The Main Event! The Pinewood Derby is Here!
It is important to note that on this day every leader we have is helping manage the event, or is with their own Scouts. Your Scout must remain under your supervison. Their behavior is your responsibility at all times.
The exterior doors will open at 9:15 a.m., and you may enter the building and use the restrooms and water fountain. There will be a staffed registration desk for each Cub Scout Racer to check in and receive their Driver’s License.
The doors to the Race Hall will open at 9:50 a.m. We will have reserved seating set up for Cub Scout Racers, or they can sit with their families in the general seating area.
We will begin at 10:00 a.m. sharp with our Opening Ceremonies, that will include:
- Cub Scout Color Guard
- Live performance of the national anthem
- Drone flyover
- Release of the “Happy 250th Birthday, America!” car to open the track
- Invocation
- Opening remarks (Rep. Tarik Kahn)
- Countdown to the first race
With the dramatic start of the first race, the 34th Annual Pinewood Derby will be underway.
Race Format
The race day will be broken up into three parts:
Cub Scout Qualifying
All Cub Scout cars race three times — once in each lane. Three cars compete per heat. Each car’s three times are averaged, and all cars are ranked by fastest average. The top 16 advance to the Grand Prix.
Pack Family Face-Off
All adult and family cars compete by group in a single-elimination tournament. Two cars race at a time using the outside lanes. Winners advance; losers are eliminated. The last two
cars meet in the Championship Race.
Cub Scout Grand Prix
The top 16 Cub Scout qualifiers compete in a single-elimination bracket. Two cars race at a time using the outside lanes. Winners advance; losers are eliminated. The last two cars meet in the Championship Race.
Note: We will use all three lanes during Qualifying, but only the two
outside lanes for the tournament rounds.
Quiet/Craft Room
We will have space set up for Scouts who need a break from the noisy, busy race hall. The Ellison Room (connected to Hall) will be set up with some couches, a monitor showing the live race, a large pile of LEGOs, and a Derby Hat crafting station (courtesy of local Girl Scout troops to help create Kentucky Derby style fancy hats for participants to wear).
We are asking that no Scouts go in the room without a parent. Think of it like a hotel pool without a lifeguard on duty. No unsupervised children, please.
Awards Ceremony
After all of the racing is complete, we will have an awards ceremony. Scouts will receive certificates, patches, and trophy winners can pose with their trophies (the trophies will temporarily remain with the Pack so we can have names engraved on them, and they will be awarded at the Blue & Gold banquet in April).
Cub Cafe
To help keep everyone energized, we will have a fully-stocked and fully-staffed Cub Cafe providing snacks and drink. The Cub Cafe will open at 11:00 a.m. Cash only.
All Cub Scout Racers will have a meal ticket with their Driver’s License that gives them a free full lunch.
The following food items will available for purchase:
| Hot Dogs | $1.50 |
| Mac & Cheese | $1.50 |
| Chips | $.50 |
| Fruit | $.50 |
| Cookies | $.50 |
| Water Bottles | $.50 |
| Soft Pretzels | Free (Courtesy of Wawa) |
| Coffee | Free |
Note: These will be the only food items available for sale; if adults want more adult-style food, you are welcome to bring your own!
Swag Shop
We will have a Swag Shop set up inside the Cub Cafe room where a variety items will be offered for sale. All proceeds benefit Pack 334. This will be cash or electronic payment, with the following items for sale:
| Vintage Pack T-Shirts | $10.00 |
| Pack Water Bottles | $10.00 |
| Pack Stickers | $3.00 (2 for $5.00) |
| Pack Supporter T-Shirts | $20.00 (pre-order only) |
| Coffee (12oz bag) | $12.50 |
| Tea (8 tea bags) | $6.00 |
| Hot Cocoa Mix | $8.00 |
| Chocolate Bars | $5.00 |
Timing
We expect to be completed by with the Cub Scout races and awards by 12:30 p.m., though we often run a little longer.
After the Cub Scout races and award ceremony are complete, we are going to host a Daisy Derby for some local Girl Scout Troops. We expect to start those races by 1:30 p.m.
When the Daisy Derby is complete, we will immediately begin cleaning everything up and putting things back as they were; we need volunteers to help with this (please sign up online).
We are usually completely finished by 3:30 to 4:00 p.m.