The 2025 Pinewood Derby Nationals

Every year, something pretty amazing happens in the world of gravity-powered racing. Builders from all over the country pack up their carefully crafted cars and head to the Pinewood Derby Championship. This year, the event took place in Eagle Mountain, UT with dozens of racers and hundreds of cars from all across the United States. Turbo Derby products were represented in full force at the Pinewood Derby Nationals, winning five out of the seven pro classes!

Pinewood Derby Professional League

What started as a simple Cub Scout activity has grown into something bigger than anyone could have expected. The Pinewood Derby Professional League is a seriously technical competition with several classes for competitors, and welcomes everyone from weekend hobbyists to engineering professionals. 

There’s a Class for Everyone

One of the most incredible things about the Pinewood Derby Nationals is how it accommodates different skill levels and interests. The best part is that you can enter into multiple divisions (with the exception of entering into both the Amateur and Pro BASX Class)

BASX Class (Amateur and Pro)

The BASX class has both Pro and Amateur divisions. If you’re looking to get into serious pinewood derby racing, the Amateur (AM) division is perfect. Your points in the AM division only count as half toward the overall series championship, so you’ve got some room to learn the ropes before jumping into the more cutthroat Pro division.

Outlaw Class

The Outlaw Class lets you push the boundaries a little bit beyond the BASX class. Here, you can modify the wheels pretty extensively. Although you still need to stick with post-2009 BSA wheels. 

Unlimited Class

This is the class for those builders who want a sandbox to exercise their creativity. If open axle and wheel regulations with hardly any restrictions sound like your style, then this is the class for you. 

Hot Rod Bracket Challenge

This class completely flips the script. Instead of just going for raw speed, racers have to hit specific target times across four different races. The winner is whoever gets closest to the target time without going under. Plus, these cars use scale model bodies with factory wheelbases, so they actually look like real cars. 

Scout Class

The Scout class keeps things traditional for those who prefer the classic Pinewood Derby experience. It is also a great opportunity for current Scouts to send in their cars to see how they match up against other Scouts from all over the country.

2025 Pinewood Derby National Winners

Overall Grand Champion: DWS Racing

BASX Class: Reece Racing

Pro Class: DWS Racing

Outlaw Class: DWS Racing

Unlimited Class: GSO Racing

Hot Rod Bracket Challenge: Eastman Racing

Scout Class: Knox Racing

Runt: Clinton Racing

Governor: Reece Racing

Scout Xtreme: Knox Racing

You may notice a trend here: DWS Racing was the Overall Grand Champion and won several of the pro classes in this year’s Pinewood Derby National competition. It should be no surprise that DWS Racing and the runner-up Reese Racing (who won the BASX and Governor Class) both use Turbo Derby parts. Multiple podium finishers in all classes of the Pinewood Derby Championship (2nd and 3rd place) were using Turbo Derby products for their cars as well.

DWS stated regarding his use of Turbo Derby's products: "Stability is key in Pinewood Derby racing, and the unique shape and size of the Turbo Axles help to stabilize my cars, leading to an increase in speed over other options I've tried!"

Reece Racing, a longtime user and supporter of Turbo Derby, said: "I use several of Turbo Derby's products, including the drill jig and axle bender. These tools help me dial in my car's alignment, which is crucial to competing at the National level!"

Elevate Your Pinewood Derby Experience

Winning the Pinewood Derby Championship is no easy feat! If you want to take your pinewood derby car to the next level, check out our free eBook! We also have all the parts you could ever want for your derby car, including axles, tungsten weights, speed supplies, and much more. We also offer free shipping on all orders over $50. Order your parts today, and we’ll see you at next year’s Pinewood Derby National competition!