Free Pinewood Derby® Tips courtesy of Derby Dust

This is a 10 minute read. Sorry about this, but there’s a lot of words.

Don’t waste cash on packaged tips and tricks until you read all of our’s for free! Our video of this is posted on YouTube. At the very end of this article. Long process by words. Not so bad watching the video.

Without getting into all the fancy scientific answers, the plain and simple reason to tune a Pinewood Derby® car is for speed! There are many different ways and theories out there. From wax paper to set screws. We like our method the best which shows your car traveling at its near top speed in a static setting. Utilizing a treadmill, you can see your car at its top speed while making all the necessary real-time adjustments. No need for a plastic test track!

Don’t own a treadmill? I bet you know someone that does. Buy them dinner, use it for an hour or two. Beg. Borrow. Barter. Do what it takes to get your win!

Because a Pinewood Derby® car is only powered by its stored gravity at the top of the track. You must tune your car, so that it will use that stored energy to get the car to move down the track. If this is your first derby, or your last derby, take a few minutes to educate yourself about TUNING a Pinewood Derby® car.

Tuning your car keeps the car moving forward. That is the ideal direction. A car that travels side to side, bumping each side of the car will not get you in the winner’s circle. A car that fish tails will not get you in the winners circle. Grandpa’s car wins because he puts the time in making sure the car does not do this. There is NO aftermarket part that will replace this step in building a car.