Pack 1720
PINEWOOD DERBY
RULES
Table of
Contents:
I. GENERAL: (Applies to
all Race Events)
Rules about entering your
car.
II. CUB SCOUT RACE CAR
DESIGN STANDARDS
Rules about building your
car.
III. CONDUCT OF THE RACES
Rules that will be used
during the races
IV THE RACING ENVIRONMENT
Things you need to know
about the track, timers, and scoring
V. OPEN RACE CAR DESIGN
STANDARDS
Why
should the kids have ALL the fun?"
VI. SPECIAL NOTE TO ALL
CONCERNED
Some notes on
Sportsmanship and Leave No Trace!
I.
GENERAL RULES: (Applies to all Race Events)
G-1. Qualification: All registered Packs
Tiger, Wolfs, Bears, and Webelos Scouts
may design, build and
enter cars that are eligible to participate in the "Cub Scout Race"
event. Parents/Guardians
and siblings of Cub Scouts registered in Packs may
design, build and enter
cars that are eligible to participate in the "Sibling" event.
G-2. Essential Materials: All cars entered shall be
constructed from the "Official Grand
Prix Pinewood Derby Kit"
(referred to below as the kit).
G-3. Competitor
Categories: All Tiger Cubs, Wolfs, Bears, and Webelos Scouts that are registered
within Packs, and Parents/Guardians and siblings of registered Scouts
may enter this Pinewood
Derby. Cub Scouts will compete with others in the same Cub
Scout Dens. The top four
winners in each Den will move on to the finals.
G-4. Attendance: The Cub Scout is not
required to enter his own car. This means that the Cub Scout parent or akela
can submit the car for "Inspection and Registration" into
competition. The Scout need not be present to win.
G-5. Single Entry per
Person: Only
one car may be registered by any person in the
Pinewood Derby.
G-7. Inspection and
Registration: Each car must pass a technical inspection before it
may compete. Technical
inspection and registration of cars occurs. Cars will be kept in impound at
this time until race day.
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. Cars which fail the initial inspection
may be taken to the
modification table and brought back for final inspection and registration.
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
race day.
G-10. Car Design Rules
Interpretation: Interpretation of the rules described in G1
through G-10, and T-1 thru
T-9 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 Track Master
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) as sold by the
Boy Scouts of America
Scout Service Center. 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. Note: The official scale
will be available at the
building clinic & both registrations.
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 original '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. SEE ATTACHED SHEET FOR NEW INFORMATION ON WHEEL CHANGES
;)
T-4. Size: Race cars may be no longer
than 7 inches, nor 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 the race car builder.
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, e.g. by
permanent glue, nails or screws, but not by "sticky substances", e.g.
tape, or tack spray.
Weights shall be passive, i.e. non-moveable, non-magnetic, nonelectric, 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. Removal of BSA logo on inside and outside
of wheel not allowed. 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.
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. There will
not be a lubrication table
set up at the race. In the interest of fairness, only one
lubrication is allowed
before the cars are inspected and confiscated. There will be zero wet
lubrication allowed, ie: Armour All, Pledge, or any type of silicone or liquid
lubricant. If liquid lubricant is found the car will be disqualified and unable
to race.
Photo comparison of Old and New Wheel
Outside
From the outside, the
only obvious differences are the slight font change on the raised lettering,
the change from the trademark insignia (TM) to the registered trademark
insignia (R), and the addition of a recessed ring in the outer hub. This
recessed ring is likely counterproductive to performance, as it will change the
contact point with a beveled axle head, resulting in more braking torque.2
Inside
The changes on the
inside of the wheel are more apparent. In addition to the font change for the
raised lettering, the inner hub is reduced in diameter and coned, and the tread
is slightly thinner. These latter changes result in a wheel with less weight
(better performance).
Tread
Surface
Yes, the mold mark on
the tread surface is gone. This is welcome news as less work is needed to
prepare a wheel, and the wheels tend to run truer out of the box.3
All measurements (except weight) are in inches, and are typical numbers.
III.
CONDUCT OF THE RACES
Competition will consist
of heat races mixed within the pack. Track officials are responsible for the
proper conduct of the races.
C-1. Inspection Gages: The race-day "Pit
Stop" area will have the official scale and
length box. That check-in
equipment will be the official equipment for the race. (The
same 5 oz. Master Weight
used for scale calibration in pre-race check-in will also be
available on race day.)
C-2. Race Day Lubrication:
There
will be none allowed.
C-3. Car Handling
Responsibility: The track officials shall be responsible to present
the cars at the "Pit
Stop" area at the starting line for staging. Cars will be staged on the
tracks by the
"Starter Team."
C-4. Lane Assignment: To equalize differences
among track lanes, each heat will
consist of a number of
races equal to the number of cars running in that heat. For den
heats, this will be the
number of boys in each den.
a.) In each heat, each car
will race in each track lane used for that heat. For example,
a Den heat with five cars
would consist of five races with each car rotating through
lanes 1, 2, 3, 4. The heat
for a den with eight boys would have eight races,
with two cars
"sitting out" each race on a six lane track.
b.) From each heat, the first
thru fourth place finisher, from each den, will advance
to race at the overall
race, based on the average time from each race. The top three cars from each
den will receive a trophy. The top three finalists will receive another trophy.
c.) Definitions: A race is each time a
group of cars run down the track. A heat is all
of the races required to
have each car run in a different lane one time. The Finals
consist of all of the cars
that placed first thru third in their heats. They will then race
enough times so as to
ensure that each car has run, one time, in each track.
C-5. Car Leaves Lane: If, during a race heat, a
car leaves its lane but proceeds down
the track in a manner that
does not interfere with its opponent, then the race will be
called normally. If the
car leaves its lane and interferes with another car, the race will
be re-staged and re-run.
If the same car again leaves it's lane and interferes with
another car, that car will
be judged last place and the race will be re-staged and re-run
without that car.
C-6. Car Leaves Track: If, during a race heat, a
car leaves the track without interfering
with its opponent, it
shall be considered to have ended its heat at that point.
C-7. Car Repair (Without
Fault): If,
during the race, a wheel falls off or the car becomes otherwise damaged, then
the SCOUT may, to the best of his ability perform repairs with the assistance
of his adult partner or Pit Crewmember.
Anything beyond one
repair, one time, during the entire race, will be at the discretion of
the Track master. Any car
that has either a wheel or a weight “fall off” during a race will be judged to have
placed last and will be awarded a score of 0 for that race.
Any car that is allowed to
be repaired MUST be ready to race
within two (2) minutes of
the end of the race the
incident occurred in.
C-8 Car Repair (With
Fault): If
a car is damaged due to track fault, or damage caused
by another car or person,
then the Track master, at his sole discretion, may allow
additional repair
assistance to the Cub.
C-9. No Finishers: If, during a race heat, no
car reaches the finish line on the track, the
car which went the
farthest in its lane shall be declared as the heat winner.
C-10. Call to Race: Competitions will be
called by each heat.
When a race is called, a
Track Official will retrieve the car from "the stage" and
present the car, to the
"Pit" area for staging into the proper race. If no competitor is
present, the track
chairman may, at his sole discretion, defer the race heat in a manner
that does not interfere
with progress of the racing.
C-11. Track Champions: The First thru fourth
place finishers, from each Den, shall be
accompanied, with their
cars, from the track to the stage by their parent or other
designee. The car will be
impounded on the stage until the start of the Final Heats.
Inspections and repairs
will not be permitted prior to the start of the Final Heats.
C-12. Track Fault: If a car leaves its lane,
at his sole discretion, the Track master may
inspect the track and, if
a track fault is found which probably caused the initial
violation, the Track
master may order the race heat to be rerun after the track is
repaired.
C-13. The Race Area: Only race officials may
enter the track area. This rule will be
strictly enforced.
C-14. Rewards and
Recognition: The most important values in Pinewood Derby
competition are parent/son
participation, good sportsmanship and learning how to
follow rules. The Awards
Committee is responsible for recognizing and encouraging
these qualities in
addition to traditional racing awards. Racers will be recognized as
follows:
a.) Trophies will be awarded
for First thru Third in each den level.
b.) Trophies will be awarded for the First thru Third place finishers
overall.
c.) Participation awards will be given for the
Sibling Race.
d.) Five Trophies will be given for craftsmanship
in the Cub Scout Class only.
IV. THE
RACING ENVIRONMENT
R-1. Track Length and
Drop: The
track shall have a racing surface (starting line to
finish line distance) of
approximately 48 feet with a drop of approximately 4 feet.
R-2. Track Slope: The track slope shall
decrease from approximately 30 degrees at the
starting line to
approximately 0 degrees at the finish line.
R-3. Lanes: Each lane will consist of
a straight, smooth strip approximately 1-
1/2 (1.50) inches, but
certainly less than 1-3/4 (1.75) inches, wide and approximately
1/4 (0.25) inches, but
certainly less than 3/8 (0.375) inches thick, centered on a smooth
surface no less than 4
inches wide. Each race car shall straddle such a strip during its
heats.
R-4. Starting Mechanism: The "starting
line" shall consist of vertical pins of
approximately 1/4 inch
diameter, extending approximately 1 inch above the track
surface and approximately
centered in the each lane.
R-5. Finish Line Sensor
Location: The
track has electronics called "finish line sensors" that shall be in
alignment with the corresponding starting line pin and be
approximately centered in
its lane.
R-6. Finish Line Judging: Three impartial Finish
Line Judges shall be at station to
observe each heat, on each
track. Heat finish judging is determined by the finish line
sensor, but may be challenged
by a majority rule of the Finish Line Judges. If the track's
electronic finish line
sensor's result is challenged by the Finish Line Judges, the race will
be re-staged and re-run.
R-7. Finish Line Judge
Backup: Finish
Line Judges will temporarily excuse themselves if they know that one of the
heat contestants is a son or relative. Backup Finish Line Judges shall be
available in case a judge needs to be excused for any reason.
R-8. The "Big
Board": A spreadsheet shall be projected onto the wall which will show
the status of all the cars
as the races progress.
R-9. Finish Line
Electronics Sensitivity: Track Finish Line Electronics, if used, must
trigger correctly if a
lead pencil is passed 3/4 (0.75) inches above the track surface at a
speed of 15 feet per
second.
R-10. Finish Line
Clearance: Track
Finish Line Electronics and other track accessories, if used, must be no closer
than 3 inches above the track.
V. OPEN
RACE CAR DESIGN STANDARDS
(... or "Why should
the kids have ALL the fun?")
The purpose of the Open
Race event is to have a little fun, to test our Pinewood Derby
tracks, and to help
finance this year's Pinewood Derby. It will also help us to 'bleed' off
some of our nervous
competitive anxiety allowing us to be calm and collected during
the Scouts race! (Right?)
All adults and/or siblings
are encouraged to build their own cars. The Open race will
be held before the Scouts'
race. Any parent/guardian or sibling of a Cub
Scout who is registered
may enter this race.
P-1. Entry Fee: An entry fee of $3.00 will
be paid prior to participating in the race.
P-2. Number of Entries: You may race as many cars
as you wish.
P-3. The Car: You may NOT use your son's current car for this
race, or previous car.
P-4. Weigh-In: Cars will be inspected,
weighed, and registered at registration with the Scouts cars. The open class
cars will confiscated at the time of weigh in. Rules for open cars are the same
as the Cub rules.
VI.
SPECIAL NOTES TO ALL CONCERNED
In all of the events, we
require that the cars be built this year.
Sportsmanship:
Two things the Pinewood
Derby requires each participant to learn are:
1) the craft skills necessary
to build a car, and 2) the rules that must be followed. 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 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. Be aware that all of
the Pinewood Derby Team running this race are human and can make mistakes. The
Fourth thing to remember is “Leave No Trace”. We are using a public space and
are representing Pack 1720. It is very
important for the parents and Scouts to leave the area just as it was when you
arrive.
