Pinewood derby race day checklist
Most of what goes wrong on race day could have been handled the week before. Use this list for a pack derby, an Awana Grand Prix or a church race, and change whatever doesn't fit your group.
Free for up to 20 racers. Runs in Chrome or Edge, and keeps going when the Wi-Fi doesn't.
The week before
- Confirm the date, the start time, the room and when you have to be out of it
- Set the track up and test every lane. Fix wobbly joints now, not at 9 a.m. on race day
- Find the scale, the inspection box (or a ruler) and a small kit of spare wheels, axles and graphite
- Pick your rule set in Race setup, or write your own, and print the rules sheet for families
- Enter the roster: names, dens or clubs and car numbers. Photos and car names are optional
- Choose a race format and print the heat chart so you know roughly how long it will run
- Line up volunteers for check-in, judging, the laptop and screen, and staging cars
- Try the laptop with the projector or TV you'll be using, and the camera if you have one
Race morning
- Set the track up level and out of the way of doors and foot traffic
- Put the laptop where the race manager can see the finish, and the screen where the crowd can see it
- Plug the laptop in. A battery that lasted all week will quit in the middle of the Bears
- Check cars in as they pass weight and size inspection, then impound them until their race
- Open the big screen and run a test heat or two with spare cars
While you race
- Stage the next heat while the current one runs. The big screen shows who's on deck
- Keep a judge at the finish line, eyes level with the track
- When in doubt, re-run the heat. It's quicker than arguing
- Take a short break between dens or clubs. An intermission screen with a countdown helps people wander back on time
- Keep tape, glue, spare batteries and graphite at the pit table
Awards
- Lock the results before you announce anything
- Go den by den and reveal the places from third to first
- Have the special awards ready: Best Paint Job, Most Creative, Best in Show and so on
- Print certificates so every racer goes home with something
- Thank your volunteers by name
Volunteer jobs
| Job | What they do | In Derby Dashboard |
|---|---|---|
| Race manager | Runs the laptop, the schedule and the big screen | Race manager role (Club and Club Plus) or the owner |
| Check-in | Weighs and inspects cars, checks them in | Check-in role, on their own phone or laptop |
| Judge | Calls the finish order | Judge role, taps the order on the Race step |
| Starter and stager | Loads cars, drops the gate | Works from the on-deck list on the big screen |
On the Free plan, one person runs everything from the race laptop. Helpers with their own sign-in come with the Club and Club Plus plans.
Where the app fits in
Derby Dashboard follows the day in the same order: roster, check-in, race setup, race, standings and awards. It keeps the heats fair, puts the current heat and the results on the big screen, and saves every change as you go, so a laptop that falls asleep doesn't take the race with it.
Questions
How long does a pinewood derby take?
Mostly it depends on the number of heats. With every car running every lane there's one heat per car, and a heat often takes one to two minutes. Forty cars split into dens can mean one to two hours of racing, plus check-in and awards.
How many volunteers do we need?
Three or four is comfortable: check-in, a judge, someone on the laptop and someone staging cars. Small groups get by with two.
What if the laptop dies mid-race?
Every change is saved on the laptop as you go. On the Club and Club Plus plans the event is also saved to the cloud, so you can open it on another laptop and keep racing.
Can we run the derby without internet?
Yes. Once it's installed in Chrome or Edge, racing, the big screens, printing and awards all work offline.
Sign-ups are coming soon
We're getting Derby Dashboard ready for more packs and clubs. Want to hear when it opens?