ADIRONDACK DISTRICT PINEWOOD DERBY
OFFICIAL RULES AND REGULATIONS
The following rules and regulations apply to the Adirondack District Pinewood Derby, and are designed so that all racers have a chance to
participate in (and possibly even win!) the Derby. All decisions of the Race Marshall on Race Day are final and not subject to appeal.
1.
ELIGIBILITY: The race is open to registered Cub Scouts residing within the Adirondack District of the Twin Rivers Council. A Scout must be
physically present at the race in order for their car to participate in the Derby.
2.
OFFICIAL KITS: Cars must use the parts contained in the Official Grand Prix Pinewood Derby Car Kit. This includes the wheels and “nailstyle” axles. Car wheels may be colors other than black (the BSA sells these), but they must be the official BSA wheels with the words
“Official BSA” clearly visible to Race officials. EXTREMELY IMPORTANT: Cars using “aftermarket” wheels or axles will be disqualified from
racing.
3.
NEW CARS: Cars must be crafted in the current Scouting year (i.e., begun no earlier than June 1st of the prior calendar year) by the
participating Scout, with the assistance of a parent or other adult helper. Cars purchased fully or partially completed (such as pre-cut cars
obtained from hobby stores) are not eligible to compete in the District Derby.
One of the primary purposes of the Derby is to promote quality time spent between a Cub Scout and his parent or guardian, and that
purpose is undermined through the use of pre-cut cars. If you do not have the tools or skills necessary to create a car with your son,
contact your Den Leader or Cubmaster for assistance.
4.
DIMENSIONS: Cars may not exceed 2 ¾ inches in width, 7 inches in length, or 5 ounces in weight. Cars which exceed these dimensions
will not be allowed to race. No decorative elements (tank turrets, decoration, etc.) may project beyond the front of the car. Weight
readings on your scale at home (or readings on the scale at your Pack’s Derby) may differ from the Official Scale used on Race Day – the
Official Scale results are final. A participant will be given the opportunity, depending on time available within the official weigh-in period,
to remove weight from his car if it exceeds 5 ounces at weigh-in on Race Day. Weights must be securely fastened to the vehicle.
5.
TRACK CLEARANCE: The wheelbase (width between each pair of wheels) must be a minimum of 1 ¾ inches, and the bottom clearance
between the car and track must be a minimum of 3/8 inches. Cars not meeting these minimum clearances will not be disqualified from
racing, but may not clear the center guide strip on the track.
6.
WHEELS: Wheel bearings, washers, bushings, and springs are prohibited. The car must be free-wheeling, with no starting devices. Any
car lights which might interfere with the track timing device must be turned off for racing.
7.
LUBRICANT: Only dry graphite lubricant may be applied to cars prior to racing. Once racing has begun, no further graphite may be
applied between heats. Racers who proceed to the final division will be able to apply dry graphite lubricant one additional time before
racing in the finals. Cars with wet paint, glue, etc., which may interfere with the track or timing system will not be permitted to race.
Please note: If a car becomes stuck on the track during a race heat, additional graphite may be added to the wheels of that car prior to
the start of the next heat at the sole discretion of the Race Marshall. This is intended to avoid the potentially demoralizing situation
where a Scout’s car becomes stuck repeatedly on the track during racing. Because of the time-based qualification system used and the
highly competitive nature of the District Derby, it is extremely unlikely that cars which get stuck during any one heat will qualify for the
finals, regardless of the additional application of graphite. Again, the sole discretion of the Race Marshall in these matters is final and not
subject to appeal.
8.
CRASHES: In the event of a crash where one or more cars depart their assigned lane(s) of the track, that heat will be rerun. Racers will
be allowed to make reasonable (quick) repairs to cars which are involved in a crash. Cars which, in the sole judgment of the Race
Marshall, have alignment issues or other design flaws which are resulting in repeated crashes may be prevented from continuing to race.
If a car loses a wheel during a heat, but no other cars are affected and the wheel loss is not the result of a collision or an obvious gap or
defect in the track, the results of the heat will stand.
9.
RACE SOFTWARE: Lane and heat assignments and race winners will be determined by the race management software used on Derby Day.
This software automatically makes lane assignments and computes average finish times over a number of races, so that cars are not
penalized for running in a “slow” lane or against unusually fast cars. It is important to note that, because winners are based on average
finish times (and not how they have placed within individual heats), a car may win all of its heats and still not place as one of the top
Derby finishers overall.
ADK District
Pinewood Rules
Rev. 02/2016