Final Pack Race Results for 2009 PineWood Derby

Place Time MPH CubScout
1 9.299 231.0 Wells Tristen 45
2 9.395 228.6 Bergstrom Simon 13
3 9.470 226.8 Asquith Isaac 33
4 9.505 226.0 Ellertson Connor 35
5 9.517 225.7 Martinez Joseph 23
6 9.792 219.3 Rocchio Jack 28
7 9.977 215.3 Holden Bryce 21
8 10.024 214.3 Barker Gaven 47

Congratulations to Tristen for 1st Place!

The race made news wth the North Denver Tribune.
Thank you to Rachel Melhorn for volunteering to write the article!

Upcoming Outings for spring 2009

February 21

• Ruby Hill Sledding-S. Platte River Drive between W. Florida and W. Jewell.

March 14 10am -1pm

• NCAR Tour with Hike Carpool Suggested

April 18 10am-12

• Bike Ride along Clear Creek Path

May 23 - 10am-12pm - Brian Wells Coordinator

• Fishing Day - Colorado Division of Wildlife
• 6060 Broadway (58th and I25)

Pinewood Derby Refreshments Update

HOT DOGS!!! NACHOS!!! BUG JUICE!!!

HOT DOGS $1.00
NACHOS $1.00
SNACKS $.50
BUG JUICE $.50

We'll also have YUMMY Cub Scout Popcorn for sale

and

Cub Scout T-shirts for $10.00

CONCESION STAND OPENS AT 6PM COME EARLY TO WEIGH IN

AND HAVE SOME DINNER BEFORE THE MOST EXCITING
RACES EVER!!!!

(Thank you Dale H- Our fearless treasurer)

Pinewood Derby Race Info for 1/27

Pinewood Derby, Edison Gym

Volunteer Check in is at 530pm.
Scouts are asked to be there at 6pm.
We will begin racing as soon as cars are ready.

Refreshments will be served(Hot Dogs/Juice,chips etc)
Good luck to Pack 11 racers!

APEX Swim Day 10am Sat 1/24

Perry will meet everyone at 10 in the front lobby on main level.

13150 W. 72nd Ave.
303-424-2739

Bring towells and suits! Many people pack a lunch as well.

Start your Engines - Design Tips for your Pinewood Derby Car

Race Day - Tuesday, January 27

Last Tuesday's meeting saw the start of the annual Pinewood Derby race and design building. Ted brought a bunch of tools, the boys were busy selecting designs and cutting out their winning race cars. Garages across NW Denver are abuzz with sanding

In doing some research in the hopes of my son placing higher in the rankings this year, I stumbled across some interesting websites worthy of sharing with the pack.

Don't forget their is an OPEN CLASS for siblings, parents, grandparents.
Dad's- bring your vintage cars that you made many moons ago to display on our Antique photo table.

Basic Tips

FRICTION: One of the best ways to eliminate friction is graphite. A good dosage may not do wonders for the paint job, but it will for your axles (hopefully you didn't glue the axles too far in or that will impair the wheel). Most axles in the kits have burrs on them around the head. De-burr the axles with a small file.

WEIGHT: It boils down to this, the closer you get to 5 ounces without going over, the better off you will be. The placement of the weight on the car (front or back) is an item which has been argued for years. Weight toward the rear seems to work best, along as the front wheels track straight. Just remember – gravity is the only power these cars use.

AERODYNAMICS: There are just about as many arguments on this topic as there are Pinewood Derby racers. It has been tried, several times, to race a car, as is, straight out of the box with no cutting, shaping or painting of the wood. These cars seem to perform, on average, just as well as the low, sleek, aerodynamic models. The bottom line is: Let the boy design the car, and help him achieve his design! If the adult wants to tinker with the car, tinker with the wheels and axles. The car design has almost no bearing on the outcome of the race.

ALIGNMENT: Make sure that the car's wheels are placed as straight as possible. Place the car on the floor and roll it about 8 to 10 feet. The car should go in a straight line. Adjust with the axle placement to make double sure the car will roll straight.

WHEELS and AXLES: Make sure that the axles are glued securely to the wood. Also ensure that the wheel is not glued to the axle. The wheels are single most important part. Make sure the wheels are on straight and turn freely.

DESIGN / SHAPE: The finish line uses electronic infrared sensors to detect the car moving across the finish line. These sensors are directly centered in each lane of the track. The starting gate of the track uses a bolt in the center of the track. This is to ensure that the length of roll each car will have to the finish line sensors will be the same for each car no matter what the shape of each car is. Keep a high track clearance so that nothing has a chance to rub on the underside of the car. Remember that the cars straddle a wood lath as they roll down the track.

PAINT: Let your imagination run wild!! Whether you use 50 coats of hand rubbed lacquer, olive drab or no paint at all, all it will do is affect the looks of your car. It will not run any faster or slower whether it's red, blue, green, yellow, flames, no-flames, or pink polka-dots!! Let the boy paint the car. Drips of spray paint don't slow the car down.

ACCESSORIES: Glue those Lego and Pokemon characters in! Anything that falls off in the race stays off. This can lighten you car enough to slow it down.

Feel free to post in comments any TIPS you have for Pack 11.



http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/How_To_Build_a_Pinewood_Derby_Car/Block
http://www.wickedlocal.com/harwich/archive/x476351111
http://www.scoutorama.com/derby/
http://www.pinewoodpro.com/

That should be a good start.. Best of luck to all racers.

Pack 11 Meets tonight at Edison Jan 6th at 630pm

We are meeting tonight at Edison and Pinewood Derby kits will be handed out and worked on. All tools provided.