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
To go fast, it's all about aerodynamics, and the best shape is a simple wedge. Just like a spoiler on the rear of a sports car, the wedge shape allows as much air to flow over the top of the car without hinderance while keeping the car pinned to the track.
What is the top speed of a Pinewood Derby car? ›
The distribution plot below shows a range of speeds from 177 mph to 229 mph, with most cars exceeding 200 mph.
Is it better to put weight on top or bottom of Pinewood Derby car? ›
A little background: a Pinewood Derby car is a small wooden car that races down an inclined track, powered only by gravity. You are allowed to add weight to the car up to a certain limit. Here is a recommendation to add the weight to the upper back of the car, to maximize the potential energy.
Do heavier pinewood derby cars go faster? ›
Aerodynamics have little effect in such a short race, but weight does and putting the weight at the back of the car will make your car faster on the flat of the track. Tungsten weights, in most cases, are best because of their high density. Lube the car at the body/wheel friction point.
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 to make a Pinewood Derby car super fast? ›
5 Tips to Building the Fastest 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.
Crafting the Design: Outline your Pinewood Derby car on paper, cut it out, and affix it to the wood block. Remember, a rectangular car is not an aerodynamic design. The most basic aerodynamic design is a simple wedge. If you don't have time to design a complex car, a wedge will work just fine.
What is the best Pinewood Derby Aerodynamics? ›
But aerodynamics rule the day, and the best shape is a simple wedge. Just like a spoiler on the rear of a sports car, the wedge shape allows as much air to flow over the top of the car without hinderance while keeping the car pinned to the track.
What is the best weight for a Pinewood Derby car? ›
Adding weight is easier than taking weight off of the car! Therefore, many builders target a car weight that is slightly less than 5 ounces. These builders have a margin for error and add a little bit of weight if necessary at the weigh-‐in using a "weight port" (hole drilled) on the bottom of the car.
Is a shorter Pinewood Derby car faster? ›
Yes, you can make your car shorter but it is not recommended. A shorter car will have a lower center of mass at the start so it will have less energy to convert into speed when going down the track.
The longer the wheel base, the greater the turning distance (a short car turns much more quickly than a long car). A pinewood derby car should go as straight as possible, so a longer wheel base is an advantage.
What is the best shape for a Pinewood Derby car? ›
Pinewood Derby Car Shape: The Wedge
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.
Where should a Pinewood Derby car balance? ›
For smooth tracks, set the balance point at 0.75 to 1.0 inch in front of the rear axle. For rough tracks, target 1.0 to 1.50 inches in front of the rear axle.
Does paint add weight to a Pinewood Derby car? ›
(paint will add very little to the weight of your car). When your car is complete, weigh it again. If it is over 5 oz, drill a few holes in the bottom of the block about an inch behind the front axle to remove some wood. Below are several suggestions for adding weights to your pinewood derby car.
Is a shorter pinewood derby car faster? ›
Yes, you can make your car shorter but it is not recommended. A shorter car will have a lower center of mass at the start so it will have less energy to convert into speed when going down the track.
How to make the most aerodynamic pinewood derby car? ›
Crafting the Design: Outline your Pinewood Derby car on paper, cut it out, and affix it to the wood block. Remember, a rectangular car is not an aerodynamic design. The most basic aerodynamic design is a simple wedge. If you don't have time to design a complex car, a wedge will work just fine.
Is a shorter pinewood derby car better? ›
The longer the wheel base, the greater the turning distance (a short car turns much more quickly than a long car). A pinewood derby car should go as straight as possible, so a longer wheel base is an advantage.
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.
