Typical wood tracks are 32 feet plus a landing zone. Some tracks extend to 40 feet to make the race longer and more exciting, but you must consider that some cars may have difficulty reaching the finish line with longer tracks. The starting gate of the track should be four feet high.
What is the width of a pinewood derby track?
Derby Magic pinewood derby tracks are designed to race standard 5 ounce pinewood derby cars. The lane guides are 1-5/8″ wide and 1/4″ tall. The lane spacing is 3-7/8″. The start gate end of the track is raised 48″ above the floor.
What is the dimensions of the Pinewood Derby block?
Designing the car
The standard pinewood derby block is approximately 7.0 inches long by 1.75 inches wide by 1.25 inches tall. It has a typical density of 0.0138 lbs/in3. The block is supplied unsanded with grooves cut on the bottom side to accept the axles. The blocks weigh approximately 3.4 ounces.
Should I glue Pinewood Derby axles?
7. Create Glue Holes: Glue the axles firmly in their holes to ensure that they stay perfectly placed, but make sure you don’t get glue on your wheels. 8. Add Weight: Remember to make your Pinewood Derby car as heavy as the rules allow.
What is the standard size of a track?
400m
400m standard track
The Track comprises 2 semicircles, each with a radius of 36.50m, which are joined by two straights, each 84.39m in length. The Track has 8, 6 or occasionally 4 lanes but the last is not used for international running competition. All lanes have a width of 1.22m ± 0.01m.
Is wider track width better?
A wider front track will tend to reduce the load transfer to the outside when cornering, which increases cornering ability since you’ll be able to get more traction from the inside tires. A shorter rear track results in relatively quicker weight transfer, making the car oversteer.
Is it better to put weight on top or bottom of pinewood derby car?
Weight should be placed towards the rear of the car. You can drill the weight holes in the bottom, side or rear of the car as shown in these examples. Stay at least 1/8″ away from the axle slots.
Does a longer wheelbase make a Pinewood Derby car faster?
The longer the wheel base, the greater the turning distance (a short car turns much more quickly than a long car). A pinewood derby car should go as straight as possible, so a longer wheel base is an advantage.
Is it better to put weight in front or back on Pinewood Derby car?
PUT MOST OF THE WEIGHT IN THE BACK
Science says the heaviest part of your car should be about 1 inch in front of the rear axle. The idea is that the farther back the weight is, the more potential energy you have because your center of mass is higher up on the track.
Should you bake your Pinewood Derby car?
Per the Pinewood Derby rules, the car’s weight shouldn’t exceed 5 ounces. One way to ensure your car doesn’t exceed the weight limit is to bake the block! Naturally, wood holds water, and water adds weight. You’ll want to help your Scout by baking the block in an oven at 250 degrees for one hour.
Should you sand Pinewood Derby wheels?
In the past, pinewood derby wheels had a mold mark on the wheel tread that had to be removed by sanding. The new wheels no longer have a mold mark. Sanding can still help by removing variations in the wheel circumference making the wheel rounder but sanding is no longer as necessary as it was.
Can a Pinewood Derby car be shorter than 7 inches?
Length and Wheelbase of Pinewood Derby Cars. The length of your Pinewood Derby car is very simple to choose. The rules state a maximum 7-inch length. You want the car to be that long, minus just a little bit (say 1/16″) to allow for judging and measurement slop.
Can you use wd40 on a pinewood derby car?
No wet lubricant is allowed.
What is the fastest pinewood derby shape?
But aerodynamics rule the day, and the best shape is a simple wedge. Just like a spoiler on the rear of a sports car, the wedge shape allows as much air to flow over the top of the car without hinderance while keeping the car pinned to the track.
Can you use washers as weights for pinewood derby car?
Common steel washers can also be used. They weigh much less than a fender washer, so they are best used for trim weighting. I have also used them on a “Speed Bolt” for an aesthetic look. There are several types of hardware that can readily be used for embedded weight.
How do I know my track size?
How to Find / Measure Your Guide Size
- Measure the distance between the outer bottoms of two links across from each other.
- Measure the distance between the inner bottoms of two links across from each other.
- Measure the height of the link from outside the trough.
- Measure the height of the link from outside the trough.
Are there different sized tracks?
Running tracks have not always been 400m
So, whilst you may expect most tracks to be a standard size, some are non-standard tracks due to limited space and logistics, whilst a few others are simply weird!
Are all track sizes the same?
Running Track Dimensions
generally has 8 lanes, each with a minimum width from 1.22m up to a maximum width of 1.25m. However the dimensions of these athletics track facilities can vary depending on individual specifications and designs, we can tailor your running track to whatever requirements you may have.
Do wheel spacers increase track width?
Installing wheels spacers is common within the tuning scene. They are a cheap and easy way to improve wheel fitment and increase the track width of your car.
Does wider track width affect handling?
Increasing track width lowers weight transfer, increasing handling. Increasing the front more will lead to more oversteer… which we already have a heaping helping of in our cars. You can make it up some with additional tread width in the back, or a stiffer rear swaybar, or spacers.
Why is rear track less than front track?
The basic reason for having the front track wider than the rear is due to the weight distrubution when a car takes a corner. Say you are taking a right hand bend. The weight of the car shifts to the front left corner. A wider front track helps reduce understeer as well as keep the car more stable.