Council Pinewood Derby Races. This tip is for experts only. This makes the car faster but less stable – especially on wooden tracks where seams are often like miniature speedbumps.
It is doubtful much more will soak into the wood, but it can help to even out the surface and maximize the amount of reinforcement. The wheelbase (distance between front and rear axles) may not be changed from the kit body distance of 4 3/8 inches. By meeting this maximum limit – while also strategically placing your weights at the rear of your vehicle – you will improve your momentum and increase the distance your car travels towards the finish line. For optimal Pinewood Derby car performance, most of the weight should be placed one inch in front of the rear axle and as low on the body as possible. Often the local rules aren't clear on this, so check with your local race chairman for an advance ruling. This spread the weight out. Due to the shape of body, most of the wood weight was toward the rear. However, to increase stability and guard against speed-killing wiggles the fastest Pinewood Derby cars will steer (or drift) into the center rail. Lead also features a high density, and because it's a soft metal, it can be easily manipulated and shaped to fit into the best location on the car.
Randy is "spot on! " Maximum weight can be achieved with any type of weight, but there are benefits in choosing specific kinds. The forward most edge of the car must be wood and be at least ½" wide in order to rest against the starting gate peg (in center of its lane). Learned that the same force will accelerate (or, in this case, decelerate). The Race Area: The race area includes the track, registration, inspection, impound and scoring tables. What is a Pinewood Derby Car and Race and when are they generally held? Who invented the Pinewood Derby? I'm sharing some of them here. Transport your car in a shoebox. The front edge of the wheels must be behind the nose of the car (100% of the car behind the starting peg).
This rule will be strictly enforced. Some wood blocks will weigh less than others, so your den's rule is unfair. Image via Wikipedia. You can also glue the weight to the top or bottom of the car. Inspection Gauges: The race-day 'Inspection and Registration' area will have the official scale and inspection gauges. For reliable, tried-and-true insight into the best possible pinewood derby car weight selection and placement, trust the experts at Maximum Velocity and let us help you speed to the finish!
Today you can get tape in hundreds of patterns from camouflage to SpongeBob – or just stick to solid colors. Roll the car on the alignment board a few times and watch that the DFW stays against the rail. Car Leaves Track: If during a race heat, a car leaves the track without interfering with its opponent, it shall be considered to have ended its heat at that point and will be assigned a time of 9. Local Cub Scout packs can schedule their race for any time throughout the year. You can use a file or fine-grit sandpaper to remove the burrs and polish the axle. Decisions of Race Officials on questions of fact (i. e. the result of a specific race) may not be appealed.
EASILY CUT these weights with a scissors to any shape or size to get exact weight you need. Sometimes you might need to add a little support to a stack of weights if you drilled a little too deep into the derby car body. The wooden block is about 3. District Championship Trophies.
Car Repair (Track Fault): If a car is damaged due to track fault, or damage caused by another car or person, then the Race Officials, at their sole discretion, may allow additional repair assistance. There must be some weight over the front axles, or your car will lose speed as the wheels slide around on the way down the track. Open classes will be offered to Scouts and family members that are not currently registered in the Cub Scouting program at each of the regional events. Our only input is that since you need the wheelbase of the car to do the CG calculations, we'd have glued a ruler down. Although only adding a slight aerodynamic advantage, internal weights can add a few tenths of a second that may make the difference between a win and a loss.