Pinewood Derby

"Be Fast... or Look Good Trying"

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 boy can design and build his own "grand prix" car to enter in the race.

 Race Day Highlights

There will be four divisions...  

• The Scout Derby - with the top 3 fastest cars from each rank qualifying for the LEC Semi-Final Event.

• The Car Show - All cars will be entered into a car show contest.

• The Sibling Derby - Scout brothers and sisters can enter their own cars.

• The Sponsor Derby - Local businesses and families can enter the race with a small fee.  Participants (or the Pack) build and race the cars.  A Traveling Trophy is engraved and placed at the winners business for the following year.

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.  Trophies will be awarded to racers in places 1-4 and for Best Sportsmanship in addition to Car Show Design Categories: Best Paint Job, Most Original, Most Unlike a Car, Best Overall Design.  Trophies will be awarded in the Family Derby, Parent Derby, and Sponsor Derby as well.

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 boys 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.  All active Scouts will receive a kit in January. Parent and siblings are on their own.  Kits are sold at the local Scout Shop, hobby shops, or online.  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 boys.  The complete set of rules will be distributed with the Scout kits, available at the Derby Workshops, following the links on the right of this page, or by clicking the link below.

 Rules

 In order to keep this as fair and fun as possible, you have to have rules.  Rules apply to ALL Divisions.