Pinewood Derby^® and PineCar^® Racers: Knowing the Difference

Knowing the difference makes all the difference

As a Cubmaster I’ve been involved in quite a number of official check-in’s of Pinewood Derby^® cars.  Occasionally someone will check in a car that is a mixture of parts from Pinewood Derby^® and PineCar^® Racers.  Since we, like most groups, follow a set of agreed upon rules, these cars are often non-compliant and need last minute modifications to qualify for the race.  Knowing a bit about the two leading brands of pinewood racers may help you avoid this potentially troublesome episode.

Derby Racer – Brand Terminology

It is hard to discuss derby cars without banging into some brand name confusion, so that is a great place to begin making distinctions.

Pinewood Derby^® is a registered trademark of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) and while the name “pinewood derby” can be used to describe a particular event or a group of products, it is also applied to a specific configuration of pine racers with wheels and axles that are easily identifiable.

PineCar^® Racers are also a registered trademark; in this case by Woodland Scenics and are their own distinct brand with very real differences in their options.

When talking about both brands it is difficult to find a term that isn’t tied into one trademark or another, but “pinewood racers” and/or “derby racers” seem to be the most typical terms used.

Pinewood Derby^®

The pinewood derby was created by a Cubmaster named Don Murphy in 1952 as an alternative for his Cub Scout son to Soapbox Derby (the cars that youth sit in and race down hills).  Don submitted his design to the BSA in a publication titled “Pinewood Derby”.  Don’s design was subsequently published in Boy’s Life magazine in 1954 and the rest is pretty much history.

The basics of a Pinewood Derby^® kit include a block of wood, nails for axles and wheels.  The car’s design, weight and decoration are up to the maker.  The axles of a Pinewood Derby^® car are perhaps the most distinct thing that a newcomer notices.  Pinewood Derby^® uses special nails for the axles, NOT solid rods or wooden dowels.  Setting the nails square and true are one of the principal challenges to making a fast car which we will discuss in a future article.

PineCar^® Racers

The PineCar^® Racer has many similarities to a Pinewood Derby^® in that the core is a wooden block with axles and wheels.  The notable distinction with PineCar^® Racers is the solid rod axle and spoked wheels.  It should be noted that PineCar^® Racer sells alternate wheels and axle kits to make their blocks fully compliant with BSA race rules.

PineCar^® offers design kits that have plans and stickers for particular models of cars.  These fully packaged bundles are attractive to many people as they take the design mystery out of your build.

If you are using a PineCar^® Racer kit for your Pinewood Derby^® event, check with your race sponsors to see if the PineCar^® Racer wheels are allowed.  If you need BSA compliant wheels and axles, make sure you get the additional wheel/axle kit form your retailer.

Getting the Right Kit

Pinewood Derby^® kits are available from multiple sources and one great place is through eHobbies.com.  The Pinewood Derby^® kits available at eHobbies.com are manufactured by Revell^®, a world leader in modeling; and are officially licensed.  These kits, while not having the box packaging of their BSA cousins, are compliant in every way to the official BSA rules and are of the highest quality.

PineCar^® Racer kits are also available at eHobbies.com along with a wide selection of decorative decals, wheel and axle accessories and fully planned car model kits.

Tracks, Rules and other Key Elements

The most important thing when purchasing a car kit (or buying a spare or replacement kit) is having familiarity with your organization’s rules and practices.  I know many different groups who hold races including Cub Scout packs, Y-Tribes, Boy’s and Girls Clubs; even a middle school who offers Pinewood Derby^® as an elective.  Start your racer project by checking with your race officials.  Most groups have an “Official Set of Rules” that they follow.  These rules, if properly written, will detail weight limits, wheel and axle specifics, height and length limits.  They may also have important information about what you cannot add to your vehicle.  Common rule violators include loose weighted materials (BB’s etc.) and liquid lubricants.

Final Thoughts

If you are a youth making a car for your club, pack or school, or if you are a parent helping your son or daughter with their first car, I strongly encourage you to spend a brief bit of time researching what is and is not allowed for your local race.  I’ve seen dads switching out axles at weigh-in or trying to put compliant wheels on at the last minute, and it rarely works out well.  A little time now will help you when it counts.

Finally, it seems nothing is more consistently the source of heartbreak with young racers than getting the wrong kit at the last minute.  Our pack provides each boy with one Pinewood Derby^® kit however it is common for parents to buy spare kits or replace a kit entirely if there is an error in cutting.  From my experience, dropping into a local retail hobby shop for a new kit is both convenient and a real risk if you don’t know what to buy.  While these stores are often great for an emergency decal or can of primer, picking up a new car kit can be a real problem. I’ve spoken with many fathers who went to their local hobby store to get a derby kit, not knowing the brand differences and coming to check-in with a non-compliant car.  Typically the issues are with wheels or axles.  If you think you may want a spare car kit for “emergencies” I recommend you order one or two in advance to ensure you have the right components for your car.  This can avoid a real headache and save you lots of last minute stress.  Remember, a Derby is supposed to be FUN.  Refitting axles at the check-in can cast a shadow over a fun project.

And then there is Pine-Pro…..

Following the posting of this article, Charles of Pine-Pro pointed out that Pine-Pro makes a full line of pine car products which also meet BSA standards.  Pine-Pro brands their wheels with the Pine-Pro name but they are in every other respect, the same as the BSA wheels.  eHobbies also sells Pine-Pro products and they are worth considering.  As suggested earlier, always check your local race rules to determine if a given brand, wheel or axel is allowed by our race committee.   Thanks Charles for your addition.