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Cub Scout Pack 417
(Loves Park, Illinois)
 
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2020 PINEWOOD DERBY


St. Bridget Pack 417 - 2020 Pinewood Derby - Sunday January 26th 

Race location: St. Bridget Parish Center Main Hall, 604 E. Clifford Avenue, Loves Park.
                                                                  

11:15 am          Check in / Tech begins    
12:45 pm          Check in / Tech closes (late entries will not be accepted)    
12:45 pm          Opening Ceremonies begin. (Invocation, Pledge, Oath, Law and announcements)
1:00 pm            Races Begin    
5:00 pm            Awards Presentation & closing     
5:00-7:00pm     Cleanup, track disassembly and boxing of cars that qualify for council

1. General

1.1 Race Format
The racing format will be as follows: Racers will compete against their own age group.  In the preliminary round each car has (6) races - twice in each of 3 lanes with as many different opponents as possible.  Race times will be measured by computer, and (for groups with four or more cars) the three cars with the lowest combined time will qualify for the finals.

Ties: Races that end in ties on a Pack level must be run over until a winner and runner-up is determined.

1.2 Participants: 

    1. Lions- As of 2019 Lions are eligible to compete at both the Pack and Council Levels of competition. All Lions are able to participate in the Pack 417 Pinewood Derby and the winner and the runner up will advance to the Council Pinewood Derby.

    2. Tiger - Arrow of Light: Participants in these are groups will be able to participate in the Pack 417 Pinewood Derby. The winner, the runner up, and the Best Design of each age group will advance to the Council Pinewood Derby.  

3. Fifth Grade Arrow of Light Scout Policy: Scouts BSA youth may participate in the Council Pinewood Derby if they qualified as a fifth grade Arrow of Light Scout at their Pack's race prior to crossing-over to a Troop.

4. Siblings- Participants in this age group are any sibling of a scout, under the age of 16. Participants will not be allowed to race a car if they are participating in another Pinewood Derby at another Pack or Council unless it is a separate car built specifically for racing at the Pack 417 Pinewood derby event only. Participants in this bracket will not advance to Council Pinewood Derby, it is strictly for bragging rights and fun.

5. Adults- Participants in this age group are the Adult guardians of scouts, Pack 417 Leaders and committee members, and any sibling of a Scout who is 16 years of age or older. Participants will not be allowed to race a car if they are participating in another Pinewood Derby at another Pack or Council unless it is a separate car built specifically for racing at the Pack 417 Pinewood derby event only. Participants in this bracket will not advance to Council Pinewood Derby, it is strictly for bragging rights and fun.


1.3 Best Design Contest: Design judging will be handled as follows: each racer will be allowed to vote for one car in their race group to receive the best design award.  The car with the most votes in each group wins.  In the event of a tie, the official(s) will act as a tie breaker to select the winner. If a car is at the top for both speed and design, the owner will need to choose which category he will compete for in the finals.  A finalist space will open up for the next car in line in the category not selected.

1.4 Trophies and Awards: There will be 1st, 2nd and 3rd place racing trophies and a 1st place design trophy for each group.  For the racing finals, each car will race once in each lane against the other two finalists, and placement will be determined by the lowest combined time. 
The 1st place design award will be determined by majority vote. In the event of a tie, the official(s) will choose the winner.
Also, there will be a Sportsmanship trophy and participation ribbons for all participants.

 

The following individuals will each get one vote on the sportsmanship award for their group: pit crew members, starters, and each den leader.  In the event of a tie, the Cubmaster will choose the winner.  Trophies will be awarded when racing is finished, with nameplates provided sometime in February.

The Derby winner and runner up of each class, along with the design contest winner will advance to the Council Pinewood Derby in Pecatonica to be held on April 18 & 19, 2020.  The cars must be boxed up and brought there by the race chairman, and must remain sealed until they arrive at their respective check in desk for that event.

Please do not allow your scout to grab their car at the end of the race day until it has been released to you by an official. Council rules dictate that if a car is going to advance to the Council Pinewood derby in Pecatonica that it must be sequestered and delivered to the event by a Pack 417 official to avoid instances of tampering. We have had issues in the past were scouts took their cars and left disqualifying them from further races, or inadvertently broke their or a fellow scouts car. If you must leave the event early and can not wait for your car to be released we will hold it for you until the next meeting.



Pinewood Derby Car Design Rules: (From Blackhawk Area Council 2020 rulebook)

2. Body
2.1 The main body structure (chassis) must be made from the wood block provided in the Grand Prix kit #17006 or #17000: Lions may use the Pre-Cut Wedge #614417. Any additions must be firmly attached, non moving, and meet car size specifications. If you lack the tools or resources to cut out a car from a stock block of wood, we encourage you to attend a workshop hosted by the scout shop or contact your den leader for other options.

 

The following guidelines are intended to help you construct a car with the necessary clearance for most tracks. If any question arises about a car's clearance during check in, a race official will place the car on the track to verify that only the wheels can touch the track:
1. Car bottom: to clear a solid center rail, the bottom of the car should be no less than 3/8 inches from the surface
2. Fenders: Fenders or other body parts may extend below 3/8 inches from the track surface. Remember the guide rail width so the fenders do not rub.
3. Weights: to aid in a safe stop at the end of the track, we recommend that you insert weight inside the body or place it on the top of the car. Avoid placing thick (over 1/8") weight on the bottom of the car as that may destabilize the car on the stop section.

2.2 The Car must meet the following specifications:
2.2.1 Width: not to exceed 2 3/4 inches
2.2.2 Length: not to exceed 7 inches  (be sure to always trim some wood from one end because the provided block will be longer than 7 inches after adding paint)
2.2.3 Weight: not to exceed 5.0 ounces on a scale accurate to 1/10 ounce. The official race day scale shall be considered final.  (We will have our official scale available for an unofficial pre check at the den meeting on 01-16-2020, The scale at the post office can also give you a fairly accurate weight.)
2.2.4. Height: not to exceed 3 inches
2.2.5 Clearance: the wheels are the only part of the car allowed to touch the track.
2.2.6 Center rail width: Wheels must clear center guide rails, no less than 1 3/4 inches minimum.

2.3 Wheelbase: The distance between the center of the front and rear wheel must be no less than 4 inches. Extended wheel bases are allowed provided the wheels do not extend past the car body.

2.4 Front Edge: The front edge of the car must rest against the starting peg on the track so that the entire car is behind the peg. this rule ensures the car rests securely against the starting pin when placed in the starting position and is wide enough to trigger electronic finish lines. Another way to say this is no needle nose cars.

2.5 Suspension: The car shell have a solid suspension consisting of the wheels and axels rigidly mounted to the car body. No springs, linkages, shock absorbing materials or other constructions which provide a non-rigid or floating-type suspension are permitted.

2.6
 At least 4 wheels must be attached to the sides of the car body. Each wheel must be attached to the cars wood chassis with a legal axle.

2.7 the front most and rear most wheels must be positioned across the body from one another.

2.8 details/decals such as steering wheel, windshield, driver, exhaust pipes, trim, etc., are only permitted if they are rigidly mounted to the car body and do not exceed the overall car specifications.

2.9 The following items are prohibited:
1. Springs
2. Starting devices or propellants
3. Electronic or lighting devices that interfere with the race electronics.
4. Liquids, wet paint, oil, sticky substance, or powders of any kind (other than axle lubrication)
5. Glass or excessively fragile parts
6. Bearings, sleeves and or bushings
7. Hubcaps covering the nail head
8. Loose/moving objects on or in the car.

Although 4 wheels are required, it is not required that all 4 wheels touch the track surface. It can be difficult to get all 4 wheels to touch simultaneously. The rationale for 4 wheels is that it ensures the car will stay on the track and not slide off the center rail and collide with another car. Three (3) wheels touching the track are allowed provided the 4th wheel is within 1/16" (0.0625) of the track surface.

3.1 Wheels: The only wheels allowed are those from Official Pinewood Derby car Kits #17006 or #17000, or official Pinewood Derby Wheels and axles #17553, #647053, #647056, or #647826 (black and colored wheels). Car kits, including wheels and axles from any other source are not allowed. Wheels must be original width, thickness, and height and the tread surface must remain flat. Tapering or coning of the outside surface of the inner wheel hub (the inside surface nearest to the car) is allowed. Wheels may not be shaved. No other modifications allowed.

3.1.1
 Although 4 wheels are required, it is not required that all 4 wheels touch the track surface. It can be difficult to get all 4 wheels to touch simultaneously. The rationale for 4 wheels is that it ensures the car will stay on the track and not slide off the center rail and collide with another car. Three (3) wheels touching the track are allowed provided the 4th wheel is within 1/16" (0.0625) of the track surface.

3.2 All lettering and numbering, both inside and outside of the wheel, must remain complete and be visible with the wheel on the car.

3.3 the fluting, spokes and other markings on the outside wheel area must remain visible.

3.4 the wheel diameter must be no less than 1.180 inches

3.5 the tread and sidewall width must be no less than 0.360 inches

3.6 the tread surface must be flat and parallel to the wheel bore. Therefor, the following modifications are prohibited:
1. Rounding of the tread surface
2. Grooving, H cutting, or V cutting the tread surface
3. Truing the tread surface with sandpaper, straight edge, or lathe to correct "out of round" wheels resulting in a wheel diameter less than 1.180 inches
4. Truing and shaping the inner edge of the tread surface

3.7
 The following wheel modifications are prohibited:
1. Removing material from the inside tread surface or the inside sidewall surface
2. Drilling holes in the sidewalls or tread area
3. Filling wheel tread with any type of material
4. Filling the wheel bores and re-drilling the bore
5. Tapping the wheel bore
6. Balancing the wheel by adding material such as glue or fingernail polish to the inside of the wheel

Some online vendors sell aftermarket BSA wheels that have been lightened by removing material from inside the wheel surfaces. Per Rule 3.7, these wheels are NOT allowed and are easily recognized at inspection. Cars with these wheels will not be permitted to race. All aftermarket wheels are prohibited.

4 Axels

4.1 Metal Axels with a nail head are required with an overall diameter of no less than .084 inches.

4.2 One-piece axels that extend through the width of the car to support both wheels are not allowed

4.3 Slight bending of the axels is allowed to help with stability.

The only axels allowed are those axels from Official Pinewood Derby Car Kits #17006, or #17000, or Official Pinewood Derby Wheels and Axels #17553, #647053, #647056, or #647826 (black and colored wheels). Burrs on the underside of the axle head and ridges on the axle shaft (if any) may be removed. If the underside of the axle head is to be tapered, be careful not to reduce the diameter of the axle head. Polishing of the axle shaft is allowed. the mating surface of the axle may not be bushed, sleeved, or lined. Only a dry non-permanent spray-on, brushed-on, or dusted-on lubrication compound is allowed. Bushings, sleeves, permanent coatings, thrust washers, and enclosed axels (with hubcaps) are prohibited. You may also polish and groove the axle provided that the raised portion of the axle (the part the wheel rides on) is no less that .084 inches, roughly the same diameter as the original BSA axels.

5 Lubrication

5.1 Over application of lubricant, which results in excessive contamination of the track is not allowed

5.2 No Lubrication is allowed at Pecatonica High School. Doing so will lead to disqualification.

5.3 No Lubrication is allowed outside of the designated Check in / Tech area at the St. Bridget Parish Center. Doing so will lead to disqualification.

6 Race Day

6.1 Each car must pass inspection by the Official Inspection Committee before it may compete. the inspectors will disqualify any car not meeting these rules. Any adult or scout may appeal the findings of the Inspectors to the Race Committee Chairperson, whose decision is final.

6.2 Every effort will be made to do the inspection without altering of the car. If we can't verify that the wheels have not been lightened due to interior wheel weights, fenders, or other reasons, we will ask YOU to take the wheels off for inspection. If you are unable to take the wheels off, the car will not pass inspection.

6.3 After a car has passed inspection, only race officials and the scout may handle the car.

6.4 After check in, adjustments are not allowed. Car repairs during the race are not allowed unless authorized by the race officials.

6.5 Once inspection is PASSED before the race, the car will not be re-inspected after the race.

6.6 Good Sportsmanship and behavior is expected. Race officials may ask anyone not following this rule to leave.

6.7 Please register no later than 15 minutes prior to the closing of registration. After a Cub Scout's car passes pit inspection and is placed on the pit table, only the Scout and race officials will be allowed in the pit area.

Typically, race officials will authorize a car repair if it was involved in a collision with another car or object. However, the decision to allow a repair is left entirely to the discretion of the race officials. Depending on the race officials, they may offer to assist with the repairs if needed.

All Race results will be determined by the assigned Track Judges, and all Track Judge decisions will be Final. Video replays, photos, etc., will not be considered.

7 Best Design Judging
In order to qualify for Best Design judging, cars must comply with all requirements of Sections 2 through 4. The car must fit within the inspection box used during inspection.

8 Questions:
Questions may be addressed to the Race Officials. Please contact any Pack 417 Leader with questions or the council Race Officials may be contacted at amyshkowec@gmail.com

Pinewood Derby 2019



Our scheduled race times will be on Sunday April 14th at Pecatonica High School in Pecatonica Illinois. All racers MUST report to their scheduled area 15 minutes prior to their race times for check in.

Tiffany or Reid Mlsna will have all cars on race day.

RACERS

Tigers:
1st Michael Buckman III 1:30
2nd Jeff Dowling  1:30

Wolves:
1st Jace Jordan 1:25
2nd Teddy Mlsna 1:25

Bears:
1st Daniel Lee 1:35
2nd Jonathen Smith 1:35

Webelos:
1st Taylor Mendez 1:35

AOL:
2nd James Jordan 1:10

LIONS:

Since this is the first year that Lions have been allowed to race at Council Pinewood the rules are a little bit different. I have copied DIRECTLY from the council pinewood derby page:

Registration:

"We will be racing all Lions together on one track, they will not be divided into winner or runner up tracks. If two Lions are entered from one pack, we will be sure not to race them together.

Note that Lions will not participate in best design contest during this first year. Inclusion of Lions in best design judging is being considered for future years, but the first year of lions participation will include racing only.

Race Day Arrival

When your pack arrives to distribute their cars, give your Lions their car and direct them to the Lions racing area. the Lions will register, have their cars inspected, and proceed directly to the race as soon as the track is free and other racers are available.  Lions will not have predefined race times , but instead proceed in the order in which they arrived at the Lions racing area. "

Lions:

Aaron Schindler
Jeremiah Abramowicz

(Lions can arrive to collect cars from 417 between 12:15 and 1:15)

BEST DESIGN
All best design winners are scheduled to check in at 12:15, They may check in 15 minuets early.

Tigers: Mike Dowling

Wolves: Bryce Mendez

Bears: Michael Carter

Webelos:Eric Swanson

AOL: Steven White

An honorable mention to Ryan Ruppert that was our Lion Best design


If you have any questions please contact Tiffany Mlsna at 815-997-6137

2019 Blackhawk Area Council PWD race info



Example Pinewood Derby car designs



Nov 26, 2013

Here are photos of 11 cars I helped my boys build over the past 7 years.  8 were raced in scout races and 3 were raced in sibling races.

Each car ended up in the top 3 for their race group, and some earned design awards also.

My oldest boy was focused on speed, and his 6 cars (back row in first photo) were all very flat designs with long wheelbase.
All were heavily weighted toward the back, with some experimentation with holes (bee and viper) & aerodynamics (some tapered tails).
He also used front wheel notches (with help) except for the sea serpent, which he built as a 6th grader.
The idea behind the notches is to limit the maximum angle of wobble, reducing the distance the car has to cover on a zigzag path.

My younger son was more interested in thematic design elements and familiar characters.  His 5 cars are in the front row.
The rules state that you must use the block of wood from the kit, but can add weight, decorations, drivers, etc.
We've always interpreted that to mean that the main support structure that the axle nails go into is the original pine block.
A couple of his designs used fenders (from the same block, though balsa or lighter materials should be OK).
These were mostly to fit design concepts, but they also improve aerodynamics around the wheels, reducing air resistance.
To minimize forward weight, we used Mylar transparency sheets (painted on the inside) over a hollow shell or lightweight foam.
The subway car was a further twist on this idea, with air actually flowing through the hollow shell.

Having the center of mass as far back as possible provides the maximum potential energy (the only source for kinetic energy).
But taking this too far can cause other problems, and it has to be considered against other design aspects. 
The viper was so back heavy, it constantly flipped over when the front hit the stopper at the end of the track.
A less-than-smooth stop can really wreak havoc on some car designs more than others.  Stopping mechanisms vary by track.
The tapered front was also an experiment we may not try again.  The support was weakened and broke several times.
Not only can a break create a stressful situation in a race - you never know if a rushed repair will hold or maintain alignment.