Pinewood Derby was fun when I was a kid. My dad was an aerospace engineer and our cars were always competitive. One time All City winner.
The winning cars were aerodynamic with weight low and just forward of the rear axle. Nose and tail of the car were beveled up so it would not drag where the inclined track section met the level track section. Wheels & axles were carefully chosen and de-burred, nail axles were carefully polished. My Dad made a jig so when we mounted the axle slots to the car body they would be absolutely true. Then when we mounted the wheels/nail axles they were re-checked for true. Graphite powder was added to the axles prior to each run. Yea we might have been a wee bit competitive.
