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Pinewood Fun Facts
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Did you know
that well over 10,000 Pinewood Derby car kits are sold in the San
Diego area alone and that each year over 2 million kits are sold and
built in the United States? It is estimated that up to 100 million
have been built since the mid-fifties. |
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Did you know
that while there are lots of specifications for Pinewood Derby cars there are very few
specifications for the tracks they run on? |
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A car with a
supermagnet installed running on an aluminum track will not even make it to the
end of most tracks before it stops because of the damping effect of the magnetic field and
the Aluminum. The same car without the magnet could be the winner. |
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Webelos Cub
scouts are racing champions more often than other ranks. It's the
experience! Tiger Cubs run a close second with the additional help
they get from mom and dad. How about that! |
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The difference
in the finishing times for the first, second and third place finalists at the San Diego
500 is sometimes less than 1/1000th of a second. |
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The favorite
color for most pinewood cars is red, followed by blue. |
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Few, if any, of
the winning cars at the San Diego 500 have had characters attached or wore excessive trim. |
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Did you know
that 5 ounces, the maximum pinewood derby car weight, is equal to
about 56 1/2 new (post 1982) copper-clad US pennies? The older bronze
penny (95% copper/5% tin&zinc) is heavier and requires about 46
to equal 5 ounces. Because of the minting process variables and wear
this is an approximate weight average. |
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The best design
for a fast car on one track may not be the best for another track
due to slope, run-out, lane guide type etc. |
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Good wheel
lubrication and maximum mass in a low profile allows one car to pass
another on the flat run-out portion of the track. |
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Did you know
that Pinewood Derbies began in Southern California in the mid-1950's? |
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Did you know
that a very thin car can actually run upside down and backwards? |
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Some
organizations have major competitions for design, unique concepts and appearance and may
not race cars at all? |
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