There is a mandatory weigh in the night before race day in Fellowship hall, we will
also be setting the track up at this time and could use volunteers to
help with track setup. This is a great opportunity to check and confirm
your car will be race ready and to possibly catch and correct any minor
issues with time to spare.
Race Day
The Derby will be held at St. Paul's in Fellowship Hall. Snacks, lunch foods, and drinks will be available as a fundraiser. This is a family event so bring the grandparents, uncles, cousins, and anyone else who might enjoy the race.
"Be Fast... or Look Good Trying"
The pinewood derby is one of the most popular and successful family activities in Cub Scouting. Pinewood derby cars are small wooden models that Cub Scouts make with help from their families. Then they race the cars in competition. The cars are powered by gravity and run down a track. Every boy can design and build his own "grand prix" car to enter in the race.
Prizes and Recognition
The
Derby is about doing one's best and having fun, so all child
participants will be recognized. But that doesn't mean our race winners
won't take home some shiny hardware. Especially the leaders who battle
and fudge and manipulate their way to the oh so awesome victory lane
for that oh so elusive glass of milk.
Derby Workshops
There will be several opportunities to mold and shape the block of pinewood into a mean lean well-decorated racing machine. We will announce dates and times for the workshops once we get the parents lined up who will be supervising the shop tools. The boys are not permitted to use power tools but they are encouraged to design the shape of their cars, sand them, and decorate them accordingly. Parents are encouraged to assist the child but they should let the child do most of the work.
Equal Ground
All entries in the derby will start with the "Official Grand Prix Pinewood Derby Kit" which includes the body, 4 axles, and 4 wheels. All nine pieces MUST be used before the car can race. Wheels may be substituted in different colors as long as they are official BSA wheels. The kits are sold at the local Scout Shop or online. All active Scouts will receive a kit as a Christmas present in December. Parent and siblings are on their own. Cars may not exceed 5 ounces in weight and must conform to certain size restrictions and specifications. Decorating the cars are up to the imagination of the boys. The complete set of rules will be available at the Derby Workshops. Please don't worry about the small print specifically worded to exclude the leaders from some or all of the rules.
Printable Rules
The printable North Valley rules are posted below for downloading and printing.
