The Complete Guide to Brick Derby Events

Everything you need to race, to host, and to win.

Pinewood Pro

April 03, 2026

DRAFT: The Complete Guide to Brick Derby Events

What is Brick Derby™?

Brick Derby™ is Pinewood Pro’s answer to keeping the excitement of derby racing going all year round! Racers are encouraged to create unique, competitive cars using LEGO® bricks to send down a Pinewood Derby track. It’s part engineering, part imagination, and all the fun of Pinewood Derby racing without the wood working or time commitment.

How Do You Build the Best Brick Derby™ Car?

Just snap together brick parts and make a car, right?

Not so fast!

derby cars made from LEGO® bricks race cars on pinewood derby track

There are a few problems to solve.

Commercial brick wheels and axles do not work on a Pinewood Derby track.
You need the perfect wheel spacing so your car fits the lanes on a Pinewood Derby track.
You need the correct track clearance.
You want your Derby Race Car made from LEGO® Bricks to be fast!

Commercial brick parts are not made for racing like Pinewood Derby car parts, so a car built with commercial brick parts will be slow. The plastic axles are slow. The rubber wheels are slow.

Lastly, if you've raced Pinewood Derby cars, you know that you need to add weight to your car to reach maximum velocity.

So, how do you add weight to a derby car built with brick parts?
How do you make a derby car made from LEGO® bricks fast like a Pinewood Derby car?
How can you build a derby car made from LEGO® bricks fit on a Pinewood Derby track?

The secret is Pinewood Pro's PRO Brick Chassis and PRO Brick Wheel Assembly engineered for racing derby cars made from LEGO® Bricks:

Brick Derby™ Chassis

Perfect wheel spacing - so wheels don't bind or wobble
Perfect track clearance - so your car doesn't bind on the center guide rail
Ultra-Lite Wheel/Axle assembly that is only 0.11 oz - means your car will have a fast start and fast finish
Super-fast Nickel Plated Speed Axles - we applied our proven Pinewood Derby winning axles to PRO Brick Derby™ car racing

All of these features were designed for speed, so your cars made from LEGO® bricks are as fast as a Pinewood Derby car.

Pinewood Pro used our engineering skills and 20+ years of Pinewood Derby racing expertise to design the perfect parts to bring the fun of Pinewood Derby car racing to Derby car racing using cars made from LEGO® bricks!

Brick Derby™ Wheel Assembly Set

Pinewood Pro custom designed this Brick Derby™ part with Speed Axles and Ultra-Lite Wheels for flexibility, creativity, and speed.

Pre-assembled for perfect Pinewood Derby track clearance
Wheels are pre-set with a strategic gap, minimizing wobble and friction
Weighs only 0.11 oz for fast starts and acceleration
Allows you to place more weight on the car body for maximum inertia
Individual wheel assemblies permit design flexibility and creativity

Brick Derby™ Zinc Brick Weights

Your Brick Derby™ racer will need weight for it to fly down the track by the force of gravity. That’s where the Zinc Brick Weights come in.

Snaps easily onto any compatible brick part
Brings car to the maximum weight allowed in the race rules for inertia
Weighs 0.44 oz
Can be easily moved to adjust the center of gravity for optimal performance
Recommended to have 2 sets on hand to ensure the car hits the standard weight at check-in on race day

With the right base parts, your Brick Derby™ car design is only limited to your imagination!

How Can I Incorporate LEGO® Bricks into My Pinewood Derby Car Design?

If you’re looking to add LEGO® parts and pieces to a Pinewood Derby car, check out our helpful guide here!

What are the Rules for Brick Derby™ Racing?

Knowing the mechanics for Brick Derby™ racing are just as important as using your imagination to make the coolest car on the track. Use Pinewood Pro’s established rules and sprinkle in our track-proven tips to maintain your competitive edge:

Rules

Car Weight

Maximum car weight shall not exceed 5.0 oz
For open class racing, the weight limit is at the discretion of the Race Manager

Dimensions

Max Height: 4.5" to ensure the car clears the finish gate
Max Width: 3" to avoid the car interfering with the car in the adjacent lane
Max Length: 10" to fit the car behind the start gate
Bottom clearance: 3/8" so the car won’t rub on the track center guide rail

Freewheeling

The car must move under its own momentum, all four wheels must spin on their own, starting devices such as motors, fans, or magnets can not be used

Tips

The 2x2 Zinc Brick (0.44 oz) is the best weight for Brick Derby™ racers because they can be easily snapped on like any LEGO® brick.
We recommend using the PRO Brick Wheel Assembly or the PRO Brick Chassis to guarantee precise wheel spacing for a Pinewood Derby track

Car Repairs

If pieces fall off the car, (common in Brick Derby™ car races!), the racer will have 5 minutes to put pieces back on the car
No additional pieces may be added when the car is repaired

Race Guidance

Each car must pass inspection by the official inspection committee before it will be allowed to compete
Any modifications not expressly forbidden by the rules above are allowed, subject to final decision by a race official
The Inspection Committee may disqualify any car that does not meet the above specifications

For the Race Manager’s Discretion

The weight limit for open class racing
Prohibition of the following modifications:
- Wheel bearings, washers, or bushings
- Cars riding on springs of any type
- “Cheater bars" at the front of the car, which may give an unfair starting advantage
- Starting or propulsion devices
Lubrication is typically not allowed, but is ultimately left to the manager’s discretion
- Beware that lubrication with graphite or NyOil can be messy and graphite can be difficult to remove from plastics

So, Ready to Get Racing?

For the competitors:

With the right parts and a winning spirit, the competition is yours to take!

For the race managers:

If you’re building your race experience from the ground up, we recommend starting with the PRO Track—a complete system for both Pinewood and Brick Derby™ racing. It comes equipped with a 4-lane, lightweight plastic track, an electronic timer, Race Manager software, and wireless remote starter.

We also offer volume discounts for the Brick Derby™ Chassis, starting at 25 units! Check out the full offerings here.

Check out this testimonial from Brad, a Pinewood Pro and seasoned Brick Derby™ race manager:

“Brick Derby has been a huge hit with our racers. Nearly half of our 9 to 10 year olds chose LEGO® cars, and participation was so strong that we’re launching a separate annual Brick Derby™ event. It’s a great way to get kids experimenting with design and engineering, and it means we’re getting twice the use out of our track each year.”

Bring us your questions about how to set up and run your own Brick Derby™ race, and share photos of your racers by emailing us at proteam@pinewoodpro.com. We’d love to share your experiences and triumphs!

PINEWOOD PRO

Winning Tips and Hints

Pinewood Derby
Tips & Hints

Before cutting your car, use a straight edge to draw lines down the center lengthwise and widthwise across your car. Then draw your car design template over these straight lines. The template and straight lines help guide your cutting on both sides of the car so everything is square.

Pinewood Derby
Wheels Tip

A lathed wheel means the wheel was turned at a high speed and "sanded" with a cutting tool. Lathed wheels are perfectly tuned around the axis of rotation giving you the highest performance.

Pinewood Derby
Winning Hint

Winning Pinewood Derby Secrets contains all the tips you need to win your race. Updated annually with the latest tips and speed products, our book has proven results with 1000s of winners... but don't take our word for it! Read over 100 customer reviews and check out our Winners Gallery!