Pack 370 Pinewood Derby Policies and Procedures

Pack 370 Pinewood Derby Policies and Procedures

Pack 370 Pinewood Derby Rules and Procedures: Revised 11/25/12 This document is intended to define the rules and procedures of the Cub Scout Pack 370 Pinewood Derby race. Any discrepancy not covered by these rules and procedures will decided at the Race Officials discretion. The Race Officials decision will be final in all discrepancies. The first and most important rule is that the Pinewood Derby must be fun! The Pinewood Derby is a time for Scouts to learn skills and enjoy the thrill of competition. Good sportsmanship is expected and required at all times. Cheating, name calling, or poor treatment of others will result in disqualification of participants. Please keep in mind that our track is expensive and sensitive to disturbances such as bumping. As such, please be aware of where you are at all times and do NOT, EVER, step over the track. Also, be aware that these rules are intended to protect our track, especially in regards to the lubricant rule I. General rules I.1 - All Pack 370 Scouts are allowed to participate in the Pinewood Derby. I.2 - To participate in the General Race, only parts included in the Official Pinewood Derby Car kit supplied by the Pack are to be used. Cars with externally-acquired parts (wheels, axles, pre-built cars, etc.), especially those intended to affect speed of cars, are to be entered in the Modified Race. Embellishments made entirely for aesthetic purposes (glue-on men, decorative attachments, etc.) that do not violate the rules for car dimensions will be allowed to be entered in the General Race. I.3 Participants must be present at weigh-in and during racing to be eligible for trophies. I.4 Construction of all cars must be started after completion of the previous years Pinewood Derby (no repeat cars from last year). I.5 - Each car must pass a technical inspection prior to racing. Once acceptable to the racer, cars are to be impounded and not modified in any way prior to racing. Graphite wheel lubricant will be added by Race Officials after impoundment and prior to racing. All efforts will be made to ensure that all cars present will be entered into the competition. The deadline to weigh-in cars will be announced at the event and will be strictly enforced once announced. Cars may NOT be entered into competition after the deadline has passed. I.6 - Race Categories:

General Race Each age group (Tigers, Wolves, Bears, and Webelos) will compete against themselves. The top three finishers in each age group will then participate in the Championship Round to determine the top overall finishers in the Pack. In the General Race rounds, each car will race on each track lane, as determined by the Pinewood Derby race software used on race day. The average of the three races will be used to determine places within the age group. The Championship Round will be held in the same fashion as the General Race with the top three finishers in each age group competing against each other to determine the top three racers in the Pack. Sibling Race All Siblings who wish to enter a car may do so. Siblings may race in the Modified Race, but there will be no Sibling Modified Race. The Sibling Race is held in a similar fashion to the General Race, with no Championship Round. Ages or genders of siblings are not to be accounted for in this race. Grown-up Race Any Grown-ups who build a Pinewood Derby car will be allowed to race in the same fashion as the General Race with no Championship Round. Car weights may be increased to 7 ounces. No additional modifications to dimensions will be allowed. Any externally-acquired parts may be used. NO fuel-powered cars will be allowed to race. Modified Race Any Scout car incorporating externally-acquired parts will be entered in the Modified Race. This race will be held the same as the General Race with no Championship Round. The rules for dimensions and weight apply for the Modified Race. I.7 Only one car per person will be allowed to race in the Pinewood Derby. I.8 The decisions of the weigh-in personnel as to the acceptability of cars are final. Participants will have the opportunity to adjust technically unacceptable cars until the deadline, upon which an acceptable car must be presented or the car will be excluded from the competition. II. Car Design Standards II.1 Cars to be entered in the General Race and Sibling Race shall be constructed using materials included in the official Pinewood Derby Car Kit. Embellishments for decorative purposes will be allowed so long as dimensional and weight requirements are still met. Modified Race cars may incorporate special wheels, axles or other after-market parts intended to increase the speed of the car. All weight and dimensional requirements still apply to Modified Race cars. Grown-up cars must conform to all dimensional requirements but may weigh up to 7 ounces.

II.2 Race cars to be entered into the General, Sibling and Modified Races must weigh 5.00 ounces or less as measured by the scale present at the official weigh-in station on race day. Grown-up cars must weigh 7.00 ounces or less as measured by the scale at the official weigh-in station on race day. There will be a second scale available on race day to dial in the cars and avoid crowds at the official station. Because scales vary, any discrepancy in the unofficial and official scale will be judged in favor of the official scale. Be prepared to make adjustments to your car on race day. What your car weighed on the postal scale or calibrated scale at work is irrelevant! The scale at the weigh-in table on the day of the race is the ONLY scale in existence on that day for the purposes of weighing your car! II.3 Wheels and axles shall not be modified in the General and Sibling Races. Axle slots for these races shall be as manufactured. General polishing of the wheels and axles is acceptable. Substantial removal of mass (reduction in wheel width, diameter, or beveling) of the wheel or axle will result in exclusion from the General Race and reassignment to the Modified Race. Wheels on General Race cars must have wheels that remain parallel to the axle when in racing configuration. Significant alteration of the wheels or axles will result in exclusion from the General Race and reassignment to the Modified Race. After-market axles and wheels and modified axle locations and other wheel alterations may be used on cars submitted for Modified and Grown-up Races. Recessing of wheels into the car body is not permitted as this will prevent the car from rolling on the track properly. II.4 Weight can be added or removed from the race cars up until the weigh-in deadline. No loose materials may be placed on car. All materials added to the car must be securely attached. Weight should not be added to the underside of the car. This will diminish clearance and cause possible derailment. No movable or non-passive weights shall be added to the cars. II.5 Race cars may not be longer than 7 inches or wider than 2.75 inches (wheels included) underside clearance of.375 inches and inside wheel clearance of 1.75 inches is strongly recommended. Cars must fit under the timer on the track and can be checked if in question on race day. Typical cars have no issues with height. Especially tall designs may need to be modified on race day. II.6 All cars must be gravity powered. No alterations to the car to improve starts (sticky substances or protrusions that catch on the starting pin) may be used in any Race Class. II.7 To protect our track, only dry, graphite lubricants may be used. Graphite may be applied by entrants prior to race day and will also be applied by Race Personnel on the day of the race unless otherwise instructed by the racer. Lubrication will be added before the first heat of each class of race (i.e. before the General Race heat and then before the Championship Heat).

III. Race Procedures III.1 Once impounded, cars are to be handled by race officials or racers only. No alteration of any car is permitted after acceptance at weigh-in, with the following exceptions: 1. If car is damaged due to track conditions, the car will be allowed to be repaired and race will be re-run upon completion of repairs at end of the Heat. 2. If a car is damaged due to inferior workmanship and able to continue racing, no repairs will be allowed. If the car is damaged due to inferior workmanship and cannot race, the competitor will be allowed 3 minutes to be repaired and reweighed prior to re-running of the race heat. Damage can only be repaired if suffered during the race. Damage caused by careless handling, etc. will not be allowed to be repaired. Take care when handling cars after weigh-in! III.2 If a car leaves its lane and interferes with another car through no fault of the track or the officials, the race will be re-run. If the same incident happens again, the car will be eliminated from competing and the race re-run without the offending car involved. If the car leaves the track and does not interfere with another car through no fault of the track or officials, the race will be called as run and the car will be given a time of 9.99 if no time is recorded by the timer. Any car leaving its lane through a track fault or other external interference will be run again with no penalty to the offending car. Track faults will be determined by the officials and corrected prior to re-running of race. Timer faults will also result in a re-run of the race. III.3 If a car does not reach the finish line and no track faults are observed, that car will be given a time of 9.99 seconds. III.4 All cars will race in each lane in each heat (i.e. General, Modified, Sibling, Grownup, and Championship). No car will race less than 3 times in the Derby. The top three average time finishers from each age group after three races will move on to the Championship, with the top three average time finishers from the complete pool being awarded the Pack Championship trophies. Siblings, Modified and Grown-up racers will be awarded based on average time in pool racing, but will not be entered into the Championship Race. III.5 The times will be determined by the track clock and placed into computer software to determine placings. All times from the track clock will be used with the exception of non-finishes and derailments. As described previously, these cars will be awarded a time of 9.99 seconds for that race. In the case of timer malfunction, races will be rerun. III.6 Special awards (Best in Show, Best Theme, etc.) will be judged after impoundment and prior to the first race. Categories will be announced prior to the Pinewood Derby.

Winners will be announced after the completion of racing. All cars (excepting Grownups) are eligible for special awards. III.6 Only Race Officials and current Race participants shall be allowed in the track area. No exceptions.