2013- PACK 42 PINEWOOD DERBY – RACE REGULATIONS

1.    Scouts must present their car for check-in (final weighing and inspection) at least 15 minutes before their scheduled race time.

2.    Each scout’s car will race against other scout’s cars from the same age level.  All cars will run six races; one race down each of the six tracks on the Pack 42 racecourse.  Times are accumulated electronically with the lowest cumulative time on all six tracks used to determine the winner at each age level.

3.    The fastest four (4) cars from each age level will participate in the Pack Championship race.  All advancing cars will again run six races as before.  The cumulative times determine the winners.

4.    During a race if a car jumps off the track and is judged, in the opinion of the designated race official, to have in any manner impeded the progress of another car, the results of that race will not count for all participants in the race and the race will be re-run.

5.    If any car is impeded as a result of debris on the track, in the opinion of a race official, the results of that race will not count for all participants in the race and the race will be re-run.

6.    Any scout with a car that experiences a malfunction (such as a lost wheel or jumps the track) will be allowed a total of two occasions to make repairs to the car.  Repairs must be completed within three minutes or the car will have to be disqualified.

PACK 42 PINEWOOD DERBY RULES

1.    You must use the block of wood, the four nails (axles) and the four wheels from the kit distributed by Pack 42.  No substitutions of any kind are allowed for these components.

2.    The block of wood can be shaped by cutting or sanding to any shape and additional materials such as wood, metal, plastic, wood filler, paint, glue, etc.  can be added to the block of wood as long as:

3.    The total finished car weight cannot exceed 5.0 ounces (based on Official scale used at Registration).

4.    The overall length of the car cannot exceed 7.0 inches.  The overall width of the car must not exceed 2-3/4”.  The clearance between the wheels (side to side) should be 1-3/4” or greater to clear the track guide strip. Clearance under the car must be 3/8” or greater to avoid hitting the track guide strip. The wheelbase should be approximately 4-3/8”.  The overall height of the car cannot exceed 5 inches to avoid hitting the finish line timing mechanism. 

5.    Wheel bearings, washers, bushings, or any other additions to the wheel-axle system are prohibited.  No oil or other “wet” lubricants are permitted.  Dry lubricants such as graphite or “white lube”- a powdered lubricant, are allowed and should be used.  The nails (axle) supplied with the kit must be used. 

6.    The nails can and should be deburred and polished.  Wheels can have flash removed and some smoothing at the gate (entry point of plastic into the mold) is allowed if it is required.  However the wheels cannot be rounded – they must have the same flat contact width as furnished in the kit.  This will be judged by holding the car wheels against a flat surface and checking daylight. Nail tips must be visible on the completed car so judges can confirm that the supplied nails were used.

7.    The front of the car must have a blunt point (1/4” or wider) to rest against the starting pin.  The starting pin will contact the center face of the front of the car.  No detail or feature of the car can extend forward beyond this blunt point.

8.    The car must be freewheeling.  No starting or motorized drives of any kind are permitted.  All decorations, weights, etc., must be fixed to the car body and not free to move.

TIPS ON BUILDING A FAST CAR

1.    Insert the nails into the block before any work is started on the block.  It is easier to position them and if the wood splits at this point you can get a new kit and not lose too much time.  Remove the nails, after this initial insertion, and then reinsert them when the car body is finished.  You can glue the nails in place.  Take care to not get the glue on the axle near the wheel.  Leave the tips of the nails showing so that the judge can tell that the nails from the kit were used.

2.    Add weights to bring the total finished car weight to 5.0 ounces without going over.  Cars that are under weight will not run as fast.  During car construction remember to weigh the nails and wheels on the scale with the car body.  You can weigh the car at the post office, at the Grace United Methodist Church on the Friday night before the race and on race day or anyplace that has an accurate calibrated scale capable of weighing the car (Post Office).

3.    Remove all burrs on the nails.  Make sure that the under side of the nail head is smooth.   Polish the nail with emery paper starting at 320 grit and progressing through 400 and 600 grit.