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.
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!
FAQs
How fast do these things go, anyway? 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? ›
It's okay to get creative with the look and design of your car. On the flip side of that, if your main goal is speed, you'll need to keep it simple. To go fast, it's all about aerodynamics, and the best shape is a simple wedge.
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.
Are longer Pinewood Derby cars faster? ›
However, as with most facets of Pinewood Derby®, there is a trade-off between speed and stability regarding wheelbases. The shorter the wheelbase, the more potential there is for speed. However, the shorter wheelbase can also lead to instability, slowing the car.
How to increase the speed of a Pinewood Derby car? ›
5 Tips to Building the Fastest Pinewood Derby Car
- Lubricate the wheels with graphite.
- Bake the wood block.
- Use axle guards.
- Smooth the axles.
- Choose the right car shape.
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 my Pinewood Derby block? ›
Baking your Pinewood Derby wooden block helps to remove the moisture so that you have more wiggle room to add extra weight at the end. Remember, every little bit of weight in the right place makes a difference! Bake it in the oven at 250° for about 2 hours.
Where is the best place to add weight to a Pinewood Derby car? ›
PUT MOST OF THE WEIGHT IN THE BACK
Science says the heaviest part of your car should be about 1 inch in front of the rear axle. The idea is that the farther back the weight is, the more potential energy you have because your center of mass is higher up on the track.
How far to push in Pinewood Derby wheels? ›
Push until the wheel touches the car body. The base is designed to leave the proper gap between the wheel and body.
Is the wedge the fastest Pinewood Derby car? ›
No need to get crazy here, but simply having a wedge-shaped Pinewood Derby car instead of the standard block out of the box will equal a 1.4-car advantage at the finish line.
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.
How long does a Pinewood Derby last? ›
An entire pinewood derby program, from opening to closing cermony, typically lasts just under an hour (add one or two minutes for each car over 20). I'm used to derbies lasting two or more hours. We have designed our derbies to be fast-paced, fun, and exciting.
Can you put too much graphite on a Pinewood Derby car? ›
Applying too much lubricant will slow your car down. How to use: Put one drop of lubricant on an axle. Tip the axle so down and let the lube flow to the end of the axle.
Should you sand Pinewood Derby car wheels? ›
Use the high grit (1000) sandpaper to sand the edge of the wheel while spinning it with the drill. Do not over-sand; you want to sand just enough to remove the flashing. With modified wheels, you'll want to sand off any burs from the cutting process but don't round over the edge.
When should I paint my Pinewood Derby car? ›
Sandpaper and paint can turn a block of wood into a sleek Pinewood Derby racer that looks as smooth as steel. The trick is using the right materials and allowing plenty of time. Don't wait until the last minute! For best results, you'll need to start at least a week or two before the race.
What are good Pinewood Derby times? ›
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).
What is a good weight for a Pinewood Derby car? ›
MAX OUT YOUR CAR'S WEIGHT AT 5 OZ
In most races, a Pinewood Derby car's weight is limited to 5 ounces. If your car weighs less than that, add coins or other weights. As far as where you should attach those weights to your car … well, let's just say opinions differ.
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.
What is the best length of Pinewood Derby track? ›
The most popular length of track is the 42ft. track followed by the 35ft. and then the 49ft. track.
