Pinewood Derby Trophies

[TheRic]

I remember my pine wood derby days!! I remember one year there was some talk about my car breaking a rule. Some parents said we were breaking the rule, other said we were fine (great idea), the officials weren't sure and debated it for a while. To eliminate questions and doubt, we withdrew the car. Did smoke everyone in practice, and beat the winner hands down after the race.

I help judge at our local pine wood derby. About 10 years ago they started a fathers division. I noticed that the number of professional looking cars went down after that. I guess the fathers were too busy working on their own car, to spend extra time on their kids' car. I think it also allowed the fathers to try their idea, and allowed the kids to use their own.

After the race there are a fair amount of kids racing their fathers. House bragging rights there I'm sure.

[LCHIEN]

I remember my pine wood derby days!! I remember one year there was some talk about my car breaking a rule. Some parents said we were breaking the rule, other said we were fine (great idea), the officials weren't sure and debated it for a while. To eliminate questions and doubt, we withdrew the car. Did smoke everyone in practice, and beat the winner hands down after the race.

I help judge at our local pine wood derby. About 10 years ago they started a fathers division. I noticed that the number of professional looking cars went down after that. I guess the fathers were too busy working on their own car, to spend extra time on their kids' car. I think it also allowed the fathers to try their idea, and allowed the kids to use their own.

After the race there are a fair amount of kids racing their fathers. House bragging rights there I'm sure.

In real engineering practice, breaking rules results in death or lawsuits or inability to sell your product. In PWD, breaking rules was not strictly enforced so I don't feel it was good engineering education. I read the rules very carefully.

As for the father's division, I think that's a very good idea to keep the fathers from overly influencing or even building their son's cars. I would even be glad to let the son's race their father's cars in a father's car competition. That idea was not received warmly at our pack. I think the size of the pack and time limits for the competition were not in its favor.

There's always confusion over the purposes of such an excercise (PWD as a whole).
I think it should be
1) an opportunity to have fun
2) an opportunity to learn some engineering and scientific practices
3) a creative opportunity
4) a craftsmanship learning opportunity
5) some relaxed competition.

I had this secret desire to build a track to spec. There were plans for making one from a few sheets of 4x8 plywood available. Outfit it with a release mechanicsm and electronic timers with computer interface would be good fun for a Eagle scout project to donate to a feeding cubscout pack.

[TheRic]

....As for the father's division, I think that's a very good idea to keep the fathers from overly influencing or even building their son's cars. I would even be glad to let the son's race their father's cars in a father's car competition. That idea was not received warmly at our pack. I think the size of the pack and time limits for the competition were not in its favor. .....

For the fathers division, there was single elimination (verses double for the kids), and no changing tracks in close races. The fathers get out there and put there cars on the track, etc. The winning father got bragging rights. I'll say that about 10% - 20% of the fathers would get in it. The fathers division didn't take long, they kept that part moving a lot faster than the kids division.

If you really want to speed it up, get all the fathers in a single line. First two up (or what ever number of lanes) they race. Winner gets in the back of the line, loser(s) sit down. As the people are taking their cars off the track the next set can be putting theirs on. You could get thru a lot of people in 15 - 30 minutes.

Being single elimination, and putting the winner at the back of the line is pretty close to running an actual single elimination bracket.