We are proud of our good sportsmanship: we respect the rules, our opponents, the officials and ourselves. We play fair and honest, we celebrate the outcome, we cheer the winners and support the losers. Bad sportsmanship is not welcome here.

The derby is a chance for cubs and parents to work together on a fun project. The cubs are the main actors and the parents are the assistants.

Dimensions and design

1. The official pine block from the Pack 160 derby kit must be used. No other online kits or other BSA kits.
2. Official BSA wheels must be used. Wheels may not be cut, drilled, bevelled or rounded. You may remove seams and imperfections. No thinning of the wheel width and no rounding the treads to reduce contact area.
3. Wheel bearings, washers and bushings are prohibited.
4. The axles may be altered, polished and lubricated.
5. Packaged individual weights are fine.
6. The block may be shaped however you like.
7. The car must have been made for this derby — no entries from previously raced cars.
8. Car width no more than 2¾”. Car length no more than 7”.
9. The wheelbase (front axle to rear axle) may not be changed from the kit distance of 4¼”.
10. The distance between the wheels on each axle, right to left, may not be changed from the kit body distance of 1¾”.
11. Car weight no more than 5.00 ounces. You can have the car weighed at the post office for free.
12. Minimum clearance between the bottom of the car and the track is 3/8”, so the car clears the centre guide strip.
13. The car may be hollowed out and built up to the maximum weight with wood or metal only, securely built into or firmly affixed to the body. No liquids or loose material of any kind in or on the car.
14. The front of the car must not be concave in a way that extends past the starting gate peg in the centre of each lane.
15. Only dry graphite powder may be applied to the axles and wheels before race time.
16. The car must not ride on springs of any kind.
17. The car must be freewheeling, with no starting device.
18. Any detail added to the car must stay within the limits above.

Registration and inspection

1. A cub scout may not enter more than one car.
2. A car may not be registered by more than one scout.
3. If a cub scout cannot be present, they may nominate someone to represent them.
4. Cars are inspected. Non-compliance by the entry deadline results in exclusion; a parent may take the car to the workstation to bring it into compliance. Derby Committee decisions are final.
5. Once a car passes inspection and is entered, only race committee members may touch it.
6. Every car must pass inspection before it can compete.
7. The Inspection Committee is responsible for disqualifying cars that do not meet these rules.

The race and awards

1. If a car leaves the track the heat is eliminated and re-run once. If it leaves the track a second time it is placed back on the track during the heat and the measured time is used.
2. If a car loses a wheel or is otherwise damaged, the racer has five minutes to make repairs.
3. Cars that do not reach the finish line are assigned a time. Heats are projected on screen in random order as controlled by the timing program, and each car’s run on each lane is recorded.
4. Awards are 1st, 2nd and 3rd by rank — Tigers, Webelos and so on. Winning cars by rank then race in the finals against the other ranks for 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the pack.
5. Other categories decided by the Derby Committee are awarded at the end of racing.

Download the rules (PDF)

The printed rules sheet is marked revised 2024. The specifications above match it exactly. If the Derby Committee issues an updated sheet, this page should be updated with it.