Rules

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The purpose of this document is to provide a reasonable and level playing field for all contestants. Please read and heed the information and the rules!

The footnotes at the bottom of the page might help clarify any confusion about the rules. If you still have uncertainty about what is allowed, please contact the Sully District Pinewood Derby Coordinator mlstine@aol.com, h (703)266-8628 or c (703)303-0374.

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Eligibility of Contestants and Cars

• The Year 2005 Sully District Pinewood Derby Finals Competition is open to all Cub Scouts in the Sully District of the National Capital Area Council of BSA who placed first or second for their rank in their 2005 Pack Pinewood Derby. If a first or second place finisher cannot attend a third place finisher from that rank may represent the pack.
• It is important to emphasize that an invitation to the Sully District Pinewood Derby Finals is extended to the scouts themselves for their accomplishments at the Pack level and "not" an invitation to his car. Cub Scouts must attend to compete. Cars will not be accepted for drop off.
• In the case of illness, personal or family emergency, an eligible contestant may be represented by an authorized agent.¹ Conflicts with other events, i.e. birthday parties, sports events, or other activities that the scout chooses to attend do not qualify for representation by an authorized agent. All circumstances regarding the eligibility of an authorized agent are subject to the approval of the Sully District Pinewood Derby Committee in advance.
• Cars in this competition must have been made for this race season. Cars or parts of cars such as wheels or axles, from previous years may not be used. Contestants may modify the car they used in their pack derby to conform to the Sully District Rules or optimize it for the track at these Sully District Finals. However, all parts must be new for this season or from their Pack Pinewood Derby car made for this racing season.
• We encourage the construction of all Year 2005 cars using the official Grand Prix Pinewood Derby kit.
• Ungentlemanly or unsportsmanlike conduct by any participant or member of the audience will be grounds for expulsion from the competition and/or race area.

Length, Width & Clearance

• Maximum overall width (including wheels and axles) shall not exceed 2-3/4"
• Minimum width between the left and right wheels shall be 1-3/4" so car will clear the center guide strip.
• Minimum clearance between the bottom of the car and track shall be 3/8" so the car will clear the center guide strip.
• Maximum length (including wheels) shall not exceed 7-1/8".
• Maximum height shall not exceed 6".
• The wheelbase (distance between the front and rear axles, center to center) may not be changed from the kit body distance of 4-3/8".²

Wheels and axles

• Only the wheels and axles from the official Grand Prix Pinewood Derby kit may be used. ³
• Axles may be lightly filed, sanded and polished to remove imperfections. This light filing, sanding and polishing is the only axle modification allowed.⁴
• Wheels may be lightly sanded and polished to remove imperfections. This light sanding and polishing is the only wheel modification allowed.⁵

Weight and Appearance

• Weight shall not exceed 5 ounces. The readings of the Official Race Scale will be considered final.
• The car may be carved, sculpted, and/or sanded in order to enhance performance and appearance.
• No loose materials of any kind are permitted on or inside the car.
• Additional materials may be added to the car for the following purposes only⁶:
  • Weights may be added to increase the weight and/or alter the weight distribution of a car as long as the total weight does not exceed the maximum of 5 oz. for the completed car.
  • Paints/decals/decorations may be added to alter the appearance and/or aerodynamics of a car.
  • Glue may be used to affix the axles to the car body.
  • Wood putty, or a similar wood-like substance, may be used to repair minor damage, holes for weights, etc.
• Indented noses are prohibited. Cars like the one pictured below will "stage" further down the track, and thus are not traversing the same course as other cars.
  

• Very pointed noses are highly discouraged. Cars like the one pictured below are difficult to stage and may not trip the electronic finish line at the point of crossing. This may result in a disadvantage to the racer.
  

Lubrication

• Only dry powdered lubricants, such as graphite or white powder Pinewood Derby Car Lubricant, may be used. Any wet lubricants, liquids, oils and silicon sprays are prohibited.
• A car may be lubricated before the pre-race inspection and, if it advances, prior to the final round. These are the only times when lubrication is permissible. Specifically, cars may not be lubricated while competing in a set of heats.

Ground Rules

• Scouts must stage their own car. Only scouts participating in a heat and race officials are permitted in the staging area or track area.
• Scouts will have no more than 15 seconds to stage their car. If the starting judge determines that a racer has bumped a previously staged car, effected affected racers will be given another 15 seconds to restage their car. Racers who again bump other pre-staged cars will be cautioned by the starting judge. Further bumping of other pre-staged cars may be grounds for disqualification at the judges' discretion.
• If a car jumps off the track, the heat will be run again. If the same car jumps off the track a second time, it will automatically lose the heat.
• If a car leaves its lane and interferes with another car, the heat will be run again. If the same car leaves its lane a second time and interferes with another car, the heat will be run again without the interfering car. The interfering car will automatically lose the heat.
• If a car suffers a mechanical problem during a race and a repair can be accomplished within 5 minutes, the racer will be granted 5 minutes for the repairs. If repairs are not corrected in 5 minutes and the racer is not ready to go with the starter, the car will automatically lose the heat. If the car suffers further mechanical problems in a later heat, additional time will be granted only at the discretion of the starter based on available time in the race schedule.

Dress Code

• Competing Scouts are required to be in uniform. Short sleeves are recommended. Scouts and Scout Leaders observing the competition are encouraged to be in uniform.
• Coats, jackets, sweaters, etc. may not be worn by a Scout when he is competing. Too easily, they can get caught on the track or jostle cars which have already been staged by other Scouts.

Inspections

• Each car must pass inspection by the Official Inspection Team before it may compete. The Inspection Team has the right to disqualify those cars which do not meet the rules. Car owners will be informed of the violations and have the option to modify the car to meet these rules. All cars for each rank competition must be accepted by the Race Inspection Team at least 5 minutes before the scheduled start of that rank's competition. Therefore, we recommend Scouts show up early in their registration time slot to insure the maximum time if necessary to bring cars into conformance, pass inspection and register by race time.
• Any participant not in attendance or ready to race at their scheduled race time will be disqualified. During the heats of a particular race, when called, racers must be in the staging area and immediately check in with the starter. Tardiness may result in disqualification.
• Ungentlemanly or unsportsmanlike conduct by any participant or member of the audience will be grounds for expulsion from the competition and/or race area.

Disputes

Any participant, including parents of participants, may appeal to the Race Committee for an interpretation of these rules. By a majority vote the Race Committee will be the final judge of these rules. In the case of a tie vote, the decision of the Committee Chairman shall be final.

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¹An authorized agent is defined as a sibling or a CubScout of similar age who is not already competing in the same set of heats.

²The official kit block has pre-cut slots which are correctly spaced. If desired, these slots may be pre-drilled before they are used. Use of the pre-cut slots, however, is not required.

³Wheels and axles not from the official kits are prohibited. Wheels and axles which have been modified by other parties also are prohibited, even if they are from the official kit.

⁴Beveling, rounding, tapering, thinning, perforating, or any other significant altering of the shape or performance of the axles oraxles heads is prohibited.

⁵Beveling, rounding, tapering, thinning, perforating, or any other significant altering of the shape or performance of the wheels or wheel hubs is prohibited. Modification of the cylindrical inner wall of the wheel which contacts the axle is prohibited

⁶Wheel bearings, washers, or bushings are prohibited. This includes "wheel covers" which serve to keep the wheel hubs from contacting the car body. It also includes "hub caps", or anything else that might serve as a lubrication "well" or "tap". The car shall not ride on any type of springs. The car must be free-wheeling with no starting device or other propulsion, such as springs, moving weights, adhesives, magnets, rubber bands, motors, jets, etc.Details such as steering wheel, driver, spoiler, decals, painting and interior details are allowed as long as these details do not exceed the maximum length, width, height, and weight.Metal frames and metal axle supports are prohibited. Axles must be mounted into the wood.

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Last updated on March 26, 2005, 12:00 PM