The Pinewood Derby is one of the most anticipated events of the year! Each dad-son team receives an official Pinewood Derby kit containing a pine block, wheels, and axles. Over two build weekends (Jan 11 and Jan 18), they design, carve, sand, paint, and tune their racer to perfection.
On race day, Jan 25, all cars are officially weighed (5.0 oz maximum), inspected, and registered before hitting the custom Wichita Nation track — a 6-lane, 32-foot aluminum track with electronic timing accurate to 1/1000th of a second. Categories include fastest time, most original design, and best craftsmanship.
| Time | Activity | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 11, 10 AM–3 PM | Build Weekend 1 — carving & shaping workshop | Church Hall |
| Jan 18, 10 AM–3 PM | Build Weekend 2 — painting & finishing workshop | Church Hall |
| Jan 25, 8:45 AM | Race day! Official weigh-in & inspection | Registration Table |
| 9:30 AM | Racing begins — round-robin heats | Track |
| 12:00 PM | Lunch break — pizza provided by Nation! | Fellowship Hall |
| 1:00 PM | Semi-finals & championship rounds | Track |
| 2:30 PM | Awards ceremony — trophies for all categories | Main Stage |
| 3:00 PM | See you at Rock Climbing Day! |
| Item / Task | Status | Volunteer | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Track setup crew (arrive 7:30 AM race day) | Open | — | |
| Weigh-in officials (2 needed) | Filled | Brown & Garcia Families | |
| Timing system operator | Filled | Chen Family | |
| Pizza ordering & coordination | Open | — | |
| Awards table setup | Open | — | |
| Photographer (all heats) | Open | — |