Washington, DC District Pinewood Derby - Rules of the Race

Bryan Martin Firvida
Bryan Martin Firvida
Last updated 

Registration and Entry Fee 

  • Open to ALL Cub Scouts registered with a Cub Scout Pack in the Scouting America National Capital Area Council's Washington, DC District.
  • All racers must have an active membership with Scouting America (BSA).
  • Pre-registration and payment is highly encouraged and can be completed online
    • There is a $8.00 entry fee per Cub Scout.
    • On-site registration and payment is not recommended; for those that must register on-site, only payments accepted will be checks and exact cash. Credit card payments can be made online.
  • Each Scout is allowed to race one car.
  • Racer check-in begins at 9:30 AM.

Racer Check-In and Car Tech Inspection

  • Prior to racing, all Scouts will need to check in and present their cars for tech inspection. 
  • Official Pinewood Grand Prix rules will be enforced; these can be found in the official pinewood derby car kits.
  • Scouts must use all nine parts provided: 1 block of wood, 4 axles, and 4 wheels (see note about wheels below). You can add parts to the car.
  • Maximum Car Length including wheels - 7 inches.
  • Maximum Car Width including wheels - 2 ¾ inches.
  • Maximum Car Weight - 5 ounces
    • Weight note: If you add weight to the bottom of the car (not recommended), the bottom of the car must be flush with the block of wood, if not flush, the car will not run properly on the track.
  • Wheels: If using wheels other than the ones provided with the kit, the wheels must be labeled as "Official BSA" wheels.

Race Format

  • Head-to-Head Racing: random selection of round robin heats followed by single elimination rounds
  • If a car leaves the track during a heat, the heat will be declared no contest and will be rerun. If the same car leaves the track during the second heat, it will be disqualified from that heat race. The only exception to this is if the track debris or if the track itself causes the problem.

Repairs and Adjustments 

  • After a car is checked in and passes tech inspection, Scouts are not allowed to make any adjustments to their car. 
  • A reasonable amount of time will be allowed to make repairs to cars that are damaged during racing.
  • No graphite or lubricants can be applied at the event venue. 

Washington, DC District Pinewood Derby Coordinator

  • For questions or additional information, contact Washington, DC District Pinewood Derby  Race coordinator, Mr. Randy Jacobs via email: pwd@scoutingindc.org or phone: 202-302-1300