The pinewood derby is the wood car racing event of Scouts BSA. Pinewood derbies are often run by packs of the Cub Scouts program.
What is the point of a Pinewood Derby?
The purpose of the Pinewood Derby is to help the Cub Scout build a team relationship with their parent or helper, experience the sense of accomplishment and the excitement of competition, learn Win/Lose good sportsmanship, and to have fun.
Why is it called Pinewood Derby?
Pinewood Derby is a Cub Scout racing event. Cub scouts create small cars, usually from kits that contain a piece of pine (hence the name, pinewood), 4 plastic tires, and 4 nails to use as the axles.
Who does the Pinewood Derby?
Cub Scouts
The Pinewood Derby is still about Cub Scouts and their parents turning four plastic wheels, four nails and some wood into a custom race car. It’s still about designing a 5-ounces-or-less car that goes fast, looks cool or both.
How does Pinewood Derby work?
During the event, Cub Scouts race small, driverless wooden cars down a sloped track. The cars are powered only by gravity. With an adult’s help, each Pinewood Derby car is built by a Cub Scout using a kit that includes a wooden block, plastic wheels and metal axles.
Do Girl Scouts have pinewood derby?
Powderpuff pinewood derby is a Girl Scouts pinewood derby event that is the same as the Cub Scouts pinewood derby. The powder puff derby car kits and race rules are exactly the same.
Why do you bake a pinewood derby car?
Bake the Block: Start with your block of wood, and before you do anything else, bake it in the oven at 250 degrees for around two hours to remove moisture and make it lighter. This will allow you to place more weight to the rear of the Pinewood Derby car where you actually want it.
How long does a Pinewood Derby last?
about 12 days
A regular Pinewood Derby race on a 40-foot track lasts a couple of seconds. The Pinewood Derby Race Across America is expected to last about 12 days.
How long does a Pinewood Derby race last?
about two minutes
How long does it take to run the race? From user reports, with the RaceManager each heat should last about two minutes (or less!) per racer. See Running the Race for an explanation.
What are car Derbys called?
Banger Racing
This type of competition is known as enduro racing in the United States. At the conclusion of many banger events, all cars in running condition participate in an American-style demolition derby, in which the winner is the last car able to move.
Can Lions participate in pinewood derby?
This includes just the registration fee. Lions are responsible for obtaining their own uniform shirt & hat as well as guide book. It was decided that Lions would not participate in the pinewood derby.
Are heavier pinewood derby cars faster?
The heavier your car is, the faster it’ll be. It’s the location of the weight that makes the difference. The ideal placement for the center of gravity is 7/8-in. in front of the rear axle.
What is the pinewood derby world record?
The longest pinewood derby track measured 97.54 m (320 ft) and was built by the Boston Minuteman Council and Boy Scouts of America (USA) in Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Can you reuse a Pinewood Derby car?
Basically, this year’s cars must be built from new materials (car body, wheels and axles) found in the official Pinewood Derby kit, however parts of cars, such as weights, from previous years may be reused.
Does a Pinewood Derby car need 4 wheels?
Your pinewood derby car will run faster if one of the front wheels is raised. Some race rules specify that all four wheels must touch the track so read your rules before following the steps on this page. Some blocks are slightly warped and will naturally have a raised wheel.
Can a Pinewood Derby car have 3 wheels?
You may sand the wheels to remove the seam or other imperfections on the surface, but the profile may not be changed (i.e. you can’t make the wheel width thinner). c. Cars can run with 3 wheels touching the track, but the 4th must be installed.
Why do Scouts hold up 3 fingers?
Meaning of the three fingers
In his book, Scouting for Boys, Robert Baden-Powell chose the three-finger salute for Scouts to represent the three aspects of the Scout Promise: Honour God and Country. Help Others. Obey the Scout Law.
Why do Girl Scouts hold up 3 fingers?
Girl Scout sign: Girl Scouts make the Girl Scout sign—raising three fingers of the right hand with the thumb holding down the pinky—when they say the Girl Scout Promise. The three fingers represent the three parts of the Promise.
Do Scouts shake left hands?
The left-handed Scout handshake is a formal way of greeting other Scouts of both genders and is used by members of Scout and Guide organizations around the world. The handshake is made with the hand nearest the heart and is offered as a token of friendship.
Can you use wd40 on a pinewood derby car?
No wet lubricant is allowed.
Is a shorter 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).