Derby Talk

We did it for the two years we raced, though it was more of an "insert axles, pile in graphite, rub a little, add wheels, then let it sit, ensure axles are in the graphite" thing. We didn't manhandle the equipment after the initial rubbing. We weren't worried about how pretty the car was, ...

Hurly gives some good tips. Here are a few if you're in one of those Councils/Districts/Packs that don't allow you to extend the wheelbase... 1. Put the axle that is closest to the end of the car in the rear. This will help minimize the chance for popping the wheelie. 2. Folks say to have the weight...

We only had 12 racers in our pack this year, so we didn't have a big problem here. All the boys raced each other, with the top three getting trophies. Last year, though, my son was in a much larger pack. The way they did it was they awarded the PWD color-coded pins to the top three in each den, then...

I personally prefer E6000 for my adhesive. It's self-leveling yet easily manipulated with a toothpick. Perfect for securing the axles yet keeping the nailtips and wheel area clear.

At our District race this year, the difference between first and second place in the Webelos I category was .0003. Unfortunately, my son's car was the "slower" of the two. He made up for it in the overall finals, placing fourth overall and beating the car he lost to by .007. A little relub...

I have to go with Stan on this one. At the District race this year, my son's car "lost" by .0003, taking second in his category. Both cars raced in the finals. During the pre-finals tuning period, I added a dime to my son's car. Result... my son's car took fourth overall, beating the car h...

Gameday... Our district did the same format, and as the times were posted, I noticed the Webelos I group had the two fastest cars of the day during the "prelims", i.e. the group races. But we still ran the finals, taking the top three from each group. The end result... The top two from the...

gpraceman is right. You've got to approach this parent now, before the race. Avoid the scene, and avoid the public embarrassment. Otherwise you'll run into something similar to what I had to contend with at our pack race. The two sons of one of our leaders are registered with another pack so they ca...

I'd be having a talk with your District Exec about this. If that is the source of the problem, I'd next be filing a complaint at Council regarding the absurd nature of these rules. To arbitrarily eliminate boys from participation simply because they have done well in one year is absolutely contrary ...

You're opening yourself up to lots of squawking if you allow the Lowe's car to compete and not the Pinecar. One could legitimately argue that neither meet the "Official Grand Prix Pinewood Derby kit" requirement, so neither should be allowed. That said, you did a fine job of handling these...

Personally, I'd be having a man-to-man talk with the other dad. I'd take my son's car and ask him to justify his statements. After having a pleasant conversation about car construction, I'd recommend he talk with his son and retract the slanderous remarks. This is the end result of a highly successf...

ronin718 wrote: But many packs/districts stipulate that the weights must be permanently attached. Velcro isn't permanent. ronin718, This is just for testing. The velcro allows you to move the weight while running the car on a test track. When you find the ideal location you permanantly attach it. G...

But many packs/districts stipulate that the weights must be permanently attached. Velcro isn't permanent.

I assume you're talking pre-Hollywood Hogan. Yep, Andre and Hulk-a-mania were always fun to watch.

Dang, I'm getting old.....

Overall I guess our council race only represents about 3000 Scouts if my math is accurate.

Wow, our district is bigger than that. That's why we had to go with a Top 3 qualifier to race at District. And our Council doesn't do a PWD. Bummer!!!!!