Most Scouts and parents are very excited to get their Pinewood Derby kit but might get discouraged to find the kit is a block of wood, some nails (axles?) and wheels. Take a deep breath. You can do this.
Well, I have been building Pinewood Derby cars since the 1950’s. Over these years, I have probably built or consulted on close to a 1000 cars. During this time, I have discovered or acquired hundreds of tips of what makes a fast car. Some are common sense and others are simple applied physics or just trial and error.
I developed a booklet which is a collection of some of these basic tips. You, as a builder/designer, can elect to do as many of these tips or as few as you wish. I suggest you read the Pinewood Derby Tips booklet first and decide what tips you can or want to do. I realize that going through this booklet can be a little daunting but have tried to explain the best and safest procedures. I have included several pictures to help you understand how to create a fast car.
This, by all means, is not the only information available. There is also tons of information on the internet about Pinewood Derby secrets. If you have any questions about any tip or Pinewood Derby tool you have read or heard about, feel free to contact me. I can help you sort out what works and what doesn’t.