PINEWOOD DERBY DISQUALIFICATION

[ScoutMomSD]

to disqualify after the fact isnt fair.

 

This is for the boys, NOT the dads, not the adults. I would bet money the kids could give a darn about most of it and its the dads that are the ones getting into a testosterone frenzy.

 

Kids goal - make car with wheels, watch it go.

[fleetfootedfox]

I learned as the dad of a tiger that there were too many other dads making their boys cars for me not to find some way to give my son a chance to compete. My son left his first pinewood derby in tears. Was it testosterone that made me take pity on my little boy and want to help him? Your comment about the dads is a sexist generalization.

[Eagledad]

Your heart was in the right place and that is what is most important. I've done enough of these things to understand the haunting quiet of reflecting back on those heat of the moment decisions. There are a lot of could ofs, would ofs, and should ofs in response to the situation, but you will eventually just have to chock it down as a lesson learned for the next time. Its really that simple, we will do better next time. After a couple of years of wishing I could have a mulligans when dealing with scouts, I started to unerstand that I am only human and the best I can do is just try and not repeat the same mistakes. What ever happens at your Pinewood derby next year Pack15nissan, I'm sure it will be better than this year.

 

One little suggestion from my experiences; don't add more rules, just do it better.

 

I love this scouting stuff.

 

Barry

 

[VigilNavyCPO]

I believe you did the best you could at the time.

 

My 2 cents on how I ran a PWD in Hampton Roads as ACM. Pack rules followed district rules so winners could go to district event. The pack held a PWD clinic at some parents house. This was great because single moms rarely had tools to make a car. Tigers Cub cars were "encouraged" to be just weighted and painted with watercolors and/or stickers. We used a large hall for two days for the PWD. Set up was Friday night and courtesy inspections/ weigh-in with official scale were held while the track was setup and the hall staged. If the Scout was happy the car could be impounded over night. Next morning inspections from 8 to 9 am. At 9:30 a committee would judge each car for Best in Den/Pack awards. This committe would also come up with a "Tag-line" for each car (ie Best use of Color). These "Tag-line" were then inputed into a laptop and printed out on a label with Scouts Name, Den, Year. This label was placed on a Pack made display stand. This allowed racing to start at 10am. Scouts had to be present to race. The scout was the only person allowed to take their car from table to track. The pack used a 8 lane track with digital timer and Racing software (we had between 55 and 80 racers each year). There is a overhead projector and the lights are dimmed with spotlights on the finish line. The Scouts would place the car on the track and sit by the finish line on one side of the track on the floor The Dens were run as a group, The top two from each Den to Finals. Each Scout raced at least 8 times. We found we could get thru the Dens in less then one hour. Then we had Pizza delivered and a big 45 minute lunch break. The cars were place on the newly tagged stands before lunch outside of Pitlane. All non Finals Scouts could claim cars during lunch. We then ran Finals. 15 minutes tops, a quick award ceremony and then break down. The track was always last so that "grudge" matches could go on. I know some Packs do not let the Scouts put there car on the track, but we found them capable of doing it. There was a official starter to make sure cars were set prior to starting the race. I did this as "Pinewood Derby Master" for several years and had a blast.

[bets]

My son just had his Council PWD race, he was 1st in his district and followed the rules which specifically said the wheels had to come straight from the box. My son finished in the top six and these parents were called to the table. They had us take the wheels off to qualify the axles to the rules before giving awards. This was the last level of racing because the rules indicate one can not race a previously made car. From the den to pack to district the rules were the same. It also stated that inspection will be before the race and may be after as well. This was an acceptable procedure esp. since first place went to a car that was known to be sold already made,(which is not allowed), but the father had said it was a pre-cut body, (which is allowed), and the axles proved it to be qualified.

[johnnylaw101]

I would say that the car was properly disqualified.

 

The rules are pretty clear... to use just what is in the box. I would let the boy race the car, and get a partisipation ribbon, but not allow him to race for the winner's trophy.

 

What would not be fair would be to deny the boys that followed the rules and used the proper wheels to a fair race. We need to teach character to our boys... that rules are set and need to be followed.

 

As a Tiger Dad and Scouter I did about 40% of the work on my son's car. I did the cutting, he did the sanding. He held my hand as we drilled the holes... he put the fishing weights inside and put putty over the hole... he did the painting... I had to do the axles as he could't press hard enough to get them in. I did the hot glue gun, he put the spoiler on..

 

Unfortunately there are plenty of ways to make your car illegally faster.... shave down where the weel rubs the car into a cone shape... shave the wheels to be narrower... make it run just on three wheels... If you get caught.. you're DQ'd as to the trophy.. but the boys car should still partisipate.

[OneHour]

If the car passed the inspection, it should be allowed to race. If it is after-the-fact, then shame on the race officials for not catching it and shame on the parent for not reading the rules correctly, but it should be raced.

 

If the car was determined that it was not within specifications, then the cub has three choices:

1) Correct the situation or non-compliance issue

2) Race in the Open or Outlaw class

 

or

 

3) Be disqualified

 

We have done this and it has worked thus far without much fuss! We race 75-120 cars each year.