Pinewood derby software for Cub Scout packs
Race each den on its own, keep every heat fair, and finish with a pack championship. It all runs from one laptop and a projector, and any volunteer can run it.
Free for up to 20 racers. Runs in Chrome or Edge, and keeps going when the Wi-Fi doesn't.
How a pack derby runs
The app walks you through the day in the order it happens.
- Roster. Add Scouts by den: Lions, Tigers, Wolves, Bears, Webelos and Arrow of Light. Add siblings or an adult open class as their own groups if your pack races them. Photos are optional
- Check in. Tap each car in as it passes weigh-in and inspection
- Race setup. Make each den its own race and pick a format: every car runs every lane, rounds with a cut, round robin, or single or double elimination
- Race. Drop the gate and record the finish. A judge taps the finish order. On the paid plans, a camera at the finish line adds a replay for close calls
- Pack final. Send the fastest cars from each den to a championship final, or the top cars overall
- Awards. Lock the results and reveal each den's winners on the big screen, with a drumroll, their photo and confetti. Add special awards like Best Paint Job or Most Creative
Why packs use it
- Fair to every Scout
- In the every-lane format each car runs once in every lane, so no one is stuck on the slow lane. Standings use place points or average time.
- Dens race separately
- Each den is its own race with its own trophies, then the best cars meet in a pack final. Mark a sibling or adult race as an exhibition so it can't qualify.
- Big screens for the crowd
- Put the current heat and the standings on the projector, with camera replay on the paid plans. Pack Plus adds a second screen with a leaderboard for every den.
- A schedule to hand out
- Print the heat list or save it as a PDF, with lane colors and a checkbox per heat for your lane volunteers.
- Helpers with their own sign-in
- On the paid plans, the derby chair can invite a race manager, judges and check-in volunteers. Events are saved to the pack, not to one person's laptop.
- Keeps going offline
- Install it on the race laptop, and racing, printing and awards all work without the school or church Wi-Fi.
What it costs a pack
Free covers up to 20 racers, which is enough for a small pack or a practice run.
Pack, $49 a year, adds unlimited racers, camera replay, printable award certificates, cloud saving and helpers with their own sign-in. That's one price for the year, however many races you run.
Pack Plus, $89 a year, adds a second big screen, announcements, online sign-up and a live page parents can follow on their phones. Compare the plans.
Questions
How many heats will our pack derby take?
In the every-lane format, each car races once in every lane, so the number of heats equals the number of cars in the race. A den of 12 cars on a 4-lane track runs 12 heats. Elimination formats run fewer heats.
Can siblings and parents race too?
Yes. Add them as their own group and race them separately. Mark that race as an exhibition, and its cars won't qualify for the pack championship.
Do we need an electronic timer?
No. A judge taps the finish order for each heat. We're actively working on support for USB track timers, and it's coming soon.
Can our district or council use it for a bigger derby?
Yes. There's no racer limit on the paid plans, the formats include rounds with a cut and elimination, and helpers can run check-in and judging with their own sign-ins.
Sign-ups are coming soon
We're getting Derby Dashboard ready for more packs and clubs. Want to hear when it opens?