The Great Race
The Cub Scout Pinewood Derby is a time-honored tradition that brings together scouts, families, and communities in a celebration of creativity, skill, and friendly competition. This annual event is not just about racing miniature cars; it’s an opportunity for Cub Scouts to learn valuable lessons in craftsmanship, sportsmanship, and teamwork. In this blog post, we’ll explore the history of the Pinewood Derby, delve into the excitement of the race day, and highlight the important lessons it imparts to young scouts.
Last year’s Pack 202 Pinewood Derby was a lot of fun for the scouts and their families. This year with the integration of our friends from Pack 201 it will be even more fun.
Our Pack purchases the regulation Pinewood Derby Car kits from the BSA Scoutshop, and then distributes the kits to our scouts for free. Then as a family and sometimes in Den Meetings we design and prepare our derby cars for race day. On Race Day we set up our modern all aluminum track and it’s computerized “heat” system. The software determines what combinations of cars to run in order to determine the winners. Each car effectively runs once on each lane of our track against an assortment of other scout’s cars. This means we do not race as individual grade based dens, but can still determine who received 1–3rd place within each den and within the all-grades Pack as a whole. This also means the scouts don’t have to wait around for one den to finish multiple races before they get a chance. The kids instead get to see their car raced throughout the Derby Day.
The Pinewood Derby traces its roots back to 1953 when Don Murphy, a Cubmaster in Manhattan Beach, California, introduced the concept. Inspired by his son’s interest in racing, Murphy devised a simple but ingenious plan to create small wooden cars for a racing competition. The idea quickly gained popularity and spread throughout the Cub Scout community, eventually becoming a nationwide tradition.
Building the Cars
One of the most exciting aspects of the Pinewood Derby is the process of building the cars. Each scout, with the help of a parent or guardian, is provided with a basic Pinewood Derby car kit containing a block of wood, plastic wheels, and axles. The challenge lies in transforming this basic kit into a sleek, aerodynamic racing machine. Scouts get to showcase their creativity by designing and decorating their cars, often turning the process into a family bonding activity.
Remember, there are official BSA wide rules about the Derby. Basically the scout must be the one building the car, lots of people may help them though. But this is a great memorable experience for the scout to get to build their own car. It’s great for a parent to help and help a lot, but the scout shouldn’t have that building experience taken away from them. Each year a new car has to be built, so a winner from a prior year can’t be used again. Scouts must also use only the wheels and axles from the kits. There are other wood derby hobbyists out there and there are non-BSA derby races. They often have special axles and special wheels that allow the car to run the track faster. But our scouts aren’t supposed to be using that, we shouldn’t be purchasing wheels and certainly not purchasing pre-made cars for the race. Some of the offical BSA car kits have a pre-cut profile. If your axles are bent or the wheels break, you can buy replacements and other allowed accessories from the Scoutshop. One other important thing to remember is that the axles and wheels can be treated with dry lubricants only. We can’t use oils or other liquids for lubrication, this creates an unfair advantage and also drips onto the derby track which causes problems for the track. Importantly the cars have a weight limit, they can not be heavier than 5 ounces (~141 grams). Fast cars have cut away a lot of wood to have a racing profile and are then brought back up to weight by adding small metal weights (sometimes steel stubs, sometimes currency coins).
Race Day
Race day is a culmination of weeks of hard work and anticipation. Scouts gather at the designated location, usually a community center or school gymnasium, where a specially-designed track awaits. The track features multiple lanes, and the cars are launched down the track in a series of heats. The excitement is palpable as scouts and their families cheer on their cars, eagerly watching to see which one will cross the finish line first.
For our Pack race day starts with the weigh-in and registration of the derby cars. Once registered the cars will only be handled by Racing Staff and Pit Crews until they are returned to your scout at the end of the day. If your car is overweight, you will have a station available to shave some weight off and re-weight. Once registered we start running racing heats. Our Derby’s last around 3 hours and end with an awards ceremony. Top three AVERAGE speeds are awarded for each Den and also for the Pack overall. We also award superlatives such as ‘funniest design’ and things like that. All of this is covered by those Pack Fees that we paid at the start of each scouting year.
Sportsmanship and Teamwork
While the Pinewood Derby is undeniably a competition, it places a strong emphasis on sportsmanship and teamwork. Scouts learn to respect their fellow competitors, celebrate both victories and losses, and appreciate the effort that goes into each car. The event fosters a sense of camaraderie, as scouts often help each other with last-minute adjustments or share tips on achieving optimal speed.
Lessons Learned: Beyond the thrill of the race, the Pinewood Derby imparts important life lessons to Cub Scouts. From honing craftsmanship skills to understanding the value of sportsmanship, scouts gain valuable experiences that extend far beyond the Pinewood Derby track. The event encourages creativity, problem-solving, and perseverance—all essential qualities that contribute to a scout’s personal and character development.
Derby Day is Memorable Fun
The Cub Scout Pinewood Derby is more than just a race; it can be a great family tradition that brings families and communities together. It instills important values in young scouts, fostering creativity, sportsmanship, and teamwork. As scouts build and race their cars, they embark on a journey of learning and growth, creating memories that last a lifetime. The Pinewood Derby is a testament to the enduring spirit of scouting, where the pursuit of excellence is celebrated, and the bonds formed last far beyond the race day festivities.
