New to Pinewood Derby Racing
So, you’re new to Pinewood Derby racing, You are not alone. There are millions of new Pinewood Derby racers every year. Most of them are asking the same questions… “What do I do?”… “Where do I start?”
First of all, Pinewood Derby racing at any level is much more competitive than most people think. No matter what pack you’re in or where you’ll be racing, there will be at least one or two dads that will go all out to win. You must be one of those in order to have a good chance at winning. We can help.
Pinewood Derby Basic Information
You may have noticed by now that there is an overwhelming array of Pinewood Derby tips, secrets, myths, facts, parts, supplies and kits designed to help you build a faster car. It is truly amazing at how involved and intricate Pinewood Derby car building can get. Remember, this is your first year. So, unless you have a lot of time, it is unlikely that you will learn and absorb all of the complex and convoluted factors and techniques of building a truly fast car. That will come in time.
For right now, our goal here is to give you some basic information on how to approach this new and exciting venture. We will point you in the right direction on your path to building a super fast Pinewood Derby car. Remember to have fun and, if this is for your son, allow him to participate as much as possible.
Do Your Pinewood Derby Homework
The very first thing that you should do is research… do your homework. That’s probably how you got to this page. Too many times a new car builder will wait until a short time before the race to start the building process. They then don’t have time to properly research what they need to do so they just slam the car together as best they can. Then, they wonder why their car was beaten so badly on race day.
It is very important to get an early enough start so that you can fully research the pack rules, the district rules, how the races are conducted, who qualifies for the district derby, speed tips that fit within your rules, Pinewood Derby blogs and forums, etc.
Pinewood Derby Car Builders
Serious car builders start this project at least two months in advance. For those new to pinewood derby we allocate 3 months for the building of a new car for a particular race. It’s likely that you haven’t given yourself that much time. Don’t panic… the other dad’s in your pack are probably just getting started too.
Know the Pinewood Derby Rules
Make absolutely certain that you fully understand the rules. There are many sets of rules on the internet with certain important variations so don’t just go by any set of rules that you just found on the internet. Get your pack rules. Some packs will permit broad modifications to the wheels and axles. Some packs may only allow minor modifications. There is utterly nothing more disappointing than seeing your son’s car disqualified at check-in because you didn’t carefully follow the rules.
Some pack and district Pinewood Derbies have only one race division or class while others have several different divisions, such as “Stock”, “Modified”, “Outlaw” and “Open”. Cars in the Stock class usually must follow the basic rules with no deviations, often allowing little or no modifications at all. Modified and Outlaw class rules usually allow much more flexibility in the building of the car. The open classes are usually for the scouts family members who wish to race a car. This is a great class for dad to enter his own car.
Pinewood Derby Assistance
Find out who your Derby Committee Chairman is. Ask him for a set of the rules well before you begin building the car. Then get to know him. Converse with him and offer him your assistance. Offer to help him set up the day before the race. What you’re doing here is establishing valuable “goodwill” with the chairman. This will allow you to more comfortably ask for rule clarifications down the road. This new friendship may also provide helpful should there be any future rule disputes involving your car.
If at any point you are unsure whether a particular car building trick is legal, ask the pinewood derby chairman for clarification before you make that modification.