Hosting the Best Pinewood Derby

Best Pinewood Derby - 20 Tips

Advice from Scouting Magazine

Click here for a link to a Scouting Magazine article called "20 tips for planning and hosting the best Pinewood Derby."

A sampling:

#7. Establish a timing system. Would you want to be the parent who decides which car won a close race using your naked eye? Didn’t think so. That’s why Derek Hart, now Scoutmaster of Troop 476 of Cincinnati, took away the human element in favor of a more accurate system. “We moved from an elimination bracket series judged by reluctant parents to an electronic timer system with race management software,” he says. It can be pricey, but investing in a similar system will result in better race-day operations.

#9. Determine awards categories. Recognizing the three fastest cars in each division (Tiger, Wolf, Bear, Webelos) is obvious, but the Pinewood Derby is about more than speed. Reward creativity and craftsmanship with awards like Most Colorful, Best Paint Job and Most Patriotic. But don’t go overboard. No more than 60 percent of the boys should leave with an award. Those who walk away empty-handed do, in fact, leave with a valuable lesson.