Pinewood Derby schedule

Attention racers!

The Pinewood derby schedule is as follows:

Weigh-In: Saturday March 11, Scout Hall— 4:00-6:00 PM

Race: Sunday March 12, Scout Hall
Pack 34— 12:00-2:30 PM

Bring well-fed scouts in uniform to the race. Popcorn and water will be provided at the race.

For those who are new to pinewood derby or those who don't have commercial-grade lathes and laser-guided levels in your garage/workshop you might consider this Marin Council-sponsored event.

Below are the guidelines for Pinewood Derby Racers and Parents, To maximize fun for Scouts, Parents and Leaders alike during both Pinewood Weigh-In and the Pinewood Derby, please try to be sure your cars meet all the rules before Weigh-In. Rules came in the box with your car, please read them and remember:

Top Ten Tips for Pinewood Derby Cars:

1. Weight not over 5.0 oz. Best to get close (4.90 oz.) rather than over. The mailroom at work, US Post offices, meat departments at supermarkets and the package store near Baskin Robbins are all places where you can pre-weigh your car.
2. Length not over 7". This is overall tip-to tail, so nothing can be beyond this length.
3. Width not over 2 3/4". Again, an overall figure. Nothing wider.
4. Width between wheels not under 1 3/4". Nothing tighter...it won't fit over the track.
5. Bottom clearance between car and track not under 3/8"...careful, if you're adding weights to your car bottom.
6. All four wheels must contact the track, and turn freely. Check this on a horizontal flat surface, such as a smooth kitchen counter or cutting board.
7. Wheels must be unmodified, unpainted etc....you can remove any "burrs" left from molding, but basically, they should be close to as they came in the box. No extra holes, knife-edge profiles etc. If you lost a wheel, or an axle, the Scout Store in San Rafael has more.
8. Keep the nose blunt, not pointy (best to have a 1/2" surface or bigger).
9. Make it solid & dry...cars whose pieces are falling off, or still have wet paint/glue, may be disqualified despite meeting the other criteria.
10. No propulsion/power sources, magnets, no liquid lubricants of any kind.
11. It's better to get it right the first time than to have to hack your car under pressure, in Scout Hall, if it fails Weigh-In. This is especially true if someone is bringing your Scout's car to Weigh-In for you.

If you have any questions not covered by these rules, ask your Den Leader, who will find you the answer if they don't know themselves...and if in doubt, "Be Prepared"!

Please remember that Pinewood Derby is a parent and child activity. It's a great opportunity to teach scouts about tools, safety, aerodynamics, patience, fun and honor.

We will have prizes for the top 3 in each group, the most creative cars will receive recognition plus everyone will receive a participant patch.

Yours in Scouting,
Will

Posted by dladuke at March 9, 2006 10:45 PM