Pinewood Derby RULES

RULE BASICS:

Materials & Construction:

• Kit: Must use the official BSA Pinewood Derby kit (wood, wheels, axles).

• Axles: Only the supplied nails; can be polished/lubricated but not narrowed or machined.

• Wheels: Official BSA wheels only; may be sanded to remove flashing but not cut, drilled, or rounded.

• Lubrication: Dry graphite only; no oil or grease. No addition of lubrication after inspection.

• Details: Steering wheels, decals, paint allowed if within size/weight.

• No Loose Parts: No loose items; weights must be securely attached.

• New Car: A new car must be built for the event each year. 

• Free-Wheeling: The car must roll freely without any starting/propulsion devices. All 4 wheels must touch the ground.

Key Dimensions & Weight:

• Length: Max 7 inches.

• Width: Max 2 ¾ inches.

• Weight: Max 5.0 ounces (official scale is final).

• Wheel Clearance: 3/8 inch minimum (bottom of car to track).

• Wheel Spacing: 1 ¾ inches between inner wheel edges. 

Prohibited Items:

• Wheel bearings, washers, bushings, or inserts.

• Springs or any suspension.

• Starting devices or propulsion systems.

• Hubcaps (even decals).

• Wet paint or sticky substances. 

MINSI TRAILS COUNCIL OFFICIAL pinewood derby RULES:

INSPECTION: Each car must pass inspection by the official inspection committee before it may compete. The car is to be held by the scout NOT THE PARENT as you prepare for inspection and throughout the race. The inspectors will disqualify those cars which cannot be made to meet these specifications. The race committee will hold cars that pass inspection until the race and inspect the winning cars following the race.

JUDGES: The decision of the judges on race day is final. Pinewood cars not meeting rule requirements will be permitted to race but WILL NOT be eligible for trophies! Questions and polite discussion will be allowed up to the point of a decision by the judges. Failure to follow this rule may lead to the disqualification of the car involved by the judges. At the discretion of the judges persons may be ejected from the premises of the race for behavior they deem disruptive, unsportsman-like, or un-scout-like.

ATTACHMENTS: The car must be freewheeling with no starting devices.

AXLE CHANNEL: The BSA Pinewood Block’s pre-cut slots must be used for the axels. The channel or groove designed to hold the axle must not be filled-in. The judge must be able to inspect the axle. If axles are loose secure them with transparent glue.

AXLES: Only the nails supplied with the kit are permitted. They must be mounted in the wood grooves only. The axles may be glued in place with transparent glue. They may be polished or lubricated but not machined or narrowed. Full length axles that can be purchased at hobby shops ARE NOT PERMITTED.

DETAILS: Details such as Steering Wheels, Driver Decals, Painting, etc. are permitted as long as these details do not exceed the maximum length, width and weight specifications. HEIGHT: The bottom of the car must clear the guide strip (3/8 ") on the track.

HUBCAPS: No type of hubcap is permitted. This includes decals.

LENGTH: Overall length shall not exceed 7".

LUBRICATION: Dry Lubrication only is permitted. ABSOLUTELY NO ADDITIONAL LUBRICATION PERMITTED AFTER INSPECTION!

NEW CAR: A new car must be built each year. Pre-cut cars that can be purchased at hobby shops ARE NOT PERMITTED! Scouts must use the Grand Prix Pinewood Derby kit.

NOSE OF CAR: The nose must extend beyond the leading edge of the front wheel; however, no portion of the car can extend past the starting gate / peg.

SPRINGING: The car shall not ride on any type of springs or suspension.

WEIGHT: Weight shall not exceed 5.0 ounces. No loose materials of any kind are permitted in the car. The car may be hollowed out and built up to the maximum weight by the addition of wood or metal -provided that it is securely built into the body. Electronic scales will be used for the weight check.

WHEEL BASE: (Length) Length of wheel base (front axle to rear axle) must be within the limits of 4 1/2" maximum and 4 1/4" minimum (essentially, the distance provided by the grooves precut into the supplied wood block).

WHEEL BASE: (inside) Do not make the distance between the left and right wheels narrower than 1 3/4 " or the car will not run down the track.

WHEEL BEARINGS: Bearings, washers, or other types of bushings are NOT permitted.

WHEELS: Only BSA licensed Grand Prix Wheels may be used. Wheels must have “BSA” printed on them from the manufacturer. BSA - Black, Red, Yellow, Blue, Green, Pink, Purple, Orange and Glow-in-the-dark are only wheels permitted. Alterations to the wheels are not permitted – the wheels may not be cut, drilled, beveled or rounded. The shape must remain the same. The plastic flashing may be removed (outside edge). All 4 wheels must make contact with the track surface (this is tested by free rolling the car). Wheel surfaces must remain flat with full tread contact and cannot ride on edges or they WILL NOT pass inspection!

WIDTH: Overall width shall not exceed 2 3/4 ". Wheel Tread Example Wheel surfaces must remain flat with full tread contact and cannot ride on edges or they WILL NOT pass inspection!