January pack meeting - pinewood derby!

Date:  Saturday, January 25, 2020
Time:  12:30 am - 3:00 pm  (note: registration and race times posted below!)
Location: Loring Elementary School Cafeteria,  80 Woodside Road, Sudbury, MA 01776  (map)
​Uniform: Class A
IMPORTANT NOTE:
THIS EVENT REQUIRES MANY VOLUNTEERS!
Car registration and Starting times are posted below!
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The Pinewood Derby is one of the most popular and fun Pack events all year!  Your Scout will design, build and race a car constructed from a block of pine wood, plastic wheels and nails as axles.  Cars can be decorated, painted, decal'ed, striped, lighted, weighted, etc, so long as the car meets all race rules.   This event provides a way to spend several hours with your scout while you build a car together.  The Derby is a competition, but a key element of Cub Scouting is recognition of personal achievement rather than simple victory.  Remind your scout to "Do Your Best" and recognize his or her hard work in building their car.

Pack 62's official car construction rules are posted here.  Cars must pass inspection and adhere to Pack 62's official rules, otherwise it will not be permitted to race.  Cars failing inspection can be modified on site on race day, and can be resubmitted and must pass inspection by car inspection time.   Remember - cars with wet paint or wet glue will ruin the track and will not pass inspection and will not be able to race.

Registration and Race Schedule:

Races will be run by Rank.  Times are APPROXIMATE!  PLEASE NOTE THE REGISTRATION TIME FOR EACH RANK! Once a rank’s registration period is complete, we CANNOT accept any late entrants.  With so many Scouts in our Pack, we will be running over 200 races during the day and we need to make sure we conduct these races in a timely manner.

DERBY RACE FORMAT:
Pack Championships:
  • All cars will race 4 times (one race in each of the 4 lanes).
  • The slowest time will be dropped.
  • The 3 best race times will be used to calculate the average race time.
  • The average race times will be used to determine the winners for each rank.
Pack Championships:
  • Once all rank winners are determined, we will run the Pack Championships.
  • The 2 fastest cars of each rank (Tiger, Wolf, Bear, and Webelo 1 & Webelo 2 ) will participate in the Pack Championships.
  • This round of races will be run in the same manner as the Rank Races.
Awards:
  • 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place trophies for each rank.
  • Pack Championship trophies for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishers.
  • One Artistic trophy for each rank and one for the entire Pack, to be selected by the Peter Noyes Elementary School Art Teacher, Mr. Caravaggio, and awarded at the next Pack meeting.
  • NOTE: Race cars will not be given back to Scouts at the end of the Derby. They will be transported to Noyes Elementary school, judged, then placed on display for several weeks at the school.
  • Note: Be aware of the spirit of this event.  It's an opportunity for you to spend quality time with your scout, teaching woodworking skills, design skills, and techniques that will make the fastest car you are able.  Stress that you are proud of your scouts car.  Remember the Cub Scout Motto - DO YOUR BEST!   While it is a competition, everyone wins when they do their best.  Here's a good article on this topic. 
Family Division Race:
  • Format will follow rank Race format and races will occur after Pack Championships are completed.

Winning cars may be invited to participate in The Sudbury Cup, co-hosted with Pack 60 and Pack 80.   Additionally, our Pack will be able to send some winning cars to the Post Road District level Pinewood Derby.  District races are all scheduled for Saturday April 4, 2020, and the Mayflower Council Derby in May, usually at the Natick Collection.

Pinewood Derby cars were distributed to scouts at the December Pack Meeting at Roller Kingdom.  If you did not receive your car, please contact Paul Grous ([email protected]).   Only car kits provided by Pack 62 are permitted - do not purchase your own kit or pre-made car.  Contact us if you need a replacement kit.

  - Signup Genius: this event requires many volunteers to help - view description of roles needed here and then sign up above to volunteer.
  - Pack 62 Car Construction Rules
  - History of the Pinewood Derby
  - Tips: Materials | Boy's Life Pinewood Tips

​Video from car's viewpoint:

​Video Slo mo finish line:
Drag this image to look around!