2020 Wabash Valley District Pinewood Derby

Please see the attached PDF file "2020 WV District Pinewood Derby Ruls" for full race information, rules, and car specifications for the event!

General Information

District Race Day: Saturday, February 29, 2020

Location: Terre Haute Boys & Girls Club, 924 N 13th St, Terre Haute, IN 47807

Car Check-In: 8:00 AM-11:00 AM

Racing Begins: Once the first 16 cars have been signed in. 

Registration Deadline: 11:59pm on Thursday, February 27, 2020 (Walk-ins will still be welcomed!)

Official Rules for Car Entries

Please review the rules carefully, as these rules may be slightly different than the rules your pack uses. All cars must meet the following inspection points, or be subject to disqualification.

1. All Scouts must be present for their car to compete; no absentee entries. (The YOUTH advances, not the car.)
2. Cars should be built from the materials in an official Grand Prix Pinewood Derby kit sold by the BSA.
3. Cars must have been built NEW for the 2019-2020 Pinewood Derby season; previous years’ car entries will not be permitted.
4. Only wheels and axles provided in the BSA Pinewood Derby car kit will be permitted. (If you use another manufacturer’s kit from Hobby Lobby, etc. for the body of your car, you will need to purchase official BSA wheels and axles to use on the car. The wheels and axles can be purchased at the Crossroads of America Council Scout Shop.)
    4.1 - All lettering and numbering, both inside and outside of the wheel,        must remain complete and be visible with the wheel on the car.
    4.2 - The fluting, spokes and other markings on the outside wheel area        must remain visible. (“Fluting” refers to the small bumps on the outside        edge of the tread.)
    4.3 - The wheel diameter must be no less than 1.16 inches.
    4.4 - The tread surface width must be no less than 7.5mm.
    4.5 - The tread surface must be flat and parallel to the wheel bore. Therefore, the following modifications are prohibited: 1) rounding of the tread surface, and 2) grooving, H-cutting, or V-cutting the tread surface.
    4.6 - The following wheel modifications are prohibited: 1) removing  material from the inside tread surface or the inside sidewall surface; 2) drilling holes in the tread, sidewalls, or spoke area; 3) removing material from the sidewalls or spokes; 4) filling wheel tread with any type of material; and 5) filling the wheel bores and re-drilling the bore.
    4.7 - The rules permit many wheel modifications, so long as you observe the dimension limits and restrictions listed above. Common legal modifications include but are not limited to: 1) truing the tread surface with sandpaper, straight edge, or lathe to correct “out of round” wheels; 2) truing and shaping the inner edge of the thread surface; 3) narrowing the tread surface to 7.5mm to get straight edges; 4) applying wheel bore treatments such as polish and wax to smooth the bore; 5) tapping the wheel bore; 6) truing and re-coning the tip of the inner hub; 7) removing the double step from the outer hub; 8) balancing the wheel by adding material such as glue or fingernail polish to the inside of the wheel; and 9) adding a transparent cover to the inside of the wheel to reduce air drag.

Some online vendors sell aftermarket BSA wheels that have been lightened by removing material from inside the wheel surfaces. Per rule 4, and specifically rule 4.6, these wheels are NOT allowed and are easily recognized at inspection. Cars with these wheels will NOT be permitted to race. If you plan to use aftermarket wheels, confirm with the vendor that no weight is removed from inside the wheel.
 
5. The car MUST have four wheels mounted to the car; they do not all have to be in contact with the track simultaneously, though judges will not be responsible if this causes instability during racing.
6. The maximum width of the car, including wheels and axles, shall not exceed 2.75 inches.
7. The minimum width of the car between the wheels shall be 1.75 inches. There is a guide strip on the track that is 1.75 inches wide.
8. The minimum underside car body to track clearance must be 3/8” at all points under the car.
9. The maximum height of the car shall not exceed 5.50 inches. This height limit is in place so that the cars will fit under the finish line gates used with the electronic timers.
10. The total length of the car shall not exceed 7.00 inches, including wheels and any decorative features.
11. The weight of the car shall not exceed 5.000 ounces, as determined by the judges’ official scale (which is accurate to 0.005 ounces). Please note that some scales are more accurate than others, and the scale at your Pack race or at home may have different calibrations or tolerances. The judges official scale will be the ONLY scale permitted for determining car weight for entry. (Just because it “made weight” at the Pack race doesn’t automatically qualify it at the District race.)
12. Dry powder lubricant is allowed on the axles. The powder must be applied before entering the building. No lubricants will be allowed inside the building.
13. Liquid lubricant is not allowed.
14. Wheel bearings, washers and bushings are not allowed.
15. The car shall not ride on springs.
16. The car must be freewheeling with no starting devices. (For purposes of this rule, “starting devices” includes foreign substances – adhesives, etc. – applied to the front of the car to “grip” the starting pin for an artificial starting boost to the car upon dropping of the starting pin.)
17. The car shall have NO movable parts / objects / liquids on or contained within the car, other than the four official wheels mounted on the car.
18. The front of the car MUST NOT be grooved, slotted or modified in any manner that extends any portion of the car past the starting pin of the track.

Race day could not happen without the assistance of our volunteers! If you are interested in assisting with the Race please contact Joe Robinson at (812-533-9451) or the Scout Office at (812-232-9496 ext. 4440)

There will be a concession stand hosted by Scouts BSA Troop 006 from Mt. Pleasant UMC.