How do you define being the "Fastest"? Try #2.

[Stan Pope]

Cool!

Racing is by age category?

How many trophies places in each category?

One member of each pod advances, regardless of how equally the cars finish? (I wouldn't like to have my son in the same "pod" as Alex or Max or ...! It could be a short day for a really fast car!)

It is certainly a difficult problem to solve. But, I bet if we put our heads together, we could come up with something that is as much fun and is more accurate and is accomplishable in less time. It would be an interesting exercise for the summer dog days. Do you know (or can you get) the parameters, goals and "side conditions"?

[MathGuy]

As I know know there are likely 10 race groups with potentially 150 kids. There are two groups by rank, one for the 1st place finishers of the pack rank and one for the 2nd place of the pack rank. I think they plan to have several tracks.

I PM you some further logistics the week of the race (I am going on vacation next week) as I understand them. I believe that they have the packs race at the same time.

[Stan Pope]

As I know know there are likely 10 race groups with potentially 150 kids. There are two groups by rank, one for the 1st place finishers of the pack rank and one for the 2nd place of the pack rank. I think they plan to have several tracks.

That is curious. Do they come together later in the procedings. I am smelling some real opportunities in experimental design!

I PM you some further logistics the week of the race (I am going on vacation next week) as I understand them. I believe that they have the packs race at the same time.

Thanks. Meanwhile, relax and have a good time. Come back recharged and ready to slay a whole new array of dragons!

[Retodd1200]

I think of the Pinewood derby as most like drag racing. Most big name drags do things both ways. They race everyone for time then select the top few and run eliminations. I think this would work well for Pinewood as well. You could run each car an equal number of times in each lane and take the top cars and run an elimination style final. This keeps the cars that aren't consistantly fast out of the finals. And it adds the element of driver/lane selection/luck into the final result. This would take a lot of time, but for small groups like ours, it would be the best of both worlds.