will be permitted to handle their car only with the approval of the race officials to make repairs deemed necessary at any time during the event. No additional lubricants and/or modifications can be made to cars after entry.

RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR THE RACING OF THE PINEWOOD DERBY CAR

RACETRACK: The racetrack is approximately 40 feet in length and consists of three lanes with a trigger start and electronic eye to determine race winners.

RACE CARS: Only inspected and approved Pinewood Derby Cars as per above will be permitted to race.

RACE FORMAT: All races will be run on a three-track system with cars randomly selected in groups of three and randomly placed in one of the three lanes on the track. Cars will then be raced in heats and awarded points based on their placing during each heat with one point awarded for first, two points for second, and three points for third. A running tally of overall scores will be kept throughout the round to determine placement and advancement.

Dependent on the number of entries, each entrant will race in a minimum of four heats with the possibility of more if determined that time and numbers allow.

There will be three rounds of racing... (1) The Preliminary Round, (2) The Knock-Out Round, and (3) The Grand Derby Race-Off.

• The Preliminary Round will be for all entrants with each car participating in a pre-determined number of heats (minimum of four) with opponents and lane placement selected randomly for each race. Scores will be tallied with the Top 12 cars advancing.

• The Knock-Out Round will run with the top 12 cars racing in four more heats using the same rules and scoring system as the Preliminary Round. Scores will be tallied with the Top 3 cars advancing.

• The Grand Derby Race-Off will consist of two races. Each race, the last place car will be eliminated until only one car remains, our Grand Derby Champion.

In case of a tie at the end of the Preliminary Round and/or Knock-Out Round, we will use the Race-Off format to determine which car(s) advances to the next round.

RACE RULES: Other than as mentioned above in the Race Format, here are some other rules and/or situations that may arise during Race Day.

• Any part of the car that falls off and is deemed to be not required for the car to race (i.e. plastic driver, weights, decals, etc.), these parts may not be replaced or repaired.

• Any part of the car that becomes loose and may (or does) cause any type of interference with another car must be removed as determined by race officials.

• If a car leaves its lane and/or fails to reach the finish line, race officials may inspect the track. If it is found that the track was the cause, then race officials will determine whether or not if it hindered the outcome of the race and, if necessary, will order the race to be rerun after the track is repaired.

• If, during a race, a car leaves its lane without interfering with an opponent, provided it was not caused by a track problem, it shall be considered to have ended its race with a third-place finish.

• If, during a race, a car (or its parts) leaves its lane and, in so doing, interferes with another racer, then the car at fault shall be declared to have lost the race. If three or more cars are racing, the car causing the interference will not be permitted to run in a re-race if it is deemed necessary by race officials.

• Any car which leaves its lane in three (3) consecutive races will be disqualified from the remainder of the event with the exceptions of either (1) it is the fault of a track defect -or- (2) was caused by a collision with another car and/or part.

• If, during a race, no car reaches the finish line on the track, then all cars will be raced again. If this occurs a second time, the race will be declared no contest with no winners. All cars will be awarded a last-place finish and no cars that do not cross the finish line will be awarded a first or second place finish.

• Any racer that interferes with the races, officials, and/or sanctify of the event in any way, will have their car disqualified immediately and asked to leave the premises.

DISQUALIFICATION: Per the judge(s) or race official(s), a car or racer will be disqualified and not allowed to race if any of the following occur:

1. Any use of improper material as outlined above, including, but not limited to: lubricant, wheels, axles or body wood.

2. Changing the car after registration, except for authorized repairs.

3. Removing the registration sticker from the car.

4. Handling of any car (including your own) without permission of the judge(s) and/or race official(s).

5. Not following the instruction of the judge(s) and/or race official(s).

6. Interfering with the cars, races, track, officials, or any other aspect of the event.

7. Not following any other rule(s) specified for this event.

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Please remember that this is supposed to be a fun event with the goal of fundraising for the youth of Troop 6 Quincy. All members of the Race Committee and Race Officials are human and will do their best to uphold the highest standard of integrity for this event, but we are also here to have some fun.
Here are a few reminders for all…

--> DON'T BE A JERK!!! This is supposed to be a FUN event with the goal of fundraising for the youth of Troop 6 Quincy.

--> Be respectable and courteous towards each other, judges, race officials, and our hosts.

--> Anyone showing any disruptive behavior and/or unsportsmanlike conduct could be asked to leave the premises.

--> Pertaining to the races and/or rules, any and all decisions rendered buy our race officials are final.

Any questions, comments, suggestions? Please email the FAT6 Adult Pinewood Derby Race Committee at: quincypinewoodderby@gmail.com 

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The Friends & Alumni of Troop 6 (FAT6), the Leadership of Troop 6,
and especially the Youth of Troop 6 Quincy would like
to thank you for your interest and generous support.