# The Straight Dope Pinewood Derby
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-pinewood-derby/165500
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [March 31, 2003, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-pinewood-derby/165500 "2003-03-31T18:30:49Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2003, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-pinewood-derby/165500/1 "2003-03-31T18:30:49Z")
I drove past a locally-owned hardware store yesterday that was advertising hardwood derby materials. I immediately thought how great it would be if there was a pinewood derby for adults, and mentioned it to my friends. None of them bit. However, having a limited number of friends, I figured that by increasing my pool of possibly derbians by the thousands, I turn to the Teeming Millions.
Who’s up for a pinewood derby? Who’s up for _hosting_ a pinewood derby?
I figure that we could set a date, have someone construct or borrow a derby track (there’s gotta be a doper with a Boy Scout connection), we could send that person our cars in the mail, and results can be posted.
In the event that miraculous series of events doesn’t transpire, we could all just build our own cars, and post pics. I’ve been fairly bored as of late, and could use a new hobby.
---
### Author:  [@Trob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trob)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2003, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-pinewood-derby/165500/2 "2003-03-31T19:17:12Z")
I have a track.
---
### Author:  [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2003, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-pinewood-derby/165500/3 "2003-03-31T19:23:13Z")
Suh-weet! Count me in if this materializes! I haven’t built a pinewood derby car in 14 years, and at the rate I’m breeding, it’ll probably be another 14 before I get to help a son build one.
Happy
---
### Author:  [@Salem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Salem)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2003, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-pinewood-derby/165500/4 "2003-03-31T20:01:07Z")
I loved the pinewood derby! Even though I’m a female, I raced in one. Well, _I_ didn’t, but the car I made did because my cousin didn’t want to make one so I made one for him and it got raced! (That’s a new form of the verb, in case you were wondering.) I had a blast building that thing. They do still make them out of wood, right? (It was a kazillion years ago) It hasn’t turned into the car-made-out-of-newly-devised-aerodynamic-man-made-products derby, has it?
---
### Author:  [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2003, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-pinewood-derby/165500/5 "2003-03-31T20:04:23Z")
**Trob** , that’s wonderful! How did you come to possess one? A quick google search on “pinewood derby” brought up a gazillion sites, most of them pawning off videos and blueprints for Warp 5-capable designs, which lends me to believe there’s a fairly strong undercurrent of hobbyists who are fairly active in this. It doesn’t suprise me, it was my favorite time of year when I was a kid. I loved making those cars.
With that in mind, I think that this would have to be a fairly good-natured competition, with your normal Boy Scout specifications. I think a “salary cap” might be a good idea, as it looks like you can spend some serious cash on hardware! Regardless, I’m up for discussion, but more up for whittling!
**Happy** , you’re in, whether you like it or not. Stop by the hardware store on the way home from work and pick up a kit.
---
### Author:  [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2003, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-pinewood-derby/165500/6 "2003-03-31T20:07:51Z")
Dude, I want to play again, too! (Hell, when I was a wee scout, the sole judge of the final race between me–the handsome hero–and da’ other guy–the vile villain–was his mother. The villain won, and I left without the princess, the dragon’s gold and/or a coupon for free fries from the local McDonald’s. I want to reclaim my lost victory, damnit!)
But, um… where would it be? See, I’m in Kansas City…
---
### Author:  [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2003, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-pinewood-derby/165500/7 "2003-03-31T20:19:03Z")
ooooohhh—memory rush----my cub scout days…
Now, I’m in a Cub Scout Daze. 😉
I’m gonna go lie down…
---
### Author:  [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2003, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-pinewood-derby/165500/8 "2003-03-31T20:21:25Z")
**SkipMagic** , I think wherever it’s held, we can send the car and a self-addressed stamped return envelope. It would most likely have to be racing-by-proxy. But I also think that a coupon for free McDonald’s fries would have to be among the prizes (and I am more than willing to provide prizes).
**Salem** , the websites seem to suggest that the current generation of pinewood derbyism leans towards the 22nd Century, but mostly in the form of axles, wheels and bearings and such. Pretty spendy stuff.
---
### Author:  [@SkipMagic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SkipMagic)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2003, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-pinewood-derby/165500/9 "2003-03-31T20:44:11Z")
And video? Should we have the race-by-proxy on video in case we want to purchase copies? 🙂
I’m in. Even without the fries, I’m in.
_Oh, Mrs. Miller… even though you judged your son the winner all those years ago, I shall get mine in this new century! Bwahahahahahahaha!!_
---
### Author:  [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2003, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-pinewood-derby/165500/10 "2003-03-31T21:07:12Z")
Can we place bets like we’re at a horse track?
---
### Author:  [@Grim\_Beaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grim_Beaker)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2003, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-pinewood-derby/165500/11 "2003-03-31T21:09:47Z")
One thing that participants will need to be careful about is the regulation weight of the cars. If I remember correctly the maximum weight pinewood derby cars can be is 5 oz. Since you want to be as close as possible to that weight (but not over) it’s typical for scouts to weigh their cars just prior to the race and tape pennies or other weights to the car to bring it up to weight. Also, the derby cars would need to be lubricated with graphite at least once every other race (every race if you’re a fanatic). Last but not least I’ve found it wise to race the same car on each of the different rails on the track to ensure that a faster “rail” doesn’t result in inaccurate results. Would the race host be willing to make those sorts of adjustments?
I… uhh… have never raced in a pinewood derby before. No really, I haven’t. 😉
---
### Author:  [@Spit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spit)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2003, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-pinewood-derby/165500/12 "2003-03-31T21:16:26Z")
Count me in!
Been wanting to do one of these again for a long time.
---
### Author:  [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2003, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-pinewood-derby/165500/13 "2003-03-31T21:23:00Z")
I think there should be a prize for style and one for creativity too.
And maybe for the car most resembling genetalia, or most impressive use of the color green, or most patriotic, or most likely to be seen used in desert warfare, or most realistic looking painted-on driver, or…you know. Other categories.
Happy
---
### Author:  [@TheOtherOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheOtherOne)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2003, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-pinewood-derby/165500/14 "2003-03-31T22:28:18Z")
Man! I was just looking at a pinewood derby kit in my garage last night, its been sitting around for about 15 years!
I think I still have my old champion car from when I was seven, can I race that too?
---
### Author:  [@3.885AM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3.885AM)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2003, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-pinewood-derby/165500/15 "2003-03-31T22:48:53Z")
Yes! Our kids have all outgrown this, but I haven’t!
---
### Author:  [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)
#### Post date: [March 31, 2003, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-pinewood-derby/165500/16 "2003-03-31T23:01:36Z")
I’m too lazy to actually participate, but I’d love to see the results of this. I won the town Pinewood Derby in my first year as a Cub Scout, made a better car the next year but didn’t win because everyone else had gotten smarter, and I think I might have won best of show the third year for a car made to look like a slug.
---
### Author:  [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2003, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-pinewood-derby/165500/17 "2003-04-01T13:53:37Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by TheOtherOne \*
> \*\*I think I still have my old champion car from when I was seven, can I race that too? \*\*
Absolutely.
I was thinking of contacting a local troop to see if I could use their track for a day. If I can manage it, I’ll accept as many entries as you can crank out. I’m going to see if my parents can dig up my old cars as well.
---
### Author:  [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2003, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-pinewood-derby/165500/18 "2003-04-01T14:16:04Z")
Oh man - when I first read this, I was thinking about the “big” cars that kids sit in and drive down a hill!!! I was SO confused as to how you would “mail” one to a particular location for racing.
**Munch** - If you need help, let me know. Send me an e-mail anytime. I’ve got access to a CamCorder if we really wanna tape the proceedings, and we’ve got a pretty good digital camera (though I’ll be damned if I know how to put pictures online!!).
---
### Author:  [@Trob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trob)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2003, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-pinewood-derby/165500/19 "2003-04-01T14:44:12Z")
Munch, I was the Cubmaster. I just recently moved up but I still have the track.
---
### Author:  [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2003, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-pinewood-derby/165500/20 "2003-04-01T15:24:13Z")
Oh my god… That brings me back to the cub scouts a bunch of years ago.
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-straight-dope-pinewood-derby/165500.md?page=2)