My fascination with Pinewood Derby and how to make the cars run faster started when my son was a in his second year of Cub Scouts.

The Pack that he belonged to had loaned out their track to another Pack and when I went to pick it up it was in bad shape. So I took it home, repaired it and gave it a fresh finish coat. I then purchased an electronic timing device that measured in 1,000th's of a second. Since I had the track at home, I assembled it in my living room (please don't ask my wife about this) and began testing every speed theory I could think of. I also queried some friends who had been successful at Derby's and got ideas from their experiences. Armed with about 100 or so engineering concepts, I tested each of them independently. With my precise timer I was able to determine exactly what worked by incremental speed factors. As a result, I scrapped many of the ideas because they simply didn't produce enough added speed to warrant the time they took to effect.

In the course of this we have tried hundreds of speed enhancement concepts since my son moved on into Boy Scouts several years ago. Why am I telling you this? Well, mainly to explain the lengthy and painstaking experimentation and evaluation that went into refining each tip to qualify to be in the How To Win Pinewood Derby speed secrets manual. I have selected only those that really pay speed dividends, that don't require complex construction efforts or expensive tools, to perform.

Consider -- what happens if you purchase a Pinewood Derby tip book that is crammed full of ideas (some of them claim over 40 pages with 100's of tips). Now think about that for a minute. How are you going to find time to determine which of the tips YOU can do and which ones will work best? Well, in my book. I have already done that for you.

The real benefit of applying these racing tips is the camaraderie you will have with your son. And it's a real kick when your son's entry wins your Pack's Derby and then goes on compete in the district race. It happened to me, more than once, and it is an experience, with my son, that I will always cherish and believe me will NEVER forget.

If you would like more perspective, please click on "Read the Foreword", which is excerpted from my book of tips. I sincerely hope that you decide to acquire and apply my racing secrets and thereby enhance your Pinewood Derby experience. Good luck and most of all Have Fun!

Michael Stewart