Rules

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Table of Contents:

I. General Rules: Rules about entering your car.
II. Technical Rules: Rules about building your car.
III. Conduct of the Races: Rules that will be used during the races.
IV. Special Note On Sportsmanship: Some notes on Sportsmanship.

I. GENERAL RULES

G-1. Qualification: All registered Lyons,Tiger, Wolf, Bear and Webelos Scouts may design, build and enter cars. Racers must be registered Cub Scouts in order to participate in Derby Day (time constraints do not allow for siblings or adults to race at this venue).

G-2. Essential Materials: All cars entered shall be constructed from the “Official Grand Prix Pinewood Derby Kit”.

G-3. Competitor Categories: Cub Scouts will compete with others as a Pack. The top racer from  each den will represent their pack at the District race to determine the overall Derby Day winners.

A Pack may hold its own race, independent of the Derby Day, and send its top racers from each den to represent it at the District race. The independent Pack race must have been held after the last Derby Day event to qualify.

G-4. “New Work”: Construction of ALL entries MUST have begun AFTER the prior years Pinewood Derby Races.

G-5. Single Entry per Person: Only one car per person may be registered in the Pinewood Derby.

G-6. Inspection and Registration: Each car must pass inspection before it may compete. Inspections will be on a per pack basis.

G-7. Failure to Pass Inspection: Cars that do not meet the rules as described herein will NOT pass inspection.

G-8. Impound: No car may be altered in any way after it has passed inspection and has been registered. After a car passes registration, it will be stored by the Pack until race day.

II. TECHNICAL RULES

T-1. Material: Racecars shall be constructed from the parts contained in the Official GrandPrix Pinewood Derby Kit as sold by the Scout Shop that is located at the Council Service Center.

The block of wood may be shaped any way that is desired. Materials from the kit may be supplemented but not replaced except with  axles and wheel kits or accessories distributed by the BSA regardless of where they are purchased.

T-2. Size: Racecars may be no longer than 7 inches, nor wider than 2-3/4 (2.75) inches, as determined by the gages during the Inspection and Registration. Underside clearance of at least 3/8-inches and inside wheel-to-wheel clearance of at least 1-3/4- inches are required, so that the car will run on the racetrack. Adequate clearance is the responsibility of the racecar builder. When adding weight or attachments to the underside of the car, be sure that there is adequate clearance.

T-3. Weight: Racecars may weigh no more than five (5) ounces as determined by the scale(s) during the inspection and registration.

T-4. 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.

T-5. 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. “Aftermarket” axles and wheel kits and accessories distributed by the BSA are acceptable substitutes.

Wheel Treatment: The wheels may not be cut, drilled, beveled or rounded. You may remove the seam from the wheels. The portion of the wheel surface that contacts the track must remain parallel to the axle.

Axle Treatment: They may be polished or lubricated.

T-6. Unacceptable Construction: Washers, inserts, sleeves, or bearings may NOT be used in conjunction with the wheels or axles. The car must NOT ride on any type of springs. NO starting devices may be used, the car must be freewheeling. NO loose material of any kind, such as lead shot, may be used.

T-7. 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. In the interest of fairness, only one lubrication is allowed before the beginning of the first heat race and then once again before the beginning of the first race of the semi-finals and finals.

T-8. Clearance: It is recommended that card be less than 6 inches tall to ensure that they will fit under the timing gate at the finish line.

III. CONDUCT OF THE RACES

C-1. Competition will consist of heat races for the entire Pack. If needed, there will then be a series of final heats for each Den. The fastest car is determined by the average time from ALL four heats, not the fastest single heat.

C-2. Race Day Lubrication: In the interest of fairness, only one lubrication is allowed before the beginning of the first heat race and then once again before the beginning of the first race of the finals

C-3. Lane Assignment: Lanes will be randomly assigned to each car for each heat. Each car will race 4 times.

C-4. 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 it’s lane and interferes with another car, the race will be immediately 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 once again be immediately re-staged and re-run without that car.

C-5. Car Leaves Track: If, during a race heat, a car leaves the track without interfering with its opponent(s), it will place last for that particular heat.

C-6. 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. The car will place last for that particular heat, and if ready compete in the remaining heats.

C-7. Car Repair (With Fault): If a car is damaged or leaves it’s lane due to track fault, the track shall be repaired and the heat rerun as soon as repairs are made to the Scout’s car.

C-8. No Finishers: If, during a race heat, no car reaches the finish line on the track, the car that went the farthest in its lane shall be declared as the heat winner.

C-9. The Race Area: Only race officials may enter the track area

C-10 All race questions or issues are to be communicated thru the Pack’s PWD Representative to the Activities Chairperson or Council Staff on site.

IV. SPECIAL NOTE ON SPORTSMANSHIP

This project is a parent and son event, and is recommended as such by the National Boy Scouts of America. The Pack STRONGLY SUGGESTS that each parent emphasize this idea with your son. 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 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. 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.