Pack 1040 Pinewood Derby Official Rules and Regulations
I.
GENERAL
RULES: (Applies to all Race Events)
G-1. Qualification:
All registered Pack 1040 Tiger,
Cub, and Webelos Scouts may design, build and enter cars that are
eligible to participate in the "Cub Scout Race" event.
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 19,
2009 Pack meeting. Additional kits may be purchased from the Scout
Service Center. (Kits may be purchased elsewhere if they are of the
exact type manufactured by the BSA as specified above.)
G-3. Competitor Categories:
All Tiger Cubs, Cub Scouts, and
Webelos Scouts that are registered within Pack 1040 may enter this
Pinewood Derby. Cub Scouts will compete with others in the same Cub
Scout Rank. The first, second, and third place winners in each Rank
will move on to the finals.
G-4. 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 into competition. Exceptions will be
made on a case-by-case basis and are at the discretion of the
Pinewood Derby Chairman.
G-5. "New Work": Construction of ALL entries MUST have begun
AFTER last year's (2009) Pack 1040 Pinewood Derby Races.
G-6. Single Entry per Person:
Only one car may be registered by
any person in the Pinewood Derby.
G-7. Inspection and
Registration: Each car must pass a technical inspection
before it may compete. Technical inspection and registration of
cars occurs on Saturday February 6, 2010. 8 A.M. to 9 A.M.
G-8. Late Registration and
Inspection: Registration closes promptly at 9 AM. Any cars
not in the process of registering by this time will not be allowed
to race.
G-9. Failure to Pass
Inspection: The
Inspection Committee 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.
G-10. Impound: No car may be altered in any way after it has
been registered. After a car passes registration, the Pinewood
Derby Race Committee will store it.
G-11. Car Design Rules
Interpretation: Interpretation of the rules described in G1
through G-11, and T-1 thru T-9 are at the sole discretion of the
Inspection Committee Judges present during the Registration and
Inspection process.
G12. Race-Day Rules
Interpretation: On
Race-Day, the Cub Scout must make all questions of rules
interpretations and procedures to the Pinewood Derby Chairman or
Race Officials promptly. Decisions of Race Officials on questions
of rules interpretations and procedure may be appealed to the
Pinewood Derby Chairman. All decisions of the Pinewood Derby
Chairman are final. Decisions of Race Officials on questions of
fact (i.e. the result of a specific race) may not be appealed
beyond the Track master and/or Finish Line Judges.
Note:
Unsportsmanlike conduct by any participant or spectator will be
grounds for expulsion from the competition and/or the race
area.
II. CUB SCOUT RACE
CAR DESIGN STANDARDS
T-1. Construction 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 sold by the
Scout Service Center. Materials from the kit may be supplemented
but not replaced.
T-2. Weight: Race cars may weigh no more than five (5)
ounces (total weight) as determined on the official scales during
the pre-race check-in. Note: The official scale will be available
at the Askew Elementary School Friday, February 5, 2010, 7:00 PM
until 8:00 PM.
T-3. Wheels and Axles:
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. It must be obvious to the judges that the wheels and the
nails from the kit are being used.
T-4. Size: Racecars may be no longer than 7 inches, nor
wider than 2-3/4 (2.75) inches, as determined by the official gages
during the Registration and Inspection. Underside clearance of at
least 3/8 (0.375) inches and inside wheel-to-wheel clearance of at
least 1-3/4 (1.75) inches is recommended, so that the car
will run on the racetrack. Adequate clearance is the responsibility
of the racecar builder.
T-5. Weights and Attachments:
Weight may be added to the car and
will be considered part of the car for purposes of all
measurements. "Weight" is considered to be any material on the car
that is not provided in the kit. All weight must be securely
fastened to the car, e.g. by permanent glue, nails or screws, but
not by "sticky substances", e.g. tape, or tack spray. Weights shall
be passive, i.e. non-moveable, non-magnetic, non-electric,
non-sticky, etc.
T-6. Wheel Treatment:
Wheel treatment (hub and tread
smoothing and polishing) may not result in substantial removal of
mass nor in reducing the wheel width from the original kit wheels.
The original "tread marks" on the wheel face must remain intact,
i.e. apparent to the inspector. Wheels may not be machined to a beveled
condition or rounded and the portion of the wheel surface that
contacts the track must remain parallel to the
axle.
T-7. Unacceptable
Construction: The
following may NOT be used in conjunction with the wheels or axles:
hubcaps, washers, inserts, sleeves, or bearings.
T-8. Gravity Powered:
The racecar 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-9. 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. In the interest of
fairness, the only lubrication allowed is before the car is
impounded.
III.
CONDUCT OF THE RACES
Competition will consist of heat races within
each Rank (Tiger, Wolf, Bear and Webelos), and a series of final
heats at the Pack level. Track officials are responsible for the
proper conduct of the races.
C-1. Inspection Gages:
The race-day "Pit Stop" area will
have the official scale and length box. That check-in equipment
will be the official equipment for the race. (The same 5 oz. Master
Weight used for scale calibration in pre-race check-in will also be
available on race day. Please stress this fact to all Cub Scouts.
They should be prepared to make adjustments to their cars if
necessary.)
C-3. Car Handling
Responsibility: The “Starter Team” will stage cars on the
tracks.
C-4. Lane Assignment:
To equalize differences among
track lanes, each heat will consist of a number of races equal to
the number of cars running in that heat. For rank heats, this will
be the number of boys in each rank. For Pack elimination heats,
there will be three cars in each heat.
a.)
From each heat, the top three cars
will advance to race at the next level based on lowest total
elapsed time.
C-5. Car Leaves Lane:
If, during a race 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 called
normally. 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 it's lane and interferes with another car, that car will be
judged last place and the race will be re-staged and re-run without
that car.
C-6. Car Leaves Track:
If, during a race heat, a car
leaves the track without interfering with its opponent, it shall be
considered to have ended its heat at that point.
C-7. 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.
C-8 Car Repair (With Fault):
If a car is damaged due to track
fault, or damage caused by another car or person, then the Track
master, at his sole discretion, may allow additional repair
assistance to the Cub.
C-9. No Finishers:
If, during a race heat, 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-11. Track Champion:
The top three finishers shall be
accompanied, with his car, from the track to the stage by his
parent or other designee. The car will be impounded until the start
of the Final Heats.
C-12. Track Fault:
If a car leaves its lane, at his
sole discretion, the Track master may inspect the track and, if a
track fault is found which probably caused the initial violation,
the Track master may order the race heat to be rerun after the
track is repaired.
C-13. The Race Area:
Only race officials may enter the
track area. This rule will be strictly enforced.
C-14. Rewards and Recognition:
The most important values in
Pinewood Derby competition are parent/son participation, good
sportsmanship and learning how to follow rules. The Awards
Committee is responsible for recognizing and encouraging these
qualities in addition to traditional racing awards. Racers will be
recognized as follows:
a.)
Every
participating Scout will receive a Pinewood Derby patch.
b.)
Trophies will be awarded
to the most original and the best-looking cars in each
rank.
c)
Trophies will be awarded to the
first, second and third-place finishers in each rank.
d)
Trophies will be awarded for the
first thru third-place finishers overall in Pack 1040.
IV.
THE RACING ENVIRONMENT
R-1. Track Length and Drop:
The track shall have a racing
surface (starting line to finish line distance) of approximately 28
feet with a drop of approximately 4 feet.
R-2. Track Slope: The track slope shall decrease from
approximately 30 degrees at the starting line to approximately 0
degrees at the finish line.
R-3. Lanes: Each lane will consist of a straight, smooth
wooden strip approximately 1-1/2 (1.50) inches, but certainly less
than 1-3/4 (1.75) inches, wide and approximately 1/4 (0.25) inches,
but certainly less than 3/8 (0.375) inches thick, centered on a
smooth surface no less than 4 inches wide. Each racecar shall
straddle such a strip during its heats.
R-4. Starting Mechanism:
The "starting line" shall consist
of vertical pins of approximately 1/4-inch diameter, extending
approximately 1 inch above the track surface and approximately
centered in the each lane.
R-5. 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.
R-6. Finish Line Electronics
Sensitivity: Track
Finish Line Electronics, if used, must trigger correctly if a lead
pencil is passed 3/4 (0.75) inches above the track surface at a
speed of 15 feet per second.
R-7. Finish Line Clearance:
Track Finish Line Electronics and
other track accessories, if used, must be no closer than 3 inches
above the track.
V.
SPECIAL NOTES TO ALL CONCERNED
This
project is a parent and son event, and is recommended as such by
the National Boy Scouts of America. The Pinewood Derby Committee
STRONGLY SUGGESTS that each parent emphasize this idea with your
son. In all of the events, we require that the cars be built this
year.
Sportsmanship:
Two things the Pinewood Derby requires each participant to learn
are 1) the craft skills necessary to build a car, and 2) the rules
that must be followed. Even more important, though, is how we act
and behave while participating in the Pinewood Derby or any other
group activity. This is called sportsmanship.
The
first thing to remember about sportsmanship is that everyone's
skills are a little different. You may be good at something like
singing or drawing, but not as good at something else like
basketball or computers. Parents have different skill levels, too.
This doesn't mean that you are a good person one time and not good
another time. You can always be a good person, whether or not you
have good car-building skills. Remember, you and your friends are
individuals first and racers second. This idea is often called
having respect for others.
The
second thing to remember is to follow the rules. Without rules,
there would be no Pinewood Derby. You will never know if you are
really good at doing something unless you follow the rules. This is
often called being honest.
The
third thing to remember about good sportsmanship is that there are
winners and losers in every competition. You accept this when you
choose to compete. There may be times when you win and feel happy,
and times when you lose and feel unhappy. Being a winner is easy,
and losing is sometimes hard. If you win, you must not brag or
gloat. If you lose, you must not feel jealous or bitter. To be a
good sportsman, you must be able to say, "I did my best" and be
satisfied with the results. You must also be able to appreciate and
feel happy for someone else when he runs a good race or builds a
neat car.
Important Dates to
Remember:
2/5/10
Scale
and track available for testing - Askew Elementary
School – 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
2/6/2010
Inspection and Registration-Askew Elementary School – 8:00AM to 9:00
AM
2/6/2010
Race-Askew Elementary
School – 9:00 AM to Noon
