Derby Rules

Powderpuff Derby Rules And Regulations
Please read the following rules and regulations carefully to ensure that your car complies with all the specifications/rules. These rules have been set by the Jersey Shore Council Pinewood Derby Committee as of 12/1/08.  We will be using the same rules and regulations as our fellow Jersey Shore Cub scouts.

General
Cars must have been made for this Scout year, meaning they have been built after the start of the current school year, for entry in the Powder puff Derby.  Cars made in prior Scout years are strictly prohibited.
Length, Width, And Clearance

Cars shall be built using the materials in the Official BSA Pinewood Derby Kit, or the Official BSA replacement parts kit.  This includes the pinewood block, axles, and wheels.  With the exception of decorative and construction items (weights, glue, lubricants, finishing materials), only materials from the official kits may be used.  Separately purchased items (contoured pinewood bodies, machined wheels, and single-piece axles) are specifically prohibited.
Maximum overall width (including wheels and axles) shall not exceed 2-3/4”.
Minimum width between wheels shall be 1-3/4” so the car will clear the center guide strip.
Minimum clearance between the bottom of the car and the bottom of the wheels should be 3/8” so the car will clear the guide strip.  It is recommended that weights on the bottom of the car be inset so they are flush with the bottom of the wood block.
Maximum length of the car shall not exceed 7”.  Please check the block, as they are not all the same size.
Maximum height of the car shall not exceed 5-1/2”.
Axles/wheels may be relocated from the original axle slot locations, but the original wheel base (distance between the axles) shall be maintained at 4-3/8”.
Cars shall not protrude beyond the starting line mechanism.
Cars shall have a minimum of a ¼” flat bearing surface on the front of the car to align with the starting line mechanism. (The nose of the car cannot come to a sharp point.)

Weight And Appearance
Total weight of the car shall not exceed 5 ounces.  The readings of the Official Race Scale shall be considered final.
No loose materials of any kind shall be permitted in or on the car.  All weights shall be attached with screws, nails, glue, etc – tape is not permitted.
Details such as steering wheel, driver, spoiler, decals, painting, and interior details are permissible as long as these details do not exceed the maximum length, width, and weight specifications.

Wheels And Axles
Only the Official BSA Scout Grand Prix wheels and axles can be used.  Axles may be polished and the burrs removed from the axles heads; but the axles cannot be grooved in any way.  Solid, or one-piece axles are strictly prohibited.  (See Rule #24)
Casting burrs may be removed from the wheels with a knife, but wheels cannot be modified in any other way.  They must be raced right out of the box/kit.  Wheels shall not be sanded, machined, wafered, beveled, ridged, crowned, drilled, or altered in any way. (See Explanatory Notes regarding wheels at the end of these rules.)




Hubcaps, stickers and wheel covers are prohibited.
Wheel bearings, washers, or bushings are prohibited.
Car shall not ride on any type of springs.  Cars must be freewheeling with no starting device or other propulsion.

Lubrication
Axles may be lubricated with powdered graphite or Official BSA powdered PTFE Lubricant only.  No other lubrication shall be permitted.  Liquid lubricants are strictly prohibited.  (See Rule 24)
Cars shall be lubricated before inspection.  No lubricant will be allowed in the building.

Race Day
Cars shall be inspected during registration for compliance to the specifications.
Each car shall pass inspection by the Official Inspection Team before it may compete.  The Inspection Team has the right to disqualify those cars that do not meet these rules.  Car owners will be informed of any violations and given an opportunity to modify the car to meet these rules.  All modifications must be completed by the time registration ends for that rank.
Cars can be re-inspected at any time by Race Officials, including during the race.  If the car does not meet specifications, it must be brought into compliance before its next scheduled race or be disqualified.  A maximum of five minutes will be allowed a participant (or her designated adult) to bring her car into compliance.
Cars can be re-inspected after the race by Race Officials, and disqualified for non-compliance with these rules.  This includes removal of the wheels and axles for inspection purposes.
Any participant (including a parent or guardian or a participant) has the right to appeal to the Race Committee for an interpretation of these rules or the race results.  The Race Committee, by majority vote, will be the final interpreter of these rules or the race results.  In case of a tie vote, the decision of the Powder puff Derby Committee Chairperson will be final.
Unsportsmanlike conduct or behavior by any race participant or member of the audience may be grounds for expulsion from the competition and/or the race area.

The Race
Only race officials and boys that are racing shall be permitted in the track area.  This rule will be strictly enforced.
If a car suffers a mechanical problem after a heat (loses an axle, breaks a wheel, etc) the participant or a designated adult will have up to five minutes to fix the car.  The heat will be rerun.
If a car suffers a mechanical problem during a heat, the participant or a designated adult will have five minutes or until her next scheduled heat to fix the car.
If a car interferes with another car during a heat, the heat shall be rerun.  If the same car causes interference a second time, a third race shall be run without the interfering car.
Proxy racing (a stand-in racing a Scouts car) shall be allowed.
Girl Scout Tunics, Vests, or Sash’s are recommended for all racers.
Explanatory Notes Regarding Wheels

There are many websites that sell various forms of speed wheels – or “cheater wheels”.  There is even one site that provides five levels of machined BSA wheels so that you can determine how much or how little you want to cheat, because that is what you are doing by using these illegal wheels – cheating.

If you buy new wheels from a hobby shop or an online source, you are violating these rules.  Only the official BSA wheels that come in the official BSA Pinewood Derby Kit or the official BSA Replacement Parts Kit can be used on a Scouts Pinewood Derby Car.

If you buy one of the devices that uses a blade to machine your wheels you are violating these rules.

If you reduce the diameter or the width of the wheels you are violating these rules.

If you change the shape of the wheels to reduce the amount of the wheel that touches the track you are violating these rules.

If you drill holes into the sides of the wheels you are violating these rules.

If you modify the wheels in any way you are violating these rules.

Wheels will be inspected for any sign of modification, and cars with modified wheels will be disqualified at Inspection.