Pinewood Derby Cars | Maximum Velocity (2024)

Pinewood Derby Cars | Maximum Velocity (1)

Racing pinewood derby cars is a fun pastime enjoyed by thousands of people. Originating in the 1950s by the Boy Scouts of America, pinewood derby racing is a fun, friendly way to enjoy competition with your friends, family, church, or neighbors. Maximum Velocity is here to guide you through the world of pinewood derby!

If you are ready to purchase your first kit and begin the fun of building pinewood derby cars, be sure to check out our collection of valuable resources and products to ensure your next car reaches maximum velocity!

Easy Way To Build Fast Pinewood Derby Cars

The large number of products available for building a pinewood derby car can be very overwhelming. Which is why at Maximum Velocity, we’ve put together comprehensive car kits and bundles to help you save time and tool investment. Each car body is precision cut and accommodates the maximum weight at the proper position. Our Pre-Cut Kits come complete with car bodies based on winning designs. Each body also features pre-cut or drilled axle holes or slots depending on the specific design.

Kit Bundles take the car kits a step further, and include everything you need to build a competitive car. Take the guesswork out of what makes for a winning design! Each bundle comes complete with a Pre-Cut Kit, weights, prepared BSA wheels, lube and axles. Don’t be overwhelmed by sifting through countless types of grooved or smooth axles, molded wheels or weight kits. Instead, purchase one of our kits or bundles and rest assured that your finished design will be a winner!

If you do want to build your pinewood derby car from scratch, we recommend that you visit our “first timer” page for purchasing pinewood derby cars to see what recommended products suite your style. Make your pinewood derby cars go fast! Choose Maximum Velocity.

Purchase Pinewood Derby Cars from the Experts

With over twenty years of experience in pinewood derby, we possess the valuable insight you need to excel at your next competition. If you’re wondering why you should choose to purchase your pinewood derby cars from us, there are many reasons.

Pinewood Derby Cars | Maximum Velocity (2)

First, we keep the interest of the customer in mind by not selling you products that you don’t need. Many pinewood derby products on the market today either provide you no benefit or even slow your car down. Banners, flags and pennants may add some fun flair to your piece, but you may not be aware that the added wind resistance can cause your car to perform poorly! And some lubricants – like Dry White – actually gunk up your axles. Using a high-purity graphite is the best way to properly lubricate your car for maximum speed. We only recommend products that are needed to satisfy competition regulations or that can be used to prime your pinewood derby car for first place. We even offer comprehensive car plans that contain three race-winning designs so that you can come to each competition prepared to place.

Second, we have extensive experience and knowledge in building and racing pinewood derby cars, and we would love to share it with you. Randy Davis, founder of Maximum Velocity, became involved in pinewood derby when his children began participating in the competitions at their church. After noticing that a few families consistently raced fast cars, Randy put his background in engineering to use, figuring out the mechanics behind what makes a competitive derby car. For over twenty years, he has been providing valuable insight into the successful techniques used to create fast pinewood derby cars. By offering insightful information and high-quality products, tools and supplies, we’ve been able to help hundreds of children and their parents or mentors to enjoy the act of building cars together.

Third, we understand that you would like your order right away. This is why we expedite every order. Depending on the time of day the order is placed, we will either ship it same day or the next business day. Even better, we don’t charge a fee for expediting orders!

Trust The Experts!

At Maximum Velocity, our mission is to help children and their parents to build high-performance pinewood derby cars, and to have fun in the process. We strive to provide our customers with quality products and customer service at a competitive price. And though we can’t guarantee that your car with will a trophy, we can guarantee that you’ll be completely satisfied with our products and service. Contact us today to learn more!

Pinewood Derby Cars | Maximum Velocity (2024)

FAQs

What is a good speed for a Pinewood Derby car? ›

The Speed of Pinewood Derby Cars

The distribution plot below shows a range of speeds from 177 mph to 229 mph, with most cars exceeding 200 mph.

What Pinewood Derby car design is fastest? ›

The fastest and best performing pinewood derby car designs often have the weights affixed around the rear wheel axle. By placing the weight at the rear of the car, it can better push the car forward, gaining momentum and using it to move the car across the flat section towards the finish line.

Are longer Pinewood Derby cars faster? ›

For pinewood derby cars, extending the wheelbase provides an advantage due to the following reasons: On Ramp-flat tracks2, best speed is attained by locating the center of gravity (COG) of the car as far back as possible while still maintaining stability (typically this is about one inch in front of the rear axle).

Is a lighter Pinewood Derby car faster? ›

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.

Do fenders make Pinewood Derby cars faster? ›

Fenders can help efficiently direct the air around the wheels resulting in more speed. There are a few different types of fenders: Leading Edge Fenders: These fenders are placed in front of the wheels and help direct air over them, leading to a faster car.

Should I bake a Pinewood Derby car? ›

Bake the Block: Start your Pinewood Derby car project by baking the wood block at 250 degrees for two hours. This removes moisture and lightens the block, allowing you to place more weight at the rear of the car where you actually want it.

What is the best body shape 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.

What does graphite do to a Pinewood Derby car? ›

Pure Graphite

A special blend of micron size graphite particles are formulated to reduce the coefficient of friction and give your car the winning edge.

Should I sand the wheels on a Pinewood Derby car? ›

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.

Should you prime a Pinewood Derby car? ›

So I suggest visiting a local body shop and either ask them to prime your pinewood derby car for you, or ask them to sell you a small quantity of primer. You won't need more than 4 ounces per car. Make sure to get the two or more parts that make up the primer.

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

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.

Can you use wd40 on a Pinewood Derby car? ›

No wet lubricant is allowed. (Ex: NyOil, NyOil II, WD-40) Only one lubrication is allowed before the beginning of the first race, and then once again before the beginning of the first race of the semi-finals and finals.

What factors might affect the speed of a Pinewood Derby car? ›

The following parameters made pinewood derby cars faster: using graphite on the axles and wheels, using lightweight wheels and polished axles, lifting the left front wheel and bending rear axles also raised speed.

Why is my Pinewood Derby car slow? ›

Alignment - Make your derby car go straight. This may seem like an afterthought to many, but if your Pinewood Racer doesn't go straight, the wheels will rub against the track, causing it to slow down. Remember, friction is your enemy. Weight - It is vital to have your Pinewood Derby car weigh the proper amount.

What is a fast time for Pinewood Derby? ›

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).

How heavy should my Pinewood Derby car be? ›

Most rules specify a 5 oz. maximum weight. Most Pinewood Derby cars weigh between 1.5 oz and 3.5 oz (depending on design) without weights so a car may need 3.5 oz or more of additional weight.

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