Pinewood Derby Car Design Templates (2024)

FAQs

What is the best design for a Pinewood Derby car? ›

The wedge is a classic and probably the easiest shape (besides keeping a block) to build your Pinewood Derby car. The Wedge is the foundation of many cool car designs, and it is designed to be aerodynamic and is a one-cut wonder.

To go fast, it's all about aerodynamics, and the best shape is a simple wedge. Just like a spoiler on the rear of a sports car, the wedge shape allows as much air to flow over the top of the car without hinderance while keeping the car pinned to the track.

The front edge of the wheels must be behind the nose of the car (100% of the car behind the starting peg). Length: Car cannot be more than 7 1/8 inches long. Width: Car cannot be more than 2 3/4 inches wide. Height: Car cannot be more than 3 1/8 inches tall.

No need to get crazy here, but simply having a wedge-shaped Pinewood Derby car instead of the standard block out of the box will equal a 1.4-car advantage at the finish line.

Baking your Pinewood Derby wooden block helps to remove the moisture so that you have more wiggle room to add extra weight at the end. Remember, every little bit of weight in the right place makes a difference! Bake it in the oven at 250° for about 2 hours.

Slide the axles and wheels onto the car and glue into place. Use an epoxy or nonresin glue, and make sure you don't get any on the surface of the axle where the wheel rides.

Don't forget your safety goggles! Starting with about 300 grit sandpaper sand the wheels. Work up to as fine of grit as you can find. Only sand enough to remove imperfections and make the wheel round as possible.

Pinewood Derby Results. The average times with just weight added was 3.288 seconds. There was 0.188 seconds between the fastest and slowest car, about 23 inches. The average time was 2.994 seconds, about 44 inches faster than without graphite (0.353 seconds).

The rear wheels must be parallel to each other and the car body. Additionally, the wheels must be located directly across from one another. Finally, if rules do not prohibit, the rear axle holes should be placed 5/8ths (0.625) of an inch from the car's rear.

But aerodynamics rule the day, and the best shape is a simple wedge. Just like a spoiler on the rear of a sports car, the wedge shape allows as much air to flow over the top of the car without hinderance while keeping the car pinned to the track.

Are bent axles legal in Pinewood Derby? ›

No loose materials of any kind (such as lead shot) are allowed in the car. No bent axels, and all 4 wheels need to be on the track. Once a car passes inspection and is entered into the race, only race committee members can touch it.

Assuming all other factors are equal, a heavier car will be faster than a lighter car. The Pinewood Derby rules limit the weight of each car to 5 ounces.

How close should pinewood derby wheels be to the car? The hub of the wheel should be a credit card thickness (about . 03") away from the car block but can be as much as . 1".

Remember, a rectangular car is not an aerodynamic design. The most basic aerodynamic design is a simple wedge. If you don't have time to design a complex car, a wedge will work just fine. Download a Pinewood Derby car template PDF to help you create your design.

Three areas on a Pinewood Derby® car must be aligned; failure to do so leaves speed on the track! The rear wheels should be set at a 3-degree angle (camber). This angle reduces friction as only a tiny portion of the wheel makes contact with the track.

For example, on a smooth aluminum track, a wheelbase of 4.75” offers a good balance between speed and stability. For a rougher track where instability could be a concern, the Race Team might consider going with a 5.0” to 5.25” wheelbase. New axle holes must be made to move or extend the car's wheelbase.