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PINEWOOD DERBY

The pinewood derby is one of the most popular and successful family activities in Cub Scouting. Pinewood derby cars are small wooden models that Cub Scouts make with help from their families. Then they race the cars in competition. The cars are powered by gravity and run down a track. Every child can design and build their own "grand prix" car to enter in the race.

Pinewood Derby Speed Tips

Check out this video for some key tips to make your Pinewood Derby car the fastest it can be!

Derby Workshops

There will be several opportunities to mold and shape the block of pinewood into a mean lean well-decorated racing machine. We will announce dates and times for the workshops once we get the parents lined up who will be supervising the shop tools. The Scouts are not permitted to use power tools but they are encouraged to design the shape of their cars, sand them, and decorate them accordingly. Parents are encouraged to assist the child but they should let the child do most of the work.

Equal Ground

All entries in the derby will start with the "Official Grand Prix Pinewood Derby Kit" which includes the body, 4 axles, and 4 wheels. All nine pieces MUST be used before the car can race. The kits are sold at the local Scout Shop or online. All active Scouts will receive a kit as a holiday present in December. The pack also has kits for sale for adults or siblings . Cars may not exceed 5 ounces in weight and must conform to certain size restrictions and specifications. Decorating the cars are up to the imagination of the Scout. The complete set of rules will be available at the Derby Workshops. Please don't worry about the small print specifically worded to exclude the leaders from some or all of the rules.

Printable Rules

Official Pinewood Derby Rules Used By Pack296

Race Day

The Derby location is KaiserAir, located at 8735 Earhart Rd, Oakland, CA 94621. The derby will start at 10am with the youngest Scouts and then proceed den by den. All Scouts will first race with their dens, and then the top 3 finishers will race in the championship race. The race typically takes around 3 hours.

Prizes and Recognition

The Derby is about doing one's best and having fun, so all child participants will be recognized. But that doesn't mean our race winners won't take home some shiny hardware. Especially the leaders who battle and fudge and manipulate their way to the oh so awesome victory lane for that oh so elusive glass of milk.

There will be four divisions...

The Scout Division - Scouts first race against their den, and the top 3 finishers in each den will go on to the pack-level championship. Please note that the Scouts themselves should be the primary builder of their own cars. If an adult wants to take over, feel free to enter your own car in the adult division! :)
The Sibling Division - Scout brothers and sisters through fifth grade can enter their own cars. Kids in sixth grade or above will be disenfranchised in the adult division. Bring Kleenex.
Adult Division - Any adults can enter their own cars. Same rules apply.
Outlaw Division - (nearly) Anything goes! Springs, movable weights, engines, modified wheels, the skies the limit! Just keep it safe (nothing flammable please....)

Here are some more details about the various aspects of preparing for and racing in the derby:

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