Pinewood Derby Q&A

PINEWOOD DERBY EXPERTS??? My family has a pinewood derby race every year and they are obsessed with winning!?

I have 6 Uncles and their sons along with my Brother, Father and Grandfather. I have married in Aunts as well who participate. I however am the only girl granddaughter and I would like to win this thing!!! Of course my first thought is search the internet for amazing tips....right? The problem is that they ALL search the internet. They are really crazy with their graphite, weights and little secrets! I also should mention that I come from a family of jewelers so they have any tool imaginable to drill, shape or create their car. I am looking for some expert physics or aerodynamics secrets. Something...that none of them would be able to find searching the internet. I know its a long shot but does anyone have any mathematical or engineering genius they could send my way. Any secret websites, surefire tips or designs? Last year I tried a C02 cartrige on one car. I was evidently the most creative but couldn't win cuz pinewood derby has specific guidelines! Thanks so much!!

Public Comments

1. My son and I placed top in our Pack and region each year he was in the Derby. Our fastest cars had little in common with looks, shape or aerodynamics. What they did have in common was great care spent on the axles - polishing them, and the wheels - taking the burrs and roughness off. The car needs to have as little friction as possible to become a winner and as much weight as possible (within legal limits) distributed as evenly as possible. This keeps the wheels evenly distributed on the racing surface. One year we switched the axles and wheels of our previous winner to a plain pinewood block and it won the troops races. So it just confirmed in our minds that the mechanics are more important than the aesthetics to winning. Good luck and enjoy.