– Feature Article – Weight: Place it Carefully – Car Showcase – Memory – 90 Percent – Q&A Weight: Place it Carefully Over the past few years I have written several articles, speed tips, and answers to questions that relate to weight position. Today, I’d like to bring this information together into one article. I realize […]

– Feature Article – Wind Tunnel Testing – Car Showcase – Memory – The Guest – Q&A Wind Tunnel Testing In a previous article (Volume 3, Issue 9 – The Big Debates: Aerodynamics), I shared the results of track tests using a car with a varying cross-section. The tests showed that there is an aerodynamic […]

– Feature Article – Advice to the Beginner – Keep it Simple! – Car Showcase – Memory – The Heart of a Champion – Q&A Advice to the Beginner – Keep it Simple! Countless times I have had the following phone conversation: “Hi, my son just got a pinewood derby kit, but when we opened […]

– Feature Article – Is it Cheating? – Car Showcase – Memory – Bitterroot Valley Derby – Q&A Is it Cheating? This past year I received several e-mails relating situations where car builders were accused of cheating. In some cases the writer of the e-mail was certain that another parent had cheated, and in other […]

– Feature Article – Wheel Alignment: Make it Straight! – Memory – The Wrong Lube – Q&A Wheel Alignment: Make it Straight! I overheard a conversation the other day, between two young men (young from my perspective). One of them said, “My car is pulling to the left, and I have to constantly adjust to […]

– Feature Article – Pinewood Derby Glossary: Part 2 – Car Showcase – Q&A Pinewood Derby Glossary: Part 2 Several weeks ago the first half of this glossary was provided. As mentioned then, every sport, hobby, or business has a collection of special terms, sometimes called ‘jargon’. This goes for pinewood derby racing as well. So […]

– Feature Article – Axle Installation Made Easy – Car Showcase – Memory – Late Start – Q&A Axle Installation Made Easy Mounting axles in blocks with slots has always been problematic. Problems include damage to the car body, sore thumbs, non-symmetrical insertion (some axles angled, others not), bent axles, and uneven car-to-wheel gapping. I believe […]

– Feature Article – The Dark Side: eBay Cars – Car Showcase – Memory – Ending on a High Note – Q&A The Dark Side: eBay Cars For those of you that aren’t particularly Internet savvy, eBay has become quite a powerhouse in on-line retailing. At this site you can purchase virtually anything. I personally […]

– Feature Article – Glossary of Terms – Car Showcase – Memory – Perseverance – Q&A Pinewood Derby Glossary Every sport, hobby, or business has a collection of special terms, sometimes called ‘jargon’.  One engineering company I worked for had an extensive list of acronyms in the jargon.  The acronyms were so confusing that one […]

In this Edition: – Feature Article – Designing a Car From Scratch – Car Showcase – Memory – Pinewood Derby Prayer – Q&A Designing a Car From Scratch I have been asked several times, “How do you come up with your designs?” The obvious answer is ‘imagination’, but really I am not the most imaginative […]