Fully Built Pinewood Derby Car (2024)

FAQs

What is the fastest shape for a Pinewood Derby car? ›

No need to get crazy here, but simply having a wedge-shaped Pinewood Derby car instead of the standard block out of the box will equal a 1.4-car advantage at the finish line.

Mahoney State Park in Ashland, Nebraska, USA on 15 October 2016. The successful Pinewood Derby car was provided by Glenn Jewkes of Jewkes Engineering. It completed the run in 1 min 16.7 sec, and weighed 137 g (4.83 oz).

You'll want to help your Scout by baking the block in an oven at 250 degrees for one hour. Let the block cool overnight. Then, weigh the block quickly and accurately with a Pinewood Derby scale. Evaporating the water inside the wood allows you to distribute the weight differently, ideally toward the car's rear.

Slide the axles and wheels onto the car and glue into place. Use an epoxy or nonresin glue, and make sure you don't get any on the surface of the axle where the wheel rides.

Assuming all other factors are equal, a heavier car will be faster than a lighter car. The Pinewood Derby rules limit the weight of each car to 5 ounces.

Why do heavier Pinewood Derby cars go faster? Momentum. It takes more energy to get it started, but once it's moving (going downhill), the weight keeps it going longer (assuming the friction is similar to the lighter car).

Much has been written about the physics of pinewood derby cars, and this is one rare case in racing where heavy = fast. Aerodynamics have little effect in such a short race, but weight does and putting the weight at the back of the car will make your car faster on the flat of the track.

However, as with most facets of Pinewood Derby®, there is a trade-off between speed and stability regarding wheelbases. The shorter the wheelbase, the more potential there is for speed. However, the shorter wheelbase can also lead to instability, slowing the car.

PUT MOST OF THE WEIGHT IN THE BACK

Science says the heaviest part of your car should be about 1 inch in front of the rear axle. The idea is that the farther back the weight is, the more potential energy you have because your center of mass is higher up on the track.

Add Weights to the Pinewood Derby Car

The heavier your car is, the faster it'll be, but it's the location of the weight that makes the most difference. You can add small weights to the wood body of the car, so long as the it doesn't exceed the total weight limit.

What is the best design for a Pinewood Derby car? ›

The wedge is a classic and probably the easiest shape (besides keeping a block) to build your Pinewood Derby car. The Wedge is the foundation of many cool car designs, and it is designed to be aerodynamic and is a one-cut wonder.

Wheels may be sanded/lathed/filed to smooth out molding imperfections in the tread area. The contact surface of the wheel must be flat as it sits on the track. Beveling, tapering, significant rounding, pointing, shaving, concave, wafering, etc. of the wheel contact area is prohibited.

Turning your wheels on a lathe are the best way to remove imperfections and get a uniform, balanced and finely tuned pinewood derby wheel. The wheel is secured in the lathe and spun at a high speed, then it is sanded or shaved with a tool attachment.

Try to make the wood as smooth as possible for best results. Do not pre-coat with primer or wood sealer.

Band saws are the best tool for cutting a Pinewood Derby car block. If you don't have access to a band saw, a coping saw will do. Coping saws are economical and can cut unusual shapes and curves.

PUT MOST OF THE WEIGHT IN THE BACK

Science says the heaviest part of your car should be about 1 inch in front of the rear axle. The idea is that the farther back the weight is, the more potential energy you have because your center of mass is higher up on the track.