Coastal Plains District Pinewood Derby

• Field uniform (Scout uniform) or activity uniform (Scout t-shirt), encouraged
• Pinewood derby car
• BSA Health and Medical form for everyone onsite
• Optional: chair, water, snacks, camera, toolbox (e.g., extra weights of varying weight like coins; glue or duct tape; drill in case car is too heavy) 

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1. Third-party (made-to-order) derby cars, wheel bearings, spacers, bushings, and bought (prepared by others) axles and wheels are prohibited. Any cars found to have bought parts will not be eligible for a trophy. Building a fast car, not buying one, is the goal.
2. Cars shall be the car that was raced at the pack level. Cars may not be recycled from prior year’s race events.
3. Only BSA official Pinewood Derby Kits may be used. Partially finished or other pre-shaped construction kits are not permitted.
4. The pinewood block contained in an approved Pinewood Derby Kit shall make up 75% or more of the body of the car. Materials other than those supplied in the kit may make up no more than 25% of the car.
5. Weight: Car weight shall not exceed five ounces (5.0 oz, 142 grams) as measured by the official race scale.
6. Length: Car length overall, including any attachments to the car body, shall not exceed 7 inches. The extreme front end of the car must be at the longitudinal centerline of the car. If the front end of the car is forked or is not at the centerline of the car, then a stiff wire must be fitted across the front end so that the center of the car is the front extreme end of the car.
7. Width: Car width overall, including wheels & axles, shall not exceed 2¾ inches. The width between wheels shall not be less than 1¾ inches.
8. Height: Car height overall, including any attachments to the car body, shall not exceed 4 inches. Clearance under the car between wheels, including any attachments to the car body, shall be no less than 3/8 inch. This is to accommodate the racetrack’s raised center guide strip which runs between the car’s wheels.
9. Wheelbase length (the distance between forward and rear axles) may be modified provided that the car’s overall length, including wheels and any accessories or extensions from the body, does not exceed 7 inches.
10. Wheels and Axels: Only wheels and axels from the BSA official Pinewood Derby Kits are permitted. Wheel bearings, spacers or bushings are prohibited. The width of a wheel tread surface shall not be altered. The wheel tread surface and the axles may be ground or filed and polished. Grinding, filing, or polishing of the wheels or axles should not reduce the respective diameters. BSA lettering on the inside and outside of the wheel as well as the knots along the outside edge, must remain intact.
11. Lubricants: Cars may be lubricated using only dry lubricants such as powered or flake graphite and Teflon. Graphite may not be applied anywhere inside the race building as it tends to easily make a mess. Please note that oils and other liquid lubricants are not permitted. There should be no excess graphite on the car body, that can transfer to the race officials’ hands.
12. The car must be free-wheeling with no starting device or other propulsion, and must have identifying marks or designs that indicate proper direction of travel. A car with no indications of direction runs the risk of being placed backwards.
13. Weights: Cars may be hollowed out and built up to maximum weight by the addition of weighting materials or objects, provided that such are securely built into or attached to the body to prevent falling off or becoming separated from the car during normal race activity.
14. Details such as steering wheel, driver, spoiler, exhaust pipes, roll bars, decals, painting, and other interior and exterior details are permitted as long as they can remain secure during normal race activity; however, the car shall not ride on any type of springs. Detail attachments must satisfy the length, width, clearance, and weight specifications.
15. Cars with wet paint or wet glue will not be accepted.
16. No hazardous materials may be used.

Divisions and Awards

Division: There will be five divisions: Lion, Tiger, Wolf, Bear, Webelos Scout.

Awards will be given for 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd in each division and overall.

Open Division: There will also be an open division for non-Scouts (e.g., leaders, parents and siblings).

Format

• Each den races for district den titles

• Top 3 from each den race for district overall titles

Race Check-In

1. Scouts must race their own car. (the Cub Scout must check in the car and be in attendance at the race in order to qualify for an award). A Scout’s car may only be raced by a parent or stand-in if the Scout is sick.
2. Cub Scouts and leaders are encouraged to wear their uniform.
3. After the Scout has signed in, the car will be weighed, measured, and inspected to ensure compliance with the rules.
4. An official scale will be used to weigh the cars. Cars will not be accepted if their weight exceeds five ounces (142 grams) by even the smallest resolution of the balance or the car exceeds allowable dimensions.
5. A wood jig will be used to determine if the car complies with the length and width limitations.
6. A Cub Scout whose car fails any part of the inspection will be given the opportunity to make adjustments to the car. Cars will be re-weighed, measured, and inspected until they comply or until the scheduled race starting time.
7. If a car still does not pass inspection and the owner is unable or unwilling to make the changes necessary in order to pass inspection, the car will not be eligible to race.
8. After the car has passed inspection, it will be taken by a race official to the pit impound table to await the race. Cars may not be handled after the inspection until they are scheduled to race. ​

Race Event

1. Race officials will officiate the race and manage the pit to ensure cars are identified. Officials only will handle the cars to move them from the pit or check-in desk to the track, and position them on the track. Officials will report the race times and manage the race software
2. Cars shall not be handled by anyone except the race officials.
3. Once the car is turned-in, it may not be lubricated.
4. The competition will consist of heat races to determine division champions and overall champions. Division champions are the Scouts with the three fastest times in each division (1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd places). District overall champions are the Scouts with the three fastest times of the division champions (1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd places).
5. To equalize differences among track lanes, each car will race on each lane once. A car’s final recorded time will be the average time of the four lanes, calculated by the race software.
6. Each heat will begin with the racing Scouts being called by name. Race officials will take the cars from the pit impound area to the starting area for positioning on the track. Once the race is scored, Race officials will return the cars to the pit.
7. If a car leaves its lane or interferes with another car, the heat will be run again. If the car leaves its lane a second time or interferes with another car, the heat will be run again without the interfering car and the interfering car will automatically lose that heat.
8. If a car suffers a mechanical problem, loses a wheel, etc. while racing down the track and the breakdown has not interfered with the other cars, then the car with the problem will not be allowed to do the heat over.
9. If a car suffers a mechanical problem, loses an axle, breaks a wheel, etc. during a previous heat or in the process of being brought over for the start of a heat, the starting of a heat will be delayed up to three minutes while repairs are made. If a car is not repaired within the three minutes, the car will automatically lose the heat.
10. Only race officials may enter the impound and track areas.
11. Only racing Scouts (scouts participating in the current race) may enter the finish area.
12. Any participant (including parents) has the right to appeal to the race officials for an interpretation of the rules. The race officials, by majority vote, will be the final judge of these rules.
13. Unsportsmanlike conduct by any participant or any member of the audience will be grounds for expulsion from the competition and/or the race area.
14. Race software will be used to manage the race heats and race results.