How to Have Glow-in-the-Dark Pinewood Derby Races

Key Takeaways:

• A glow-in-the-dark Pinewood Derby race is a simple way to make your event feel fresh, exciting, and memorable.

• Prep your track early by adding 1” gaffer tape to each lane section so it holds up event after event.

• Fluorescent paint, glowing wheels, and small LEDs can all make cars stand out under blacklight.

• A blacklight Pinewood Derby event doesn’t have to be complicated. Just add lighting, music, and a party vibe.

(Editor’s Note: Brad is the primary Admin for the popular Pinewood Derby Racers Facebook Group and is a tremendous asset to the Pinewood Derby community!)

A glow-in-the-dark Pinewood Derby event is a fun and easy way to inject excitement into your races! I use them alongside a pizza party and a movie (usually Cars or Down and Derby) to encourage people to help set up the venue the night before the race. I encourage racers to build cars that react to blacklight—we call them Rad Racers—and reward participants whose cars are built to race in the dark with awards for speed and design.  This article will walk you through how I run a blacklight Pinewood Derby After Dark!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfzN8MTuzHA

Prepare Your Track

Before assembling your track, apply 1" gaffer tape to each lane and each section individually, wrapping the tape under the ends of each section. If you use the tape after you've put the track together for your glow-in-the-dark Pinewood Derby event, you'll have to cut the tape at the track seams, and it will retract, leaving gaps for your next race. If you wrap each section individually, you don't have to reapply the tape for each event. Use an X-Acto Knife to cut around the starting pins and finish line sensors.

Wrap the fluorescent tape under the end of each section by at least two inches:

My X-Acto Knife wasn't sharp, so these cuts look rough. A new knife cuts through the tape with ease:

Use the tip of the X-Acto knife to remove the tape covering each sensor:

Mark the Floor

I use the 2" gaffer tape in one color and the 1" tape in a different color to mark the floor around the track. Those small orange cones used in sports and games often glow under black light and give the room a road-racing feel. I don't know if the ones in the link fluoresce; I suggest buying a small blacklight flashlight and using it to test cones for sale at your local sporting goods stores.

Apply LEDs

There are many LED strip light packages available on Amazon. I like to use systems that are two 50' strips that connect to the same controller, so you get the same effect on both sides of the track. And at only $10, it's disposable. There's no good way to reuse them, so I would suggest getting some cheap sets you can discard after each event.

Light It Up

I used a work light tripod and three blacklight spotlights at my last blacklight race. I suggest using four tripods with one light on each. Position two lights on both sides of the track—one about even with the end of the curve and one about one section before the finish.

Build a Car

There are a lot of different ways to build a car for a glow-in-the-dark Pinewood Derby extravaganza. I'll show you what works and what doesn't.

Works: For colors, yellow, green, and orange fluorescent Rustoleum spray paint does well. For wheels, use green, orange, and pink BSA wheels. The BSA glow-in-the-dark wheels work to a lesser degree.

Doesn't Work: Blue fluorescent spray paint drowns out.

Works: LED lights. Many online retailers sell kits specifically made for Pine Cars, but I also like to use lights built for LEGO sets. My favorite outlet is BrickStuff.com.

Works: Fluorescent gaffer tape. DirectGlow.com has camo tape that's easy to apply and rocks under blacklight, and the 1/4" tape is great for pinstriping. I keep some on standby for kids who want to race under blacklight, but didn't prep their cars for it.

Works: Fluorescent paint pen

Crank the Tunes!

A glow-in-the-dark Pinewood Derby event isn’t a party without music! I created a playlist I use (Brad Barnett's Derby After Dark Playlist on Spotify), but you could also play Blue Man Group (Blue Man Group on Spotify); it fits the vibe!