The Dragster
The Dragster
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The Dragster |
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The Dragster |
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Editor's Notes
From Kevin White: Concerning the question that was asked in Volume 6, Issue 12 - March 7, 2007: "Q: We have a car body with drilled axle holes, and one front wheel is drilled higher. What is the best way to make all four wheels touch the ground?" You gave some great advice. However, there are two other options to get four wheels touching, which I used at our pinewood derby race this last January. While your answers are great for someone with the right time and equipment, it doesn't help the person who discovers the error very close to race time. For the "short-timer", I recommend the following additional options:
To avoid any embarrassment to the council or families involved I would wish to remain anonymous. Several years ago when my boys were in Cub Scouts, I helped run our district Pinewood Derby. We had around 70 boys competing for some real nice trophies. With 70 cars and a double elimination, we had a lot of racing that day. I was in charge of loading and launching the cars for most of the races. Whenever my boys had a turn to race I would let one of the other leaders step in and do my job. Just trying to keep everything honest. About half way through the Bear races I noticed that one of the cars would launch out of the gate much quicker than the rest. It would be about 2 feet ahead of the rest of the cars before they would even be down the ramp. At first we all thought, wow what a fast car. But the next time the car came up to race I noticed that getting the car loaded straight in the lane was rather difficult. It kept shifting to one side on its own. Well that put up a big red flag to me. It turned out that the car had a powerful magnet in the front of the car. We let the car race that race, and just eliminated that race from the standings. Afterwards the car was simply eliminated from the rounds. The only people that were ever aware of the discrepancy were the parents of the boy and a few of the race officials. It turned out that the boy's father had done this with out the knowledge of the boy or the boy's mother - she was furious! The next year we replaced the steel pins on the track that release the cars with stainless steel pins. That way magnets would never haunt our Derby again. Editor's Note: Some stainless steel alloys are attracted to a magnet, but much less so than non-stainless steel. To totally eliminate the effect of magnets, use brass, wood or plastic starting pins. |
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Special Price 
If you have plans to build several cars in the future, now is the time to stock up on these BSA-spec pine blocks (1-3/4 x 1-1/4 x 7 inches).
Newsletter SpecialMajor Price Reduction 
In testing our digital scales, we found a few that calibrate to 4.99 ounces. This accuracy is sufficient for the average pinewood derby car builder, but is not sufficient for use as an official scale. Therefore, we are offering these scales at a significant discount. Check out the Inventory Clearance.
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Pine Block Blowout $0.95 off If you have plans to build several cars in the future, now is the time to stock up on these BSA-spec pine blocks (1-3/4 x 1-1/4 x 7 inches). The blocks are equipped with BSA slots (we did not cut the slots). You can use the slots, or turn the block over and make your own slots or holes. You can Purchase Here |
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Awana Speed Wheels $2.00 off Are you looking for an edge in your Awana race? Then look no further! These Awana Speed wheels are perfectly round and smooth to give you a fast ride. In addition, the tread is narrowed to reduce the contact patch and weight. Finally, the inside hub is shortened (to compensate for the narrowed tread) and the hub is beveled to reduce contact with the car body. For more information, Click Here but make sure to Purchase Here |
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