Racers, ready your Pinewood Derby car!

The inaugural James River District Pinewood Derby Grand Prix is heading to Trinity United Methodist Church on March 7, 2026. This district-wide event gives your Scout the chance to meet fellow Cub Scouts from across the district as they race to become the 2026 James River District Pinewood Derby Champion.

This is a free event open to all Cub Scouts registered in the James River District, from Lion through Arrow of Light (AOL).

For this event, an Arrow of Light Scout is defined as any Scout who began the 2025–2026 program year registered as an AOL, even if they cross over to a Scouts BSA troop prior to race day on March 7, 2026.

Event Format

The James River District Pinewood Derby Grand Prix will be run in four Qualifying Rounds, followed by a District Championship Race.

• Each Qualifying Round will last approximately one hour and include up to 40 cars.
• Each car will race in multiple heats during its Qualifying Round.
• Advancement is determined by each car’s average race time, not by individual heat finishes.
• At the conclusion of each Qualifying Round, the ten cars with the fastest average times will advance to the District Championship Race.
• A total of 40 cars (10 from each round) will advance to the Championship, which will last from 2-3pm.

Important Notes for Families

• Check-in and car registration will open 45 minutes prior to the start of each Qualifying Round.
• Please plan to arrive early to allow time for check-in, inspection, and staging.
• All Qualifying Rounds are run the same way and offer an equal opportunity to advance.
• After a car passes inspection, it will be held by race officials and returned once that car’s racing for the day is complete.
• Cars that do not qualify for the District Championship Race will be returned to families following the completion of their Qualifying Round.
• Cars that advance to the District Championship Race will remain with race officials until the conclusion of the Championship Race
• Cars must meet standard regulations for all races, including the volunteer outlaw race.

Volunteers

We need volunteers to help throughout the day. This is a great opportunity for service hours for Scouts BSA member, but is open to all. Your prize for volunteering will be an outlaw race in between the fourth series and the Championship. Please register in the "volunteer race" category; sign up even if you are unable to stay all day. We'll work it out!