Cub Scout Pack 121
Pinewood Derby Rules 2008

Here are the rules for our local Pinewood Derby, unchanged from last year.  These should comply with the rules for the Tall Timbers District Derby.

• The car can’t be wider than 2 3/4 inches or longer than 7 inches or weigh more than 5 ounces.
• The axles, wheels and body of the car must be made of the materials provided in the kit.
• Wheel bearings, washers and bushings are prohibited. The original wheels and axles cannot be reshaped, although manufacturing irregularities (e.g., sprue, flash) can be removed.  Axle grooves must be used as provided in the block.
• Only powdered graphite or silicone or Teflon may be used for lubrication of the axles.
• The car must stand alone, not riding on any kind of spring or other device.
• The car must be freewheeling with no starting devices.
• No loose materials of any kind are allowed in the car.
  
  Cars must have been built in the past year.  The Cub Scout must build the car, although parents are allowed and encouraged to assist, especially with power tools.

 We will have ribbons for winners in each den and medals for winners overall (1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd).  Additionally, the cars will be displayed and everyone can vote for the best design, most original, and best decorated.  The boys may bring more than one car to show, but each boy can officially race only one.  Every boy will receive a patch for participating.

Winners will qualify to participate in the district Pinewood Derby on April 25 at First Baptist Church Lufkin.  Check back later to see who qualifies for that event.

You may check the fit of your car on a piece of track in the Scout house during any den meeting.  Also, there will be an opportunity to weigh the cars and try out the track sometime before the derby.

Derby Procedure Rules

Each car must pass inspection by the official inspection committee before it will be allowed to compete.  The inspectors have the right to disqualify those cars that do not meet these specifications.

After passing inspection, each car will have a number attached and will be placed in a restricted holding area to await their races.  Between races, cars will be kept in the holding area until after the racing is finished.

Cars cannot be modified (except for critical repairs) once they've been impounded for the race.

Each heat will be announced.  Drivers will report to the starting line and place their cars on the track.  All other people must remain behind the barrier.

The starter will make sure the cars are on the track properly and then will start the race.

The starter and drivers will then report to the finish line to record the results.

The car whose nose is over the finish line first is the winner.

If a car leaves the track, runs out of its lane, interferes with another car, loses an axle, etc., the heat will be rerun.  If the same car gets into trouble on the second run, the contestant is disqualified and automatically loses that race.  If, on the second run, another car is interfered with, the heat will be run a third time but without the disqualified car.

When the results of each heat are recorded, the drivers will return their cars to the holding area.

Awards will be announced at the end of the derby.

Decisions of inspection and race judges are final.

"Outlaw Class" cars-- extra cars and those that do not meet derby guidelines-- may be run after the regulation races are finished.