Help for Pinewood Derby Beginners

Pinewood Derby Car kits, like this dragster have everything you need to build a car.

Car kits includes:

• The pre-cut pinewood derby car
• Decorative parts
• BSA wheels
• BSA axles
• sticker sheets
• Fully illustrated instruction sheet
• 120 grit and 220 grit sandpaper
• 2.0 oz of stick-on weights
• Race day log book, along with tips & tricks

This car just needs a light sanding and painting.
Add the included weights, wheels, and axles
and you're off to the races!

Speed tip: Put Graphite on your axles to make your car fast.

To make your car competitive, choose a set of our BSA Polished Axles or Graphite Coated Axles because the axles in this kit are not polished or deburred.

Pre-weighted car body

Fully Built Car

Pre-weighted car body and Fully Built cars.

Pre-weighted car body includes:

• BSA car block cut to aerodynamic style
• Pre-weighted to equal 4.9 oz when wheels and axles added
• Center of gravity in perfect position for maximum speed
• pre-drilled small weight holes under car if you want to add tungsten putty
• Car body is primed with 2 coats of grey primer. Race as is or paint over the primer

Fully Built Cars includes:

• BSA highly polished (or graphite-coated) axles
• BSA precision lathed (or graphite-coated) wheels
• Pre-weighted with perfect center of gravity for maximum speed.
• Pre-drilled axle holes so your car rolls straight.
• Track tested for speed.
• Proven FAST with many District winners and State winners!

If this is your first race, you need to know a few basic speed tips to have a competitive car...

Prep your Axles

• First, the axles that come in the BSA Cub Scout kit are not axles; they are nails, and crude ones at that! Run your fingers along the shaft of the nail to feel the crimp marks and burrs. These must be removed or they will grind up the plastic in your wheels, severely slowing your car.


• You can modify the axles yourself with our axle file and axle polishing kit or get our polished axles, if you don't want to do it yourself.

Lube your axles

• The single most important thing you can do to increase your car speed is to lubricate your axles with graphite. It comes in a tube and is simply squirted on each axle. You can never have too much graphite on your wheels and axles!

Weight Your Car

• Your car moves down the track from the force of gravity. Be sure your car is fully to get maximum velocity. Pinewood derby weights come in all sizes. You can stick them on, screw them on, or embed them into the car so they are hidden.