OFFICIAL
PACK 204
PINEWOOD DERBY
EVENT RULES
AND PROCEDURES
Updated March, 2009
Table of Contents:
I. GENERAL: ELIGIBILITY, ENTRY, AND INSPECTION
Rules about entering your car
II. TECHNICAL: RACE CAR DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
Rules about building your car
III. CONDUCT: DURING THE RACING
Rules that govern how the races are conducted
IV ENVIRONMENT: THE RACING TRACK
Things you need to know about the track, and start and finish gates
I. GENERAL RULES: (Applies to all Race Events)
G-1 Qualification: The race is open to all Cub Scouts (including Tiger Cubs and Webelos) registered in Pack 204 as of race day.
G-2 Essential Materials: All cars entered shall be constructed from the "Official Grand Prix Pinewood Derby Kit" (referred to below as the kit) as distributed at the November Pack meeting. Additional kits and parts may be purchased from the South Bay Scout Shop, San Jose, CA.
G-3 Attendance: The Cub Scout must enter his own car. This means that the Cub Scout must be present at "Inspection and Registration" to enter his car. No two boys can share the same car.
G-4 "New Work": A new car must be built each calendar year. This is a Scout/Adult project with minimal adult assistance in the actual design and building of the car. It is not permissible to use a car from a previous year. Please don’t put the leaders in the awkward position of having to disqualify a car that has run in a previous year. (None of us wants to disappoint a boy by doing this!!)
G-5 Inspection and Registration: Each car must pass a technical inspection by the Official Inspection Team before it may compete.
G-6 Failure to Pass Inspection: The Inspection Team shall disqualify cars which do not meet the rules as described herein. If a car does not pass inspection, the owner will be informed of the reason his car did not pass, and given the opportunity to modify the car to meet these rules.
G-7 Impound: No car may be altered in any way after it has been registered. After a car passes registration, it will be placed in the Pit Area. There will be no further contact with the car until the race for which the car was registered begins, and then only by a Race Officials.
G-8 Late Arrivals: Late arrivals may run their car down the track after all other races have been completed. This will allow the Cub Scout to earn a participation ribbon. Late arrivals will be anyone arriving after the race participants have been registered and racing has started. BE ON TIME!
G-9 Car Design Rules Interpretation: Interpretation of the rules described section II (Technical Rules) are at the sole discretion of the Inspection Judge(s) present during the Registration and Inspection process. The decision may be appealed to the Pinewood Derby Chair.
G-10 Race-Day Rules Interpretation: On Race-Day, the Scout must make all questions of rules interpretations and procedures to the Race Officials or the Pinewood Derby Chair promptly.
For questions of FACT (i.e. the result of a specific heat, did the car interfere with another car etc…) the decisions of the Race Officials in the racing area are final and may not be appealed.
For questions of PROCEDURE and RULES INTERPRETATION (i.e. what does this rule mean; did this procedure conform with the rules, etc…) decisions may be appealed to the Pinewood Derby Chair. All decisions of the Pinewood Derby Chair are final.
G-11 Sportsmanlike Conduct: Scouts, parents and spectators are expected to treat the competitors, the race officials, and each other with courtesy and respect, exercising good sportsmanship at all times. Unsportsmanlike conduct by any participant or spectator will be grounds for expulsion from the competition and the race area.
II. TECHNICAL RULES - RACE CAR DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
T-1 Material: Race cars shall be constructed for this event from the parts contained in the "Official Grand Prix Pinewood Derby Kit" (referred to below as the kit) as distributed at the November Pack meeting. If necessary, additional kits may be purchased from the South Bay Scout Shop, San Jose, CA. (Wheel and axle only kits are also available)
T-2 Weight: Race cars must weigh no more than five (5) ounces (total weight) as determined on the Official Race Scale during the pre-race check-in. The readings of the Official Race Scale will be considered final. Note: The Official Race Scale will be available during Pinewood Derby Test Day.
T-3 Wheels and Axles, and Axle Slots: The car shall roll on the wheels from the kit. The wheels shall turn about the axle nails from the kit. The axle nails shall be firmly affixed to the wood of the car body, and MUST be placed in the original “axle slots” pre-cut in the supplied wooden block. Either end of the block may be used as the “front” of the car. It must be obvious to the judges that the grooves, wheels, and the nails from the kit are being used. EXTENDING THE WHEELBASE LENGTH IS PROHIBITED.
T-4 Size: Length, Width, Clearance, Height, Wheelbase
T-4.1 Length: 7 inches maximum. No part of the car may extend beyond the starting pin. At the inspectors’ discretion, over-length decorations extending to the REAR of the car may be allowed if they will not interfere with any part of the track starting or finishing system. However, no overhang of any part of the car including decorations may extend past the front of the original wooden kit block. Also see rule C-5 and T-13.
T-4.2 Width: 2.75 inches maximum including wheels and axles.
T-4.3 Clearance: 3/8 (0.375) inches minimum underside clearance between the bottom of the car and the track so that the car will clear the center guide strip. Minimum inside wheel to wheel clearance of at least 1-3/4 (1.75) inches so that the car will clear the center guide strip. Adequate clearance is the responsibility of the race car builder.
T-4.4 Height: 6 inches maximum due to the electronic finish line.
T-4.5 Wheelbase: The wheelbase is fixed by the dimensions of the pre-cut axle slots in the wooden block body supplied with the kit. See T-3.
T-5 Weights and Attachment: Weight may be added to the car to build up to the maximum weight and will be considered part of the car for purposes of all measurements. All weight must be securely fastened to the car, e.g. by permanent glue, nails or screws or built into the body. Weights shall be passive, i.e. non-moveable, non-magnetic, non-electric, non-sticky, etc. Mercury shall not be used for adding weight. It is a potential health hazard.
T-6 Wheel Polishing: Wheels may be lightly sanded/polished to remove casting imperfections. Sanding and polishing may NOT result in substantial removal of mass, or change the shape or dimensions of the wheels. Some of the original "tread marks" on the wheel face must remain intact and obvious to the inspector. H-cut, V-cut or beveled wheels are not allowed. The inside of the wheels cannot be drilled. No covering is allowed over the head of the axle or the axle itself; wheel and axle must open for inspection.
T-7 Wheel Mounting and Positioning: The portion of the wheel surface that contacts the track must remain parallel to the axle and to the track. Positive or negative “camber” is prohibited. All 4 wheels must make contact with the track. Deliberately making a “3 wheeler” is prohibited.
T-8 Axles: Axles may be filed on the back side of the head to remove any ridges. Axles may also be polished. No other shaping is allowed.
T-9 Unacceptable Construction: The following may NOT be used in conjunction with the wheels or axles: hubcaps, washers, inserts, sleeves, bearings. The car may not ride on any type of springs.
T-10 Gravity Powered: The race car must be free wheeling with no starting devices. The race car may not be constructed or treated in such a way that the track's starting mechanism imparts momentum to the car. (For instance, this provision disqualifies cars with sticky substances on the front of the car and protrusions which may catch on the starting pin.)
T-11 Appearance: Details such as steering wheel, driver, spoiler, fenders, headlights, tail lights, painting and interior details are permissible and encouraged. Cars with WET PAINT will not be accepted.
T-12 Lubricants: Only dry lubricants such as graphite or powdered Teflon "white lube" will be allowed for lubricating the wheels. Lubricants may not foul the track.
T-13 Numbering Sticker: At checkin, a small round numbering sticker used for identification will be affixed to the top of the car, at the front (See C-5) of the car. The car’s design and construction must allow for attachment of this sticker. The pinewood derby chair may at his option distribute unique car numbers to cubs before the event. If this is done, the car’s number may be painted or stickered to the top front (hood) area of the car during construction. If race officials determine this number to be sufficiently legible, they need not put an additional identification sticker on the car.
III. CONDUCT OF THE RACES
C-1 Inspection Gages: The race-day check in area will have the official scale, length box, and wheel clearance guide. That check-in equipment will be the official equipment for the race.
C-2 Impounding: Once the car has passed inspection and received its number sticker, it will be placed in the Pit Area. There will be no further contact with the car until racing begins, and then only by Race Officials.
C-3 Car Handling Responsibility: After registration and impounding Scouts’ cars will be staged on the track for each heat by the "Starter Team."
C-4 Race Format: The race format will be by the “Lane Rotation Method”, each car will have the opportunity to race exactly twice in each lane in order to equalize differences among track lanes. To eliminate the den count inequity, heats will consist of cars from the entire pack rather than a single den (e.g. it would be possible for a heat to have Tiger car, a Wolf car, a Bear car and a Webelo car). There will be two rounds of racing, a Main round and a Pack Finals round.
C-4.1 Lane/Heat Assignment: The Race Management Software randomly creates the heats and ensures that the cars cycle through each lane against different competitors from the entire pack.
C-4.2. Den Rankings: The rankings within in each den will be based on each racer’s total elapsed time from all heats.
C-4.3 Pack Rankings: The seven cars from the entire pack, regardless of Den, with the lowest total elapsed time will participate in the Pack Finals. Racing in the Pack Finals will also be conducted per C-4.
C-5 Staging Cars at the Starting Line: Starting officials will stage cars onto the track with the front of the car resting against the starting gate. The numbering sticker (Rule T-13) designates the front of the car. No part of the car will extend past the starting line when positioned on the track. Any car with a pointed nose which does not rest against the starting gate properly may, at the judge’s discretion, be disqualified. The number sticker may be reoriented and the car run backwards if necessary to comply with this rule. See rule T-4.1 The car may also be “reversed” if necessary after repair under C-9 or C-10.
C-6 Improper Start: An improper start or any other unexpected condition that affects the running or finish of the race may, at the judge’s discretion, cause the heat to be rerun.
C-7 Car Leaves Lane : If, during a heat, a car leaves its lane but proceeds down the track in a manner that does not interfere with its opponent, then the race will be scored normally. If the car does not finish in its own lane, it will be assigned a time of 9.999 seconds for that heat. If the car leaves its lane and interferes with another car, the race will be re-staged and re-run. If the same car again leaves its lane and interferes with another car, that car will be disqualified, and the race will be re-staged and re-run without that car. A car that is disqualified from two heats will be disqualified from further racing for the day.
C-8 Car Leaves Track: If, during a heat, a car leaves the track without interfering with its opponent, it shall be considered to have ended its heat at that point. It will receive a time of 9.999 seconds for the heat.
C-9 Car Repair (Without Fault): If, during the race, a wheel falls off or the car becomes otherwise damaged, then the SCOUT may, to the best of his ability perform repairs with the assistance of his adult partner or a Pit Crewmember. The cub may use as much time as necessary; however no “heats” will be delayed while the scout repairs the car. Heats missed while the car is under repair will receive a time of 9.999 seconds.
C-10 Car Repair (With Fault): If a car is damaged due to track fault, or damage caused by another car or person (e.g. dropped by a starting official), then the Pinewood Derby Chair, at his sole discretion, may allow additional repair assistance to the Cub and his adult partner. Scheduled Heats should continue to run, as long as the Heats being run involve only other cars. However, if the next heat involving the damaged car is called to race before the cub has had 5 minutes to repair the damage, the heat must be delayed until 5 minutes have elapsed from the original damage. At the Pinewood Derby Chair’s sole discression heats may be run “out of order” temporarily skipping heats involving the damaged car and then running them after the car is repaired.
C-11 Track Fault: If a car leaves its lane, Race Officials may inspect the track and if a track fault is found which probably caused the initial violation Race Officials may order the heat to be rerun after the track is repaired.
C-12 No Finishers: Cars that do not reach the finish line during a heat will be assigned a time of 9.999 seconds. If no car reaches the finish line on the track, the car which went the farthest in its lane shall be declared as the heat winner.
C-13 Call to Race: Competitors may be announced by name prior to each heat. Failure to do so will not invalidate the heat.
C-14 The Race Area: Only race officials may enter the track area. This rule will be strictly enforced.
C-15 Finish Order: The finish order will be determined by an electronic finish line. A Finish Line Judge shall be at station to observe each heat. Finish order determined by the finish line sensor, MAY be challenged by the Finish Line Judge. If the track's electronic finish line sensor's result is challenged by the Finish Line Judge, the race will be re-staged and re-run.
C-16 Debris on the Track: If debris or obstacles are spotted on the track, the condition may be brought to the attention of the Finish Judge. The debris/obstacles must be EASILY visible to the naked eye. The Finish Judge, at his/her sole discretion may halt the racing and remove the pieces of debris by picking them up with his/her fingers, or by operating a hand held vacuum cleaner (such as a “dustbuster”) only in the local area where the debris is located.
If liquids are spilled on the track, The Finish Judge, at his/her sole discretion may halt the racing and wipe up the liquid with a towel or paper towel. The Finish Judge may but is not required to follow up by cleaning the local area of the spill with some type of cleaner (such as 409.)
C-17 Failure of Track, Electronic Timing, or Scoring: If the electronic timing or scoring system fails for any reason, the chairman and pit officials should attempt to repair the system. However, this may not always be possible (e.g. in the event of major breakage of the track, power outage, etc…) The Pinewood Derby Chair shall consult with the Scoutmaster, race officials, as well as with scouts and parents to determine the best course of action. The following options are suggested, but other options may be considered:
1. Continue racing using paper & pencil scoring, based on heat placement rather than elapsed time. (For this to work, a record of the finish order of heats already run, and a printout of the full race schedule, must be available.)
2. Continue running racing using the existing schedule, without keeping, collecting, or tallying scores. This still allows cubs to see their cars race.
3. Abandon structured racing and allow cubs to claim their cars and race informally against whomever they choose until some time-limit passes.
4. If all cars have run at least 5 heats and the scoring computer is still available, call an end to the racing and score all cars based on average time per heat discarding the worst heat time.
5. Abandon racing for the day and reschedule to another day.
6. Abandon racing and do not reschedule.
IV. THE RACING ENVIRONMENT
R-1 Track Length, Drop, and Slope: The official Pack 204 track will be used, AS INSTALLED on race day. The race officials will make their best effort to install the track with minimal variations between lanes.
R-2 Starting Mechanism: The "starting line" shall consist of a vertical metal strip, extending approximately 1 inch above the track surface and approximately centered in the each lane.
R-3 Finish Line Sensor Location: The track has electronics called "finish line sensors" that shall be in alignment with the corresponding starting line pin and be approximately centered in its lane.