How to Chart a Pinewood Derby Race
A pinewood derby is a cub scout event in which boys build and race model cars---usually with guidance and supervision of adults. The cars are either built from scratch from wood or can be partially built from a kit and customized with additions like wheels, fins and paint. The derby---which grew from a cub scout father's idea in the 1950s---swept across the nation and is now an annual event that awards ribbons and medals to the fastest racers.
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Instructions
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Draw a horizontal line and label it "Racer Names."
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Write the name of each racer along the horizontal line. Write them diagonally so they can all fit. For example, you might have scouts named Bobby, Tommy and Steven, so you'd write all three names along the bottom line.
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Draw a vertical line along the left, and label it "Time (seconds)." Most races will last a maximum of 5 or 6 seconds. In the example, you might start at the bottom of the vertical line with the number 0, followed by .5, 1, 1.5, 2,2,5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, and finally 5 at the top of the vertical line.
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Draw a bar above each competitor's name, with the top of the bar directly to the right of the number of seconds their car took to finish. If Bobby, Tommy and Steve finish with times of 3, 2 and 3.5 respectively, the first bar will end even with the the 3 on the Y axis, the second bar will end even with the 2, and the third will end even with the 3.5.
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Compare each bar once the race is complete. The scout with the shortest bar is the winner. Since Tommy's bar goes up to 2, which is the smallest, he is the winner.
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Tips & Warnings
It's possible to track the results of the race on a piece of paper, but it might be more exciting to use poster board or a sizable piece of plywood, so everyone involved in the race can see the times as they are posted.
