The race is open to all Cub Scouts registered in this Pack. Siblings and friends may also enter into a separate division. Leaders and parents will make up the third division.
Each scout/sibling may enter only one car in the competition. Several cars may be constructed but only one may be registered and raced.
The car must have been built during the current year (the school year in which the Derby is held). Cars that have competed in a previous Derby are not permitted.
The competition will consist of a full track of cars for each race. (We have a six-lane track.) The competition committee will determine how to race the cars in the fairest manner possible to determine the fastest cars.
If a car jumps the track, the race will be run again. If the same car jumps the track a second time, that car will automatically lose that race.
If a car leaves its lane and interferes with another car, the race will be run again. If the same car leaves its lane a second time and interferes with another car, the interfering car will automatically lose that race.
If a car becomes damaged and can be repaired in a reasonable amount of time (a few minutes), the race will be run again. If not, the damaged car will automatically lose that race.
Only race officials and volunteers participating in the current race may enter the track area. This rule will be strictly enforced. Please help to keep the scouts and siblings inside the marked areas.
The first thing to remember about sportsmanship is that everyone's skills are a little different. You may be good at something like singing or drawing, but not as good at something else like basketball or computers. Parents have different skill levels, too. This doesn't mean that you are a good person one time and not good another time. You can always be a good person, whether or not you have good car-building skills. Remember, you and your friends are individuals first and racers second. This idea is often called having respect for others.
The second thing to remember is to follow the rules. Without rules, there would be no Pinewood Derby. You will never know if you are really good at doing something unless you follow the rules. This is often called being honest.
The third thing to remember about good sportsmanship is that there are winners and losers in every competition. You accept this when you choose to compete. There may be times when you win and feel happy, and times when you lose and feel unhappy. Being a winner is easy, and losing is sometimes hard. If you win, you must not brag or gloat. If you lose, you must not feel jealous or bitter.
To be a good sportsman, you must be able to say "I did my best" and be satisfied with the results. You must also be able to appreciate and feel happy for someone else when they run a good race or build a neat car.
While everyone will be trying to win, it's always a good idea to start out by remembering the Cub Scout Motto, "Do Your Best," and some of the basic ideas behind good sportsmanship. Two things the Pinewood Derby requires each participant to learn are 1) the craft skills necessary to build a car, and 2) the rules that must be followed. Even more important, though, is how we act and behave while participating in the Pinewood Derby or any other group activity. This is called sportsmanship.
A special note to all parents and scouts: Together, please read the following article on sportsmanship...
The Pinewood Derby is a parent-child project. Please feel free to give guidance and minimal assistance to your Scout as your Scout builds their Pinewood Derby car. This is a chance for your Scout to be part of a team and to enjoy the spirit of friendly competition with peers. Also for your Cub Scout to enjoy the satisfaction of building his own car from the kit provided.
The most important values in the Pinewood Derby competition are parent/child participation, good sportsmanship, and learning how to follow rules. Everyone is responsible for recognizing and encouraging these qualities in addition to traditional racing awards.
Every participating Scout will receive a Pinewood Derby patch.
Medals will be awarded to the first, second, and third-place finishers in the Scout Division and in the Sibling Division. Only one medal will be presented in the parent division.
Additional awards will be made for various "appearance" categories.