– Feature Article – Solenoid Start Gate: Are Races More Consistent? – Speed Tip – Extending the Front – Pinewood Derby Car Showcase – Q&A Solenoid Start Gate: Are Races More Consistent? By Randy Davis Solenoid Start Gates came on the market a few years ago. These mechanisms use a solenoid (electrically activated switch) to […]

– Feature Article – Shop Talk: Drilling Small Holes – Pinewood Derby Car Showcase – Q&A Shop Talk: Drilling Small Holes By Randy Davis If your pinewood derby race rules allow axle holes, then you have likely drilled the holes using a drill press, or a Pro-Body Tool or Pro-Axle Jig. For Cub Scout axles, […]

– Feature Article – Do’s and Don’ts for Race Leaders – Pinewood Derby Car Showcase – Q&A Do’s and Don’ts for Race Leaders By Randy Davis On March 13, 2011 I received an e-mail from an upset customer. They had used some of our BSA wheels in their pack race, and did well enough to […]

– Feature Article – Top Fuel Cars – Two-Wheeled Cars Revisited – Pinewood Derby Car Showcase – Q&A Top Fuel Cars – Two-Wheeled Cars Revisited by Randy Davis (The ninth in a series of articles on cars that “stretch the rules”) In 2008 I published an article on a two-wheeled car, running on diagonally opposite […]

– Feature Article – Modifying the Wheelbase – Pinewood Derby Car Showcase – Q&A Modifying the Wheelbase by Randy Davis (An update of an article originally published December 11, 2002). It is not entirely clear to me how the various organizations established the location of the axle slots on their kits. Years ago, the BSA […]

– Feature Article – The Big Rig Kit – Pinewood Derby Car Showcase – Q&A The Big Rig Kit by Randy Davis In years past, BSA offered a unique kit, “The Big Rig – 18 Wheeler”. Basically, it was a pinewood-derby style semi-truck and trailer. The Big Rig Although they are no longer offered by […]

– Feature Article – Turbulators – Speed Tip – Adding Brakes to Your Car – Pinewood Derby Car Showcase – Q&A Turbulators When I first got involved in pinewood derby racing, I bought every speed tip booklet on the market (not very many at the time). One of the booklets I bought, “What Every Parent […]

– Feature Article – Leader Help: How Much is Too Much? – Pinewood Derby Car Showcase – Memory – The Plymouth Superbird – Q&A Leader Help – How Much is Too Much? (An update of an article originally published Volume 2, Issue 9 – January 22, 2002) The purpose of this article is to discuss […]

– Shop Talk – Choosing the Right Hand Saw – Pinewood Derby Car Showcase – Q&A Shop Talk – Choosing the Right Hand Saw In today’s modern age, power tools have largely supplanted the use of hand tools. Not long ago, one of the primary tools of a carpenter was a hand-powered cross cut saw. […]

– Feature Article – Offset Weight Placement – Pinewood Derby Car Showcase – Q&A Offset Weight Placement The front to back location of the center of gravity of a pinewood derby car (the balance point) has received much attention. Several experiments have been implemented which clearly show that a rearward placement of weight provides more […]