How much clearance is there under a pinewood derby call to the tracks?

Answer 1

This depends on how high your wheel is mounted on the car and what kind of track you are running on. The diameter of the wheel is 1.25 inches, so if we were to mount the wheel in the slot that is on the car, the distance to the track running surface would be about 0.6 inches. Most standard wooden tracks have a "rail" that the car straddles as it goes down the track. The rail is 0.25 inches in height from the running track. This means the clearance from the bottom of the car to the top of this rail would be 0.35 inches (roughly 11/32 of an inch).

Now if you are running on a metal track, the rail is not a solid surface across the width of the rail. Only two peaks of metal represent the rail on the standard metal track. These peaks are usually about 1 5/8" apart. The height to the top of the peaks is the same as the wooden track, but the center area between the peaks is at the level of the track running surface, giving you a full 0.6 inches of clearance directly under your car.

But before you start messing with the area of clearance on you car, go and check your race rules. Most Pinewood Derby rules have a minimum clearance restriction under the car of 3/8". If you don't take that into account, your car may wind up disqualified and not allowed to run in the race.