1. PINEWOOD
DERBY
2011

2. The kit:

3. The Track:

4. "I wanted to devise a wholesome, constructive activity that would foster a closer father-son
relationship and promote craftsmanship and good sportsmanship through competition."
Don Murphy,
Founder of the Pinewood Derby , 1953
First Pinewood Derby Car Kit Ad, 1955
First Pinewood Derby Car Race –
Manhattan Beach Scout House, 1953

5. SAMPLE CARS:

18. OFFICIAL PINEWOOD DERBY RULES
1. Width shall not exceed 2-3/4 inches.
2. Length shall not exceed 7 inches.
3. Weight shall not exceed 5 ounces.
4. Axles, wheels, and body shall be from the materials provided in the
kit. Purchasing pre-made bodies is prohibited.
5. Wheel bearings, washers, and bushings are prohibited.
6. Wheels may be painted and/or lightly sanded to smooth out
molding imperfections on the tread area. This light sanding is the
only modification allowed. Beveling, tapering, or lathe turning of the
wheels is prohibited.
7. No lubricating oil may be used. Dry lubricants only.
8. The car shall not ride on any kind of spring.
9. The car must be freewheeling, with no starting device or other type
of propulsion.
10. No loose materials of any kind are allowed in/on the car; all
accessories must be glued!

19. Race Rules
a) If a car jumps the track, the race will be run again. If the same car
jumps the track a second time, that car will automatically lose that
race.
b) If a car leaves its lane and interferes with another car, the race
will be run again. If the same car leaves its lane a second time and
interferes with another car, the interfering car will automatically lose
that race.
c) If a car becomes damaged and can be repaired in a reasonable
amount of time (a few minutes), the race will be run again. If not, the
damaged car will automatically lose that race.

20. INVESTIGATION:
-videos:
Birth of a sports car
Daily Planet, "Automotive design: Past, present and future“
Pinewood Derby history and championships = numerous videos on
Youtube
After learning about the history of Pinewood Derbies and
automotive design, you will go online and find at least 5 images of
derby or real-life cars that inspire you.
You will paste these images into your OneNote Design Journal
(Investigate tab), and for each image state what you like/don't like
about the design.

21. DESIGN:
-3 drawings of car ideas, with different colour and decal choices (if any) for
each.
-FINAL design chosen and drawn from 5 different angles
(top, side, bottom, front, back. Drawings may be done using Google
Sketchup or your styus.
Design Tips
1. Draw a design on paper then cut it out and use it as a template. Graph
paper works well. Draw a side and top view on the paper by tracing around
the block of wood.
2. Keep the car a full seven inches. It has to do with the physics of velocity
and length of travel of the weights.
3. Use the full 2 3/4 inches (outside wheel to outside wheel) that the rules
give you. This will allow the wheels to travel farther before hitting the center
strip.
4. Leave a lot of wood in the back to put in the weights as needed.
5. Use the groove closest to the end of the block of wood as the rear axle.
6. Do not make the front of the car pointed. It is hard to set up against the
starting dowels.
7. Use your imagination. Be creative. Shape has the least to do with
winning .

22. PLAN:
While most of the creating will be done in class, you must plan
your time accordingly.
Due to high demand for the saw, you must plan the # of cuts you
have to make BEFORE booking it.
Make sure to bring any accessories/parts you wish to add from
home.
If special paint or decorating is required, you must account for
that.
If building is not completed during allotted class time, you must
finish it at home.

23. CREATE:
Using the tools provided in class, shape your block of wood into a masterful display of
automotive design and engineering!
Once done shaping and sanding, you will paint your car and apply decals as needed. DO NOT
PUT WHEELS ON UNTIL YOU ARE DONE PAINTING.
*You must document your creation process with a series of at least 5 pics, showing the different
stages of carving to painting.*

25. The Foreshadower

26. Wheel & Axle Hints
1. Put the axle in at a downward (5-10 degrees) angle. This provides two benefits.
The first is that only the inside edge of the wheel is in contact with the track. This
seems to make the car go straighter with less wobble. The second benefit is that the
wheel rides to the outside of the axle and doesn't come in contact with the body.
2. Axles must be in straight front to back. That is square to the body. True the
axles, don't trust the slots!
3. After pressing in the axles, test the car for crooked wheels...roll it on the floor. If the
wheels are on straight, the car should roll 8-10 feet in a fairly straight line. Should the
car turn left or right, you need to tinker with the axle placement without removing them
from the car body, until it rolls straight.
4. Do not put the axles in at the top of the groove. Put them in at the middle. This lifts
the car off the track a bit more and reduces the chance of rubbing on the center strip.
5. Glue the axles in place. Nothing is worse than having the wheel fall off as you cross
the finish line.
6. Once you match a wheel and axle together with graphite, keep them together. They
wear into each other as a matched set.

27. EVALUATION:
-Google form: self-evaluation on Design Cycle process
-race results
-OneNote Design Journal
-MYP task specific Rubric

28. 7L Unit Timeline
Nov. 16 Intro
21 Investigate
24 Investigate/Design
28 Design/Plan
Dec. 1 Create
6 Create
8 Create
13 Create (paint)  Cars done
16 TEST track
20 RACE MORNING