gpraceman2

"Pinewood questions? ... dertalk.com ." Actually, that is http://derbytalk.com ;-) Derby Talk is a forum for anything related to building these cars or putting on the races. There are also discussions on Space Derby, Raingutter Regatta and Cubmobile races.

"geared towards smaller packs that cannot afford some of the expensive derby apps that are out there" The most popular race management software packages are in the $50-$60 range. To me, that is not very expensive at all. Especially when compared to the cost of a track and a timer. Besides, as I wrote in another thread, people are paying for more than just the license to use the software, they are also paying to get support when they have questions or problems. Can you get support for freeware and shareware apps? Sometimes, if you are lucky. I'm not trying to criticize your effort. I just wanted to point out that the commercial race management packages on the market are truly not that expensive and you should be able to get support for them when needed.(This message has been edited by gpraceman2)

"Free is best." Well, as the adage goes, you get what you pay for. With commercial software you are not only paying for the license to use the software, you are also paying to get support if you have questions on using the software and especially if you run into any problems. Can you get that support with freeware or shareware? Possibly, but often times not. The race management software in this market is quite affordable, so you should check it out. GrandPrix Race Manager - http://grandprix-software-central.com/gprm/ (software my company offers) DerbyMaster - http://www.enterprisingideas.com/derbymaster/ RaceTender - http://www.racetender.com/ Try out the demo for each and decide which will work out best for your race.

Now, I thought, this being a scout related site, that people would actually be concerned about protecting our children from sexual predators. I guess I was wrong. No wonder such laws pass. You can surely expect people to try to pass similar laws in other states.

"As silly as that law is, Gov. Bill Ritter is an Eagle Scout." Which means he should know better! The law isn't silly, it is downright appalling. Our politicians are so concerned about not being labeled "bigots" that they will go along with such idiotic laws. They cater to a tiny percentage of our population to the detriment of the majority.(This message has been edited by gpraceman2)

"And your point about being knocked down over time, sadly may be true. Subgroups of the Anti-8 crowd are gaining acceptance, and soon "anything goes" will be acceptable (and legal). Here comes NAMBLA and God only know what else." In Colorado, we are already seeing what is next. Do you not think that sexual predators will use this new law to their advantage? If churches don't comply with this law, I have no doubt that they will be sued for "discrimination". Our freedom of religion erodes even further... All so, some conflicted individuals will not feel bad about themselves when going to the bathroom. Where will the lunacy end? BTW - Better keep a closer eye on your kids when they go to the bathroom, if you come to visit Colorado.

"HOWEVER I believe in separation of church and state" So often this phrase is misapplied. First, there is no such phrase in the U.S. Constitution. Secondly, what the First Amendment does state is that "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof". The government should not meddle with religious freedom nor establish its own religion/church. Nowhere does it say that religion has no say or stake in politics. "BUT I dont want religious folks telling me who to vote for." Are churches (of any faith) prohibited from advocating/opposing political issues or candidates? Absolutely not! Organizations, as well as their members, are affected by these political issues and how candidates stand on the issues. They have a right to make a stand one way or the other, according to their beliefs. You, of course, can choose to listen or to ignore, as well as voice your own opinion. Is a church supposed to keep it's mouth shut, just because some people don't want to hear from "religious folk"? Are we only to hear/see endorsements from non-religious groups? While we still have the freedom of religion, I think not.(This message has been edited by gpraceman2)

Derby Talk has a discussion forum for Raingutter Regatta that you can check out. http://derbytalk.com/viewforum.php?f=18

It has been quite some time since my original post (2004), so I'll give a bit of an update. Derby Talk is now up to almost 1500 members and has over 37,000 posts. So, most anything you'd like to learn or discuss relating to Pinewood Derby, Space Derby, Raingutter Regatta and Cub Mobile races can/has been discussed there. The photo gallery on GrandPrix Race Central is now up to 200 cars. We've added more information for putting on a Pinewood Derby race, as well as more downloadable resources.

There is a longer and taller track, called "Goliath" http://www.worldrecordsacademy.org/biggest/img/pinewood-derby-track.jpg I don't have exact numbers on it, but it is about 24 ft tall and 190 ft long. No car made it to the finish line and several took a spill off of the sharp curves. It was built by a Royal Rangers Outpost in Montana.(This message has been edited by gpraceman2)(This message has been edited by gpraceman2)

If you do decide to market something, I'd highly recommend that you not base it on Excel. Write it in a real programming language and use Access (don't need to have MS Access installed to store data in a MDB file), MS SQL Server Express, or XML to store the data. I am the author of the GrandPrix Race Manager software to run Pinewood Derby, Space Derby, and Raingutter Regatta races. GPRM started as a MS Access app with a little VBA and some macros to tie it all together. The first version was shareware. I didn't get too many people to pay for it, but I did get a lot of valuable feedback. I found MS Access far too limiting and ran into issues with different versions of Access. Version 2, the first commerical release, was rewritten in VB and only uses Access to store the data. It is now up to Version 8. While people might be able to find freeware/shareware that will do, if they run into problems or would like to see improvements added, getting good support can be very hit or miss. If you have a good product and provide good tech support, people are willing to pay a reasonable amount for it. If you do decide to market something, prepare yourself for a lot of work.(This message has been edited by gpraceman2)

Hare's some information that I put together awhile ago about purchasing a track that may be helpful. http://grandprix-race-central.com/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=3 You can also find several discussions on tracks at Derby Talk, http://derbytalk.com

Thanks for posting that. That is a handy little site.

Sorry, it looks like this domain has just expired, http://www.pinewoodcars.com/history.html Basically, it was an article about how Gary McAulay, Cubmaster for Pack 713, tracked Mr. Murphy down. Pack 713 traces its roots back to Don's old pack, which held the first Pinewood Derby.

Here's a couple of articles about Don Murphy for you to enjoy. http://www.pinewoodcars.com/history.html http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_9834624 You can use the link below to sign the guest book to pay your respects. http://www.legacy.com/dailybreeze/Obituaries.asp?Page=Lifestory&PersonId=112952612(This message has been edited by gpraceman2)

Stan Pope, one of the pillars of Pinewood Derby, sent me this announcement. Don Murphy created Pinewood Derby and has positively affected countless youth and parents with it. It is sad to hear of his passing. I am sorry to announce the passing of Mr. Don Murphy, former Cubmaster of Manhattan Beach Cub Scout Pack 280c, and the originator of the Pinewood Derby, a parent-child project that has been enjoyed by more than a million scouts and other youths across the United States, and in several other nations, over the last 55 years. a Celebration of Life will be held for Don at: Resurrection Lutheran Church 330 Palos Verdes Blvd. Redondo Beach, CA 90277 Saturday July 12th at 2pm thanks for all you have done for the PWD. best regards, Gary D. McAulay

Please see my post at http://www.scouter.com/forums/viewthread.asp?threadID=201117(This message has been edited by gpraceman2)