picture by Pinecar

Pinewood Derby cars are a lot of fun, but it takes a little know how to get the most out of your experience. Whether you got your kit from your scout leader or picked it up yourself at a Boy Scout Store, you probably opened it up and went, “Now what do I do with this wood?” I remember the first time we opened our son’s kit. We had no idea how to make a car out of it, or how to make it competitive!

My husband and I were talking about Pinewood racing the other day, and it brought back some great memories. Here’s what got us from block of wood to competition ready car.

Within Your Pinewood Derby Rules:

• The shape is yours to play with. Your car can have a cool shape, paint job, and even decals. Have your son draw it out a couple of different ways. Remember that length is critical to controlling your car, so go as long as you can.

• Within the weight limit, you should go as heavy as the rules allow. This will allow your car some speed. Weight increments start as low as 1 oz., but most are 2 oz, and are capable of breaking off at smaller increments. Positioning the weight is the fun part.

Weight Placement

You will have to purchase your own weights, but as long as you stay within the weight limit, you can use what you like. That said, after your son has given some decent input on where he thinks the weight should go, you may want to make sure you’ve guided him to weight placement in the rear of the car. Positioning is the key. The further towards the back, the faster your car will be. That’s tricky because you will sacrifice some front-end stability. You can regain control by placing your rear wheels as far to the back as possible.

Drilling out a place for the weight is a good idea because of the weight exchange. Wood displacement gives you a little more room. Some competitors have used fishing weights, closing the hole on the top with a wax plug.

These days the weights you can just purchase make the most sense, though. For around $4.00 you can get what you need and figure out how to adhere it without going over limit. You’ll be able to find selections at your local hobby retailer.

You don’t have to drill into the top, either. You can turn it over and completely conceal from the topside where you’ve decided to put the weight. Keep a close eye on the scale because you will become disqualified if you go over limit.

We’ll go over the axles and lubrication in my next submission.