2025 Pinewood Derby!!
January 17, 2025 @ 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Pack 751 Pinewood Derby 2025
The 2025 Pinewood Derby will be Friday, Jan. 17, from 6-8 p.m. at First United Methodist Church Richardson.
IMPORTANT 2025 UPDATE: All Scouts participating in both the Den-level and Pack-wide competitions MUST compete with a new car that the scout built this school year and that has not previously been used in any pinewood derby competition(s). This rule will be strictly enforced, and we expect all scouts and Pack 751 families to respect this policy. (See below for more details about opportunities to race previously built cars in the new Legends division.)
Car bodies must be built from an official BSA Pinewood Derby kit wood block. No prefabricated car bodies will be allowed! Car bodies built from any non-BSA kits, regardless of whether the car was built using a pre-cut car body or a plain wood block, will not be eligible for the Pack and Den competitions and must compete in the Outlaw division.
Car check-in and pre-race inspection will take place on race day, prior to the start of the event. Inspections will begin at 4:30 and all cars will be impounded at 5:30. Please arrive with ample time to check in your car and make any last-minute adjustments before the pre-race impound.
Heat races will be held among each Den, followed by a Pack-wide race for the fastest cars. We’ll conclude the evening with the Legends and Outlaw divisions, which are both open to scouts, siblings and adults.
For the Den and Pack competition, cars must meet the following rules:
· Car bodies must be built from an official BSA Pinewood Derby kit wood block.
· Width shall not exceed 2-3/4 inches.
· Length shall not exceed 7 inches.
· Weight shall not exceed 5 ounces.
· Axles, wheels, and body shall be from the materials provided in the kit. Additional wheels can be purchased separately.
· Wheel bearings, washers, and bushings are prohibited.
· No lubricating oil may be used. Axles may be lubricated with powdered graphite or silicone.
· The car shall not ride on any kind of spring.
· The car must be freewheeling, with no starting devices.
· No loose materials of any kind are allowed in the car.
Outlaw Division and New Legends Division
The new Legends division is open to scouts, siblings and adults who wish to race Pinewood Derby cars that have previously competed in other PWD events. The primary difference between the Legends and Outlaw divisions is that cars competing in the Legends division must conform to the same technical specifications as cars racing in the main Den and Pack competition, while the Outlaw division allows participants to build and race creative and extreme car designs outside of the rules.
The purpose of the Legends division is to provide an opportunity for the best cars from multiple years of competition to race against each other. This includes scouts’ top-performing cars from prior competitions, cars that underperformed in a prior competition, but have been further worked on and improved, as well as cars that parents and adult family members built when they were scouts. In addition, scouts wishing to build more than one car this year can enter additional cars into the Legends division.
Cars entered in the Legends division must conform to the 2025 technical specifications. Any entries that do not meet these criteria will have to compete in the Outlaw division.
Outlaw Division Rules:
· Cars must fit on the track, including the vertical start and finish line arches.
· Loose parts, oil lubricants, jet fuel, other liquids, pyrotechnics, or anything else that might damage the track, the facilities or people are prohibited.
· Have fun with it, but please use good judgment.
Additional Info and Tips:
· Cars that don’t initially pass inspection can be adjusted and resubmitted for inspection prior to the 5:30 impound. Please bring any tools or supplies you may need to make final adjustments.
· Tungsten putty (available from Amazon and hobby stores) is an easy way to add or subtract weight to a car at inspection.
· The maximum width and length requirements include any features attached to the body of the car (e.g., decorative tailpipes, wheels, etc.)
· Cars that cannot be brought into compliance with the regulations may enter the Outlaw division, so long as the car meets the Outlaw division guidelines.
· Once a car has cleared inspection and entered into the race, it cannot leave the garage/racing area without being re-inspected.
· Parents are strongly encouraged to have their scouts do as much of the work on their cars as possible, including age-appropriate use of tools.
Interested in helping at the event? Have questions? Need more info? Contact Austin Kilgore 214-908-5097
Austin Kilgore, Competition Director
Nick McCarthy, Race Director