By Mark Rober
Illustrations by Adam Nickel
SAFETY FIRST: Ask an adult to help with tools you haven't used before.
For seven years, I worked at NASA on the Mars Curiosity rover. It is just like a Pinewood Derby car, except it has six wheels, it’s nuclear powered and it shoots lasers.
My Cub Scout son and I decided we would take the science principles I used while building stuff at NASA and apply them to making his Pinewood Derby car.
Take a look at some of those science principles in this video and check out my list of the most important steps for making fastest Pinewood Derby car possible.
SEVEN STEPS FOR MAKING THE FASTEST PINEWOOD DERBY CAR
1. Max out your Pinewood Derby car’s weight at 5 ounces
Get as close as possible to the car’s maximum weight (usually 5 ounces) and make sure the heaviest part is about 1 inch in front of the rear axle. This is the most important step. Science shows if you do this correctly, you will beat a Pinewood Derby car built exactly the same — except with the weight toward its front — by 4.6 car lengths. It works because the farther back the weight is, the more potential energy you have because your center of mass is higher up on the track. (Don’t put it too far back, or your Pinewood Derby car will become unstable and pop a wheelie.)
2. Use lightweight wheels.
Using non-standard wheels is illegal in some packs’ races, but if it’s not in yours, this is a must-do step that will give you a 2.1-car-length advantage at the finish line versus a car with normal wheels. It works because heavy wheels take away from the kinetic energy (the energy something has due to its motion), which makes the Pinewood Derby car slower.
3. Use bent polished axles.
Bending your Pinewood Derby car axles with a bending tool will make the wheels ride up against the nailhead, which creates less friction than if the wheel is bouncing around and rubbing against the wooden Pinewood Derby car body. See video above for details.
4. Railride.
Railriding means you steer your Pinewood Derby car into the center guide track just enough that you keep the car from bouncing around. This helps reduce friction and saves energy for speed. See video for details.
5. Create a Pinewood Derby car that is reasonably aerodynamic
An aerodynamic Pinewood Derby car’s design cuts down on drag caused by air. No need to get crazy here, but simply having a wedge-shaped Pinewood Derby car instead of the standard block out of the box will equal a 1.4-car advantage at the finish line.
6. Ride on three wheels by raising one wheel off the track.
You will move faster if you have to get only three wheels rotating, giving you a 1.1-car advantage over an identical Pinewood Derby car riding on four wheels. (Check your pack’s Pinewood Derby rules to make sure this is allowed in your race.)
7. Use lots of graphite.
Graphite is the best way to lubricate your wheels and axles. There isn’t a big difference in types of graphite, so buy the cheap stuff and use as much as possible. Be sure to get plenty around each wheel and on the axle.
THE WINNING CONCLUSION!
It works! After my research, my son and I wanted to do one final test to prove that this is a good list. So we built a simple Pinewood Derby car using this list in 45 minutes, and we beat the fastest Pinewood Derby car in our local race by two car lengths. Turns out, science works!
Mark Rober worked as a mechanical engineer at NASA for nine years. During this time, he worked on Curiosity, a car-sized robot that left Earth in 2011 and landed on Mars in 2012. Mark is well-known for his YouTube videos on science, engineering and gadgets.
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FAQs
For a fast car, you want the add more weight to the rear. The arrow car shape, for example, has a definite pointier front and slim body with cut-in sides that lead to a flared back end. You will want to ensure that the weight is slightly heavier near the rear wheel axle, so add weight to the flared back end.
How to build the fastest Pinewood Derby car? ›
For a fast car, you want the add more weight to the rear. The arrow car shape, for example, has a definite pointier front and slim body with cut-in sides that lead to a flared back end. You will want to ensure that the weight is slightly heavier near the rear wheel axle, so add weight to the flared back end.
What is the fastest speed for a Pinewood Derby car? ›
The Speed of Pinewood Derby Cars
How fast do these things go, anyway? The distribution plot below shows a range of speeds from 177 mph to 229 mph, with most cars exceeding 200 mph.
Which wheel should be raised on a Pinewood Derby car? ›
Raised Front Wheel
The wheels are a significant source of potential energy drain on a Pinewood Derby® car. Raising the non-steer wheel (typically the front left) so it does not contact the track reduces the amount of energy used to start the wheels spinning.
How to calculate Pinewood Derby car speed? ›
Taking the distance and dividing it by a car's time gives you an AVERAGE mph over length of the track. The actual speed of the car at the finish line is actually faster than the average since the car is below the average while it is accelerating down the ramp.
What is the best design for a Pinewood Derby car? ›
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.
Should I sand the wheels on a Pinewood Derby car? ›
Don't forget your safety goggles! Starting with about 300 grit sandpaper sand the wheels. Work up to as fine of grit as you can find. Only sand enough to remove imperfections and make the wheel round as possible.
Is a lighter Pinewood Derby car faster? ›
Assuming all other factors are equal, a heavier car will be faster than a lighter car. The Pinewood Derby rules limit the weight of each car to 5 ounces.
Do fenders make Pinewood Derby cars faster? ›
Fenders can help efficiently direct the air around the wheels resulting in more speed. There are a few different types of fenders: Leading Edge Fenders: These fenders are placed in front of the wheels and help direct air over them, leading to a faster car.
What is the best power saw for a Pinewood Derby car? ›
Band saws are the best tool for cutting a Pinewood Derby car block. If you don't have access to a band saw, a coping saw will do. Coping saws are economical and can cut unusual shapes and curves. Coping Saws are intended for cutting curves in thin material but they can be used for cutting your Pinewood Derby car.
The rear wheels should be set at a 3-degree angle (camber). This angle reduces friction as only a tiny portion of the wheel makes contact with the track.
Should you bend Pinewood Derby axles? ›
You will want to bend your front axle a PRECISE AMOUNT for maximum speed, ensuring the car is level front to back when racing.
How to make a Pinewood Derby car go faster? ›
The most important thing for a fast pinewood derby car is true, straight wheels and axles. Next, the wheels and axles need to be as smooth (frictionless) as possible. (You often get burrs on the plastic wheels that should be sanded down.)
Where is the best weight placement in Pinewood Derby? ›
Best Location to Weight Your Pinewood Derby Car
When deciding on where to weight your car, you should try to reach a final balance point of the car 1 inch or less in front of the rear axle. To achieve this, place 2/5 of the added weight behind the rear axle, and the remaining 3/5 in front of the rear axle.
Are longer Pinewood Derby cars faster? ›
For pinewood derby cars, extending the wheelbase provides an advantage due to the following reasons: On Ramp-flat tracks2, best speed is attained by locating the center of gravity (COG) of the car as far back as possible while still maintaining stability (typically this is about one inch in front of the rear axle).
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.
Why is my Pinewood Derby car slow? ›
Alignment - Make your derby car go straight. This may seem like an afterthought to many, but if your Pinewood Racer doesn't go straight, the wheels will rub against the track, causing it to slow down. Remember, friction is your enemy. Weight - It is vital to have your Pinewood Derby car weigh the proper amount.
Where is the best place to put weights on 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.
