MAWAT District Pinewood Derby
Saturday, February 2nd, 2019
General Information
Date: February 2nd, 2019
Times:
- Registration: begins at 9:00; please arrive 45 minutes prior to race time to register and certify your scout's car
- Tigers & Lions Race Together: 10:00 am (awards immediately following race)
- Wolves, Bears and Webelos: 11:00 am (awards immediately following race)
- Family Racers: Family races will begin once all scout races are complete
Address: 1720 Guess Rd #90, Durham, NC 27705
Cubmasters:
- Please ensure that each of your scouts, parents, and leaders receive a copy of the Pinewood Derby rules, procedures, and the car diagram/specifications (everything included in this flyer)
- Complete and sign “Certification and Registration” form (attached) for all Pack winners that are advancing to the district event, including family racers
Parents:
- Ensure you have a “Certification and Registration” form signed by your Cubmaster. Note that each participant and adult helper must sign the form as well; all sections must be filled out and signed in order to register a car at the District Pinewood Derby
- While the main purpose of the Pinewood Derby competition is fun for the scouts and their families, it is also a rule-driven event to ensure that everything is fair
- Please remember that the Pinewood Derby is not an adult engineering competition
- Use the best equipment you can to determine weight and size
- Make sure that the wheels and axles are official BSA parts and that the proper lubrication is used (graphite only, no oil).
Other Notes:
- Girls will be in the appropriate den level with the rest of the scouts
- Other than the addition of Lions, there are no other rule changes from last year
Volunteer Opportunities
Pack 495 is hosting this year, and we could really use some help! Below are some ways you can volunteer:
Adults:
- Registration: Help scouts through the registration process
- Weigh-in & Certification: Making sure cars meet specs
- Pit Row: help run the race; help resolve any on-the-spot issues to get a scout's car on the track
Boy Scouts:
Scoutmasters, please encourage your scouts who need service hours to help. Volunteering at this event is recognized by Journey to Excellence. The Committee will provide a letter of service upon request. Volunteer opportunities include:
- Assisting the MC
- Assisting the judges
- Helping with registration and awards
- Monitoring and placement of the cars on the staging tables
To Volunteer: --> CLICK HERE <--
District Categories
Each scout may enter only ONE CATEGORY in the District Pinewood Derby. Any car which does not meet the District Pinewood Derby rules and car specifications will not be allowed to compete.
Cubmasters must certify their Scout's results from Pack races in the Fastest Car category in order to be eligible on race day. See attached form.
This Year’s Categories:
- Fastest Car: results of racing against scouts in den category
- Most Beautiful Car: judged on craftsmanship and workmanship
- Most Original Car: judged on how unique the design is. Note that in this category, the car does not have to look like a car, it can be anything you can imagine: a boat, space ship, Star Trek communicator, tank, a foot... the possibilities are endless
Lions & Tigers:
Lions and Tigers complete together. Packs can use these slots however they wish, but the numbers below are totals, not for each den. For example, in the Most Beautiful category, there are 8 slots. That could mean 5 Tigers and 3 Lions for a total of 8. Or Fastest Car, could be 1 Lion and 2 tigers for a total of 3:
- Fastest Car: Each Pack can send a total of four (3) Lions and Tigers
- Most Beautiful: Eight(8) Lions and Tigers from each Pack
- Most Original: Eight (8) Lions and Tigers from each Pack
Wolves, Bears and Webelos:
- Fastest Car: Three (3) from each Pack
- Most Beautiful: Eight(8) from each Pack
- Most Original: Eight (8) from each Pack
Family Racers:
Each Pack may certify for competition two (2) Family Racers to compete ONLY in the Fastest Car category in the District Pinewood Derby. These participants will compete in a separate special Family Race. These participants may be anyone associated with the pack, example: sibling, den chief, leader, parent, etc.
2018 - 2019 MAWAT Rules, Regulations and Procedures
- To be eligible to enter the MAWAT District Pinewood Derby, every scout must be a currently registered Cub Scout or Webelos Scout in the MAWAT District. Tiger & Lion Cubs are eligible to enter the District Derby in a special Lion/Tiger Division. Each Pack may also select two family racers to participate in a family race (i.e., non-Scout) race for speed only. All Cub Scouts, including Tigers & Lions, may be entered in only one category. The categories are: Fastest, Most Beautiful, and Most Original. Most BEAUTIFUL CAR will be judged on CRAFTSMANSHIP / WORKMANSHIP. Most ORIGINAL CAR will be judged on UNIQUE / INNOVATIVE DESIGN.
- Cars must be constructed during this Scouting year. The car must not have competed in any previous District Pinewood Derbies.
- Cars should not be altered in appearance or otherwise modified between the Pack Derby and District Derby.
- PARENTS or CUBMASTERS may register cars, the registered Scout must race the car.
- EACH CAR MUST PASS INSPECTION before it can be entered into the Derby, regardless of the category in which the car will compete.
- ALL WHEEL and AXEL LUBRICATION must be completed BEFORE inspection and registration.
- ALL CARS will be placed on a table and must not be handled by anyone except the owner of the car. The car "owner" will be allowed to touch his car only when he is racing. Judges and other race officials may handle the car, but only when it is necessary.
- Rulings from the Inspection Committee, Race Officials, and District Judges are final.
- The District race will use a track and an electronically controlled computer system which is to be provided by, and under the control of, the host pack. The fastest cars will be determined by competition heats and will run in elimination heats for the overall winner. All cars will be raced on each available lane during all heats. Should there be a failure of the computerized timing system double elimination will be used. If double elimination is used a car will have to lose against two different cars to be out of the race (Unless the two cars in the finals have no losses, then one car must lose to the other twice to be eliminated).
- Heats consist of each car racing on each available track by alternating with the other cars competing in that electronically timed heat. (For double elimination, if required, there will only be two cars racing.)
- Using the electronic timer and averaging the overall time of that car racing on the available tracks in a heat, the highest average speed will determine the heat winner. This means that even though a car may not win that heat, its time may be one of the 12 highest speed cars in the race, then that car will compete in the finals.
- If you win a heat, this alone does not qualify the Scout for the final
- The highest average speed alone makes this determination. However, if the electronic timing device fails and the race is run by double elimination, then if cars tie, or there is an uncertainty as to which car crossed the finish line first, both cars will be considered winners and put back in the drawings.
- If a repair becomes necessary, repair time is 2 (two) minutes only, and only 1 (one) repair is allowed per contest.
- The balance or scale (for weight) and the box or any other measuring device used at the District Level is the standard for the District Pinewood Derby. Weight may be reduced in order to meet specifications, but weight may not be added.