What is Pinewood Derby?

Partnering with a parent or adult mentor, Cub Scouts work together, strengthening bonds and building confidence – and their own custom race cars! They begin by choosing a car design, then carve it out and detail it with paint, decals and other accessories, and lastly, learn strategies to compete in their pack's own Pinewood Derby. The Pinewood Derby is about participation and time together, not perfection. 

Are there awards and prizes?

Yes! All participating Scouts earn their Cub Scout Adventure award, a unique Pinewood Derby Patch, and a certificate recognizing the personal touch that you and your Scout put into the car. After all the races are complete, we will award trophies for the fastest cars in the den races, pack championship, and a few others. These additional awards are designed to add excitement to the race day, but the goal of Pinewood Derby is that the Scouts have a wonderful learning experience centered on teamwork, ingenuity, and sportsmanship.

How do you get started?

Once you and your Cub Scout have chosen your design, families are welcome to start cutting and building the car on their own if they have the tools and experience to do so. If not, help is readily available. The Scout Shops in the Sam Houston Area Council schedule Pinewood Derby car cutting days to make things easy. Also, there are always parents within the pack willing to lend tools, time, or advice. No family is expected to figure this out alone!

How can you test the car before the race?

The Tuesday before the race day, we will set up the scales and track at Metzler Elementary so everyone can test their cars and make finishing touches. On race day, if the car does not pass inspection or meet the requirements, we will do our best to help make adjustments before the race begins. But, once the car is accepted at the race check-in, it cannot be altered again by the race participants.

🏎️Our 2026 Pinewood Derby Test Run Day is January 13th! 🏎️

Can you have more than one car or let family members race too?

In addition to the official Cub Scout races, we offer a “Me Too” race for siblings, family members, extra cars, and non-Scouts who want to participate. The purpose is simple: to let everyone who wants to build a car and race have a chance to do so. **Basic rules still apply to official "Me Too" races.**