Cory Sorensen -
November 9, 2005 - My son had a race last week with his local Cub Scout pack. Due to some miscommunication, I didn't find out about it until the night before the race. With your booklet and tools that I purchased for last year's race we were able to quickly 'throw' a car together, which took 1st Place. It wasn't too pretty to look at (no paint or decals), but the weight was balanced just right and the wheels were properly prepared. We had a very fast car! At first, my son was disappointed because we didn't have time to paint it, but he was all smiles when he saw how fast it went down the track. Thanks for all the great information and products!
Gerald S. -
November 4, 2005 - Just wanted to let you know how much help you were in building our first pinewood car. For a grandfather that had never made a derby car I just did everything your booklet said and we won. The smile on the boy's face will be something to remember for a long time. Thanks again!
Dave S. -
October 12, 2005 - I just wanted to express my appreciation for all of your top-notch gear and supplies. This year will mark the third year in a row for my son to defend the championship in his Scout pack's annual pinewood derby race. With the help of Maximum Velocity, my son's cars have won the tournament the last two years! The speed supplies, wheels, axles, and tips have provided the needed boost in performance we were looking for!
Dwight & Zack -
October 6, 2005 - My Grand Son Zack and I would like to thank you for the information that we got from your booklet. We have now won two years in a row. This year in March we won 1st in Den, 1st in Pack, and 1st in the District race. Thanks again!
John T. -
October 5, 2005 - As a repeat buyer from Maximum Velocity, I am happy to submit this customer testimonial. Apart from the products offered, what really sets Maximum Velocity apart is great customer service and attention to detail. Orders come professionally boxed and packaged. E-mails are answered promptly. In short, it's easy to put up a web page. It's quite another to back it up with the world class service customers get from Maximum Velocity!
My son has used your Pro-Body tool and speed kit to earn back-to-back 1st place finishes in his Pack. It's all about going straight, and the Pro-Body tool is almost a silver bullet for car makers.
Scott & Colton -
October, 5, 2005 - With your help last year Colton won 1st Place in his Tiger den and 3rd Place for the entire pack using the plans for the Wing and the standard issue wheels that came with the BSA kit. He then went to the District race and with a few improvements to the car he placed 3rd for his rank. Having placed in the district level he advanced to the Council race. This would be a race between all the district winners in the council. Knowing that the competition was going to be tough at this level we added your matched speed wheels and axles and what a difference those made. Colton finished 1st in the Tiger race. The first place winners of each rank then raced against each other and my sons' car came in 2nd Place in the entire council! My son was so excited! He is still talking about it five months later, and the excitement he shows about it is still like it was yesterday! Thank you for all the great products and support!
Scott Charlwood -
October, 3, 2005 - Just wanted to drop you a note on how we did at the girl scout pinewood derby. We purchased speed wheels, axles and Nyoil II (legal at this race ). My daughter went through the winners bracket without a loss to win the junior division and I went through the adults without a loss. Then in the father-daughter grudge match of unbeaten cars, my daughter beat me two out of three! Thanks for a great product and timely service!
Glen Craig -
July 22, 2005 - This was our 2nd YEAR of derby racing. Last year I too was a skeptical father. I began to lose some of my skepticism after my phone calls to you where you shared your thoughts, direction, vision and heart to a complete stranger on the other end of the phone. WOW! RANDY, this year we truly thank you. Your advice and very extensive explanations proved to be fact, not fairytales, and definitely made our cars run even faster. Your car parts, hub caps speed plans and supplies are a must. You are the PINEWOOD BRAIN TRUST, and just a phone call away.
My son Glen (BEAR) entered his Den and Pack race determined to put in 300% into this year`s pinewood derby and ended up taking 1st Place in the Den. We entered two Wing cars. The look on a number of father's faces and comment about the style and paint job on the cars was priceless!!
Next, we entered the District Race. In each heat my son Glen's car easily outdistanced the other 80 Wolf/Bear cars by one or two car lengths each time. Glen then won his division for overall speed, setting a track record. I was only hoping to give him a chance to win one or two more races, just enough so he felt some accomplishment. We were happily surprised; the look in his face said it all! He also won for best paint job and craftsmanship.
Then to top it off, we received a letter inviting us to the Greater New York Council Invitational Pinewood Derby Finals at the Empire State Building. We were blown away! Race day came and we had no idea what to expect - no one slept well the night before. Once again the car received a lot of looks with its multi-color flip flop finish. Then he tore up the track. He won his age bracket but even more impressive is that Glen beat every car in every age bracket, 40 cars in all! The best there is in the big apple! He went undefeated in all our heats placing 1st overall (also another track record). Not bad for our 2nd year out! Randy, we could not have done it without your help! Thank you!
JJ and John Jr. -
May 25, 2005 - This was our first year racing in the pinewood derby, and my son took 1st Place in his division in the Pack, 2nd Place overall in the Pack, and 1st place in his division in the District. We could not have done it without the help of Maximum Velocity. Thanks again, we are looking foward to next years race and continuing to work with Maximum Velocity in 2005!
Rich Hanley -
May 23, 2005 - Thank you , thank you, thank you!! We had our Pinewood Derby yesterday and for the second year in a row my son was in the winner's circle. This year he took 1st Place!!! He was very, very , very, happy! This is our second year using your supplies, and they definitely have given us the winner's edge.
George McDonald -
May 22, 2005 - I bought some merchandise from you to help make my Grandson's pinewood derby car go fast. He took 1st place overall! Thanks.
Rich Walker -
May 10, 2005 - Thanks for the great products and tools we just finished our derby and my son won it all with one of your Low-Rider design! This was his final derby as a cub scout and what a way to end it. He is especially proud that he and I were able to build his car together. I also built a car of my own using your Wing design and wow, what a rocket! The owner of the track was shocked at how fast it was. He said my time was the fastest he had ever recorded on his track. Thanks again - we had a great time.
Bob Meade -
May 4, 2005 - My son and I used a modified Wing design and he was once again his Pack Champion. He went on to repeat as District Champion, King of the Hill, successfully defending his title from the previous year. We worked hard to shave time off last year's runs, and it paid off. Why did we win? Very simple, we had Maximum Velocity!
Tim & Christian B. -
April 30, 2005 - We bought some of your supplies, including the Speed Wheels and Axles, for my son's first pinewood derby. He was a very proud and happy boy, bringing home the gold for his den and his pack. Thank you so much for being there for a woodworking challanged father.
Chris P. -
April 26, 2005 - After finding you on the web my two scouts have quickly become a tour de-force in our derby races. If they had not been forced to race each other they would have both been in the district race, in which my youngest son took 1st Place. The car was built with a lot knowledge and a few go-fast goodies from your web site. Just wanted to say thanks and keep up the good work. We could have not done it without your help.
Kevin Cortright -
April 26, 2005 - Thank you for your web
site and products. My son Gavin took 1st Place in the pack. We went from last place last year to first place this year!
Jeanette S. -
April 23, 2005 - Thank you so much for the speed tip booklet. My son placed 2nd in the pack race, and two of my daughters took 1st and 2nd Places in the Family Race. They had a wonderful time and enjoyed themselves. Thank you again; your tips are a big help.
Mike Long -
April 18, 2005 - We purchased some of your supplies and my son won all his races in his cub scout pack. Then last weekend was the district race. We are first time car builders so we didn't really know what to expect when we went. My sons car never lost a race. I don't think that would have been possible without your items. It was a very small price to pay to see the look on that 7 year old boys face when his car won. Thanks!
Tom Van Cleave -
April 18, 2005 - Thanks for helping us this year. We used your Wedge SE design and my son took 1st Place for speed in our church's Awana Grand Prix, beating 37 other cars! The only sad thing is that this was his last year in Awana. Maybe next year he will race again as a leader. Thanks again.
Mike Snyder -
April 15, 2005 - I wanted to let you know how excited my tiger cub was to take 1st Place overall. We used the Wedge SE plan and a couple of the tools. I had a lot of fathers wanting to check the car out! Guess I have a lot to live up to next year. Thanks again.
Paul Heston -
April 14, 2005 - Taylor's trophy is proudly displayed in his room, and we have Maximum-Velocity to thank for it. We entered our first Cubscout pinewood derby last year and put a lot of time and effort in building a great looking car. It was very disappointing to my son to be beat race after race. I vowed to him after that derby that next year we would be a contender. I found your website and bought Car Plans and Speed to the Finish. We went unbeaten through the heats and finished second overall. Your instructions and tips are easy to follow and really work well. Thanks again; we'll be back next year for more gear.
Carrie T. -
April 12, 2005 - Thanks to all of your tips and supplies we are now in possession of the "Big Trophy!" 1st Place at district with a nice 75th year of scouting commemorative logo on it. We broke the track record TWICE! My son just beamed! Thanks for the wealth of hints and products you provide to help make a couple of novices (a cub and his mom) race like the pros. It was incredible fun from start to finish; we can hardly wait until next year.
Sue Cantu -
April 12, 2005 - Just thought you might like to know how Chad's cars did in his pinewood derby races. He took 1st Place in his pack race. He then took 4th in the county wide race, but after the race was over he raced the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place cars again and his car won every race. At the district race you could enter one car in the all around fastest car race, and one in an open race for cars that were 10 ounces and under. So we entered the two cars that he made. One car won every race and took 1st place in the all around fastest car race. Then his other car (Wing) took 1st Place in the Open race. I just could not believe he took 1st Place in both races! Thank you so much for all your tips.
Doug Toombs -
April 11, 2005 - Thank you for all of your help with our first Pinewood Derby Car. My nephew and I had our race yesterday, and we had a great time. Your insights and products helped us achieve a first place victory! Nicholas placed first in his Wolf division and then went on to defeat the other first place division winners from the Webelos, Bears and Tigers. In addition to that his car swept the Open Class as well. Thank You!!!
Mike Hawn -
April 11, 2005 - My daughter won the Awana Grand Prix for girls on saturday with your wedge design. My son's car (same basic design) came in the top six as well. Just wanted to thank you for putting together your manuals and offering the products you do. They really simplified the process of making a pair of fast cars.
Paul B. -
April 11, 2005 - Thanks much. My son won the den-wide race on Saturday using your Wedge design. He beat about 30 cars and twice set the track record. It was a huge deal for a kid who needed a win under his belt, so I really appreciate your help.
Michael Lyman -
April 11, 2005 - Our goal was to have a good looking car and we succeeded there. The unexpected part is that my son won 1st in his rank and 1st overall!!!! Thank you for your assistance.
Mike Workman -
April 10, 2005 - My son, daughter, and I used your instruction booklet and some of your tools for the past two years and have had at least one first place finishing car each year as well as "Best Appearance". Previously we'd never even placed. This year my son won 1st place in his Boy Scout division as well as had the fastest car overall. The competition was tough but my son's car won 6 out of 6 races this year and last year my daughter took first place in the family division - winning 5 out of 5 races and my other son took 3rd place only losing to my daughter. The knowledge we gained from the materials purchased from Maximum Velocity made the difference. We're now proudly displaying our winning cars in DerbyDomes. I know my son will remember this year's event for many years.
Dan Troutman -
April 10, 2005 - You will be happy to know that the Wedge Turbo design won our pack pinewood derby today. We won 7 straight races!!! The design worked flawlessly. Thanks!
Randy Newell -
April 9, 2005 - We did it again (with your help), and we had a blast doing it! My third-grader built the Wedge and won 1st Place in his den and 1st Place in the overall pack (24 cars). My first-grader built the Rail and took 1st Place in his den and 3rd Place in the pack. Thanks for your help!
Mark Fury -
April 8, 2005 - We used your Low-Rider design and it was fast. My son, who is a Webelos I, won 1st Place in his Webelos race, then went on to get 2nd Place in the district race. Thanks for your help!
Bill & Matt Archer -
April 6, 2005 - My son's car, Sparky, had an undefeated season setting track records at the pack and district races, and taking second in best of show at district. Even modified division cars couldn't catch Sparky! Overall Sparky earned five trophies. We highly recommend the techniques and materials available at Maximum Velocity.
Mike Sullivan -
April 6, 2005 - We used several of your products and my son's car was the fastest in the Pack! Seeing my son so proud of his work and accomplishments is a moment sealed in time and memory! Thanks Maximum Velocity for great products!
Justin -
March 28, 2005 - Thanks for the winning design. I used one of your car designs for the Cub Scout derby, and I got 1st place. I was so happy!! Thanks to Maximum-veloctiy I went home a winner!
Bob & Ethan -
March 27, 2005 - Just wanted to say thanks. My son's car, built from the Racer design, won both den and pack, winning 11 of 12 races! The smile on his face was worth it all! Your tips were invaluable and with your detailed plans he could follow the outline and made a great looking car. Keep up the good work.
Russell Clark -
March 22, 2005 - Thanks for your help in this year's race! In our Awana Grand prix, my daughter took 2nd Place for speed and 2nd Place for design with her Mystery Machine. I took 1st Place for speed in the adult division with my Deathmobile. We are customers for life. Thanks again!
C.S. -
March 21, 2005 - My son's car took 1st Place in our derby in the speed category last weekend. He won all 6 of 6 races. It was VERY exciting and a good number of his relatives were there to see it firsthand and share in the enthusiasm, which was priceless. Thanks!
Scott -
March 21, 2005 - We used your Wedge Car Plans booklet to build 2 cars with my boys for a recent pinewood derby. They were GREAT!
They took 1st and 2nd in the pack (60 kids). Needless to say, they were thrilled!
Hank & Johnathan Lindner -
March 20, 2005 - We just won our pinewood derby for the 3rd year straight. It was the most consistent car there. Thanks for some great products!
Richard Stavenik -
March 18, 2005 - We just won our second consecutive Pinewood Derby. Also my Daughter and her son, my grandson,came in 4th in their in race in New York. Your cars are just great!
Tim Hughes -
March 18, 2005 - I have placed three orders with your company over the last few months. I must say that I'm very impressed with your company. The products have arrived in a timely manner, sooner than promised. The billing has been correct, and all of the products are of extremely high quality. I also like the way the instructions are detailed, but easily understandable I have three sons and we have a very good time making our cars. I will be referring many people to your site, and I look forward to many years of using your tools.
Todd & Ethan Turner -
March 16, 2005 - We followed your speed tips, and Ethan took 1st Place being undefeated in a field of 31 competitors in his Pack!!! We are looking forward to going to regionals for the next race! I appreciate all the help you gave to make Ethan's first Pinewood Derby a First Place Finish!
Greg Petrowski -
March 16, 2005 - My son finished first in his Cub Scout Den and Pack at last weekend's Pinewood Derby with your standard Wing design, and supplies. The instructions were excellent and the car did not lose a heat! We'll definitely be back next year.
Randy and Halie Walker -
March 15, 2005 - I bought your Speed to the Finish booklet a couple of weeks ago for a Powder Puff derby that my daughter's Girl Scouts were holding. I had never built a pinewood derby car before. With the tips in your book we ended up taking the 2nd Place trophy out of approximately 84 cars! Thanks for your help.
Colin Watanabe -
March 14, 2005 - Just a short note to thank-you for your products and your support. In our Pack's derby my Tigercub placed 1stout of 40+ participants. He didn't lose a single heat! Winning isn't everything of course, but my son's winning smile was worth a mint!
Chris & Brandon Hailey -
March 13, 2005 - My son is a Wolf Scout and this is his second year participating in the Pinewood Derby Race. His car placed First in his Den and Pack and won "Best Boy Scouts Theme". The smile on my son's face at the end of the race is something I will always cherish. Thanks for all your helpful tips, tools, and supplies!!!!!!
Steve Yunker -
March 12, 2005 - I just wanted to let you know that my son, Ken, won all 4 races today. In doing so, he set track records on three of them. Not even the Open class could catch his car. The closest finish was a half car length, and that was without the center weight, which had fallen out! I am so impressed with your advise that I can't quit smiling.
Don Davidson -
March 9, 2005 - A few weeks ago I bought your Speed to the Finish booklet and some supplies to help my grandson with his first pinewood derby car. We only had a few days to get it ready, but the car turned out to be very fast. It won EVERY HEAT in the den race by at least 2 car lengths! Then in the Pack race, it took 2nd Overall. My hats off to you and
your products! Thanks !
Melissa Martin -
March 9, 2005 - Just a quick thank you. My son had his first district derby this past weekend. He took 1st Place for the Tiger Cubs and came in 2nd overall for the district. Having never done anything like this before we followed your speed tips and they worked!
Steve & Nic -
March 8, 2005 - My son Nic finished 3rd in his pack. We then added speed wheels and axles from Maximum Velocity on the same car for the District race. Nic raced against 92 other Cub Scouts and took 1st Place!! I also raced, in the outlaw class and finished 2nd. Thanks for the supplies and tips!
David W. -
March 7, 2005 - The look on my kid's face says it all, "I can't believe I won ALL FOUR RACES!" His car did a lot more than that! He won his age bracket, getting a nice big 1st Place trophy! But even more impressive is that he also BEAT EVERY CAR IN EVERY AGE BRACKET IN THE PACK, SOME 42 CARS IN ALL! Your guide and products made ALL THE DIFFERENCE! My son was willing to work hard (he did all the sanding himself), but with your help I was able to guide him into working smart too. We read your guide together right before we put pencil to paper on the design. I would NEVER have thought up this stuff on my own. Thank you for your part in helping us achieve "Maximum Velocity"!
Nathan & Justin -
March 7, 2005 - My girlfriend's son and I built a Formula One from your Car Plans 3 booklet. He had a blast making it and it turned out that he won 1st in his Pack and got awarded "Sportiest Car". Then we went to the District race where he placed 4th out of over 200 cars!
Needless to say his smile was ear to ear!
Scot -
March 7, 2005 - Thank you for your help and supplies. My son built his car totally this year and won every race in his Pack! Now it is on to the District race.
Michael & Austin Davis -
March 7, 2005 - Austin and I ran the District race on Sat. and he finished 4th in a field of 70 cars! Thanks for the tips - I'm sure that our work on the axles and wheels helped put us in that top 5 for a memorable experience for Austin. After the race other Scouts were checking out his car asking him how he made it go so fast, he said "lots of graphite". Thanks again - this was our first car and we look forward to the next car being even better!
William Holmes -
March 1, 2005 - My 7-year old daughter informed my wife and I a week ago that her Awana group had been handing out pinewood derby car kits for the past three weeks and the race was one week away. We were way behind the curve and I've never built anything in my life before. The thought of figuring this out and making it happen in time was beyond stressful, considering I'm also a CPA and in the middle of tax season. I knew one thing though: I wanted this to be a joyful opportunity for my daughter and I to work on this together and make some wonderful memories.
We scoured the internet for over 2 hours together looking for anything we could find on Pinewood derby cars; our goals were similar: to have fun and yes, to Win! Out of all the web sites we studied, Maximum-Velocity was the only site that seemed "turn-key" and appeared to be "the most comprehensive"
in terms of having fun and winning.
My daughter decided on the Wedge SE Extended model and to make a long story short, I downloaded the plans that night and began construction the next morning. Everyday of construction was planned over the next week so as to allow enough time to tune the car just before the race. With NO time to spare my daughter's Orange and Black masterpiece was ready to go.
I was as nervous as anyone in the room of 200 or so kids and adults waiting for our heat to begin, wondering if all of the tips regarding speed would leave me feeling stupid (and apologizing to my daughter for all the hype) or whether it would really pay off. As our first heat began, my daughter's car took an early lead and never looked back - WE SMOKED 'EM!!! After 16 different heats, WE NEVER LOST A RACE!!!! Not one car was even close! My daughter was the Grand Champion and to see her jump up and down and get called up on the stage to collect that first place trophy almost brought me to tears. I was so proud and she gave me the biggest hug and kiss for making this a priority for her. Thank you so much and God bless you for helping us build such a wonderful memory together. I'm sure we will never forget it and I can't wait until next year.
Dan & Danny Lewis -
February 28, 2005 - Just wanted to drop you a note to let you know how we did after purchasing your Speed to the Finish booklet, Car Plans 3 and various supplies. My son is a Tiger and this was our first ever Pinewood Derby. We had a great time building the car together, and my son was prepared for the race as I tried to set his expectations low based on our inexperience. But to our surprise our car set the track record for the day in its 1st run, then beat it in its second run (this record held until the pack finals). We ended up winning 1st Place in our den and 3rd place overall in the Pack! My son was thrilled. Thank you for your assistance; your site is excellent, the best Derby site on the web!
Mike Davis -
February 28, 2005 - Thanks for the tips! My son and I applied your tips and techniques to our "Turbo Wedge" car and took 2nd Place in our very first Pack race. It was very exciting for my son to see something that he worked on do so well and be able to get a ribbon and trophy. He was just amazed at how the car came together over the last few weeks and how it performed at the race. Of course all of the boy's cars are winners, but it was exciting for him to see his car accelerate past the other cars 10 out of 12 times. He is starting to realize there might be something to all of that "boring" prep work! Thanks again and we shall see how it goes in the district race.
Jim, James & Emily Shepherd -
February 27, 2005 - My son and I would like to thank you for all your help. Our race was yesterday and I am proud to say that we are heading to BSA State Finals in May. We built a total of three cars. We ran the three cars down the track for the first time the night before the race. All three cars set a new track speed record for this local wooden track. My son entered our fastest car for his age group and took 1st Place. My daughter and I entered the other cars in the open family race placing 2nd and 3rd. Each car was built using the helpful advice we had obtained from your web site and each car contained items from your company. Thanks again for helping the Shepherd family obtain Maximum-Velocity!
Scott Morris -
February 26, 2005 - My daughter and I used the information on your site and some of your supplies to help her build her Wedge car. Her car took first in EVERY RACE!!! No other car in the race even got close to her slowest time! It was amazing. I can't say enough good things about the car supplies that you offer on your site. But it is your generosity with advice and information that really allowed my daughter to have a great experience. Thank you.
Scott & Annie Charlwood -
February 26, 2005 - We bought some supplies from you and the results were very good. In her age bracket, Annie went all the way through with no losses! Then later she raced the other division winners and still had no losses. She even beat the adult winner! Thanks for a great product and a great day of racing!
Mark Parker -
February 23, 2005 - Thank you for helping to make a 7 year-old boy's first pinewood derby awesome! My son came home last December all excited, with a pinewood derby kit from his church's Cadets group. Well, of course Dad had to get into this excitement too. I found your web site online and signed up for your newsletter and downloaded the free car plan - The Sports Car. We studied your web site and got all the information we needed right there to make his first car and derby experience (we hoped) a good one. We ordered the Freedom Flag body skin, and all the tools and supplies we thought we would need. I kept preparing him by saying, "I have never made one of these before. You may not end up with the fastest car out there, but I promise you will have a very cool-looking car".
Preliminary Race day came - 34 boys - each had to race the others twice (lots or races). By the end of that day my son had not lost a single race! The Final Race Day ( the next week) started out with my son's car winning "Best of Show", and then going on to win 1st Place in his age group (never lost), and 2nd Place Overall for his Cadet group (didn't lose until the last two races, and those both were by less than a half an inch).
Man, I am telling you, I have never seen a smile so big on that boy's face. Two trophies, three ribbons, and one car are proudly displayed on his dresser and are being shown off to everybody that comes within 25 feet of the house. He says "Thank You" to Dad, but this dad is saying "Thank You" to you for making me look so good and ultimately for helping make his first pinewood derby experience an awesome one! We'll be back next year - count on it!
Dan -
February 22, 2005 - My daughter raced in our Awana Regional race on Saturday and had an awesome time. The car went undefeated and ran the four fastest times for the day. Thanks for doing what you do!
Kevin -
February 21, 2005 - This past Saturday, my son won for fastest Webelo in his pack. Not only was he fastest Webelo, but he also set the track record.. He had a stiff challenge from the guy who runs the pinewood derby who built 3 outlaw cars (over size and weight) but still held on for a .004 of a second win (for fastest overall)! That's two years in a row (plus the district championship in between) using your products. Thanks!
Jim Findlay -
February 20, 2004 - My nephew and I build our first pinewood derby car using one of your designs, the Extended Wedge, and had a great time. Our car won the Tiger Cub division and is going to district race. We also placed very well against the rest of the pack. Thanks for a great web site!
Lisa Papile -
February 20, 2004 - We wanted to thank you for your GREAT website. Our son is a Tiger Scout and was given a block of wood for a holiday gift from the his leaders. My husband was pretty much at a loss for what to do with it. So, he started researching how to make a pinewood derby car on the Internet and found your web site. Between your site, booklets, and supplies we were able to make a great looking and competitive car that came in 1st Place in his Den and Pack! The step by step instructions made it fun and easy for my son and husband to build their car. Thanks again!
Lesley & Jeremy -
February 17, 2005 - Just wanted to let you know our car won 1st Place in the den and was scathingly close to winning the pack race - we came in 2nd. We looking forward to the District race. Our car was fast. Thanks for all your great advice and materials!!!
Dave -
February 16, 2005 - My three kids participated in the local adult pinewood derby. My six year-old daughter, Brooke, won the championship and went undefeated. My nine year-old son, Kris, got 3rd Place and set a new track record. My 11 year-old daughter, Nykole, finished seventh. Her car had some weight issues, being only 1/4 anch thick. These three cars were all built from Maximum Velocity parts and tools. They all worked excellent and ease of use was well explained. Thank you Maximum from myself and my kids!
Mike & Trevor Whitaker -
February 15, 2005 - You guys are great! With the help of your simple to follow plans, my son and I easily won the Tiger Cub event, winning every heat by almost a car length each time. Then matched up against the whole pack we barely were edged out by a nose to finish 2nd overall! My son's smile will always be captured in my memory. You have a customer for life!
Gerald Smaglinski -
February 15, 2005 - We purchased your booklet and some of your tools. At our pack's pinewood derby this past Saturday my 8 year old grandson placed 1st in his den and 1st in the overall championship race. Then my 5 year old grandson placed 1st in the open class. Thank you for the joy on my grandson's faces!
Weston & Dad -
February 15, 2005 - You are the best in the business! Since reading your guide, my son has racked up 3 Pack Championships and this years District Championship. He has raced in 7 races over the past 4 years and has placed in the trophy round each time. He needs a cabinet for all his Pinewood Derby trophys. Thanks for all your help!
Mike Allegretti -
February 14, 2005 - At our Pack's pinewood derby this past Saturday, our cars placed 1 and 2 in the overall Pack Championship! The cars looked and (more importantly) ran great. Thanks!
Rubert Hernandez -
February 13, 2005 - Thank you for your excellent products. We purchased some speed items for our son's pinewood derby race and he did fantastic. He took 3rd Place in our pack, and then took 2nd Place in the regional final. Thanks again for all the joy you brought to our son.
Ernest Pasley -
February 12, 2005 - We had our district race today and my son's car that was modeled after the Rail either won or tied every race. . All the tools worked great and won us 3 trophies and a 1 st place ribbon. Thanks for all your help.
Dan & Adam Michels -
February 10, 2005 - The truly outstanding products I received from Maximum Velocity on my recent order, plus about 25 hours sanding away in the evenings after work, helped my son Adam and I accomplish something we both will never forget. He won the pack championship and the Hot Rod award, which we assume is given to the hottest, most fast looking car. Thanks!
Kim Guptill -
February 9, 2005 - I found your website and downloaded the free car plans. My son and I built the Sports Car exactly as the plans specified. This car was a rocket!!!!!!! Nick raced four heats taking 1st Place in the finals. Each race was won by at least a whole car length or more. The more he ran the car the faster it went. Thanks for your help!
Keith Poirier -
February 9, 2005 - Over the last three years my son has placed no better than third in the pack championship and second in his den. This year we built a Wedge SE and used some of your supplies, including the NyOil II. Wow, what a difference between his car and all the others in the pack!!! At first I was not too sure about things, as in the first two races he only beat the second place car by a very narrow margin. However, I was very impressed as the day went on. Like you said would happen his car got faster and faster, and by the end of the day he was beating cars down the track by two and three cars lengths. I am a believer in your products and will be a steady customer from now on. Keep up the good work. We look forward to doing business with you next year.
Mike Doyle -
February 8, 2005 - This is my son's second year and he didn't lose a race all day, taking 1st Place in the Pack and advancing to the District Finals! We love your site and have benefited from your video and supplies for the past two seasons (1st Place two years running).
Del Brown -
February 8, 2005 - My two sons each built a Wedge Turbo, one with USA colors and the other with a black car body/gold triangle. The black and gold car won all 4 of its heats and a convincing 1st Place overall (about 34 cars total in the race). The USA car took 2nd place overall and 1st place in his den. The cars were so fast that the car which won the outlaw race (10 oz. limit) was only a tad faster than our first place car. Thanks for your help!
Darren -
February 7, 2005 - Thank you for all your help. My son took 1st Place for the Webelos, and 2nd Place in the Pack! Then my daughter's car won the sibling's race; and when they a sibling vs. pack Champion race, my daughter's rainbow wedge beat the pack champion by a car length!! The whole cafeteria erupted with applause and laughter, and chants of "you got beat by a girl". It was extremely memorable and will not be forgotten anytime soon. Again, thanks for your products and assistance.
Joshua L. -
February 6, 2005 - We got 1st Place in Tiger Cub division - we never lost a heat! Now we go to the Division Finals in March. Thanks for all your help!
Connor Mobbs -
February 5, 2005 - I just wanted to thank you for the great service and the speed tips in your news letter. The tips and tools I ordered helped my grandson win this year. Last year he learned how to lose, but this year he learned how to win - not just any win, but a total win against every car entered.
Gregg Rahuba Sr & Jr -
February 4, 2005 - Race results are in! After using additional speed products from your catalog on this year's Wedge car, we came in 1st out of 34 cars in our pack race and came in 1st out of 20 cars racing another pack in town. After an 11 year absence the town trophy is coming back to us. Father, son, wife, and our pack Cub Master are all in shock! Thanks for making a dream come true for us.
Pat G. -
February 4, 2005 - My son won the first Pinewood Derby he's ever entered - even with Dad having made the wedge design backwards! Thanks for helping make his day.
George Law -
February 1, 2005 - Just wanted to let you know that your supplies gave my grandson the edge he needed to win his first Pinewood derby event (after 3 previous failed attempts). The American Flag body skin helped him win a trophy for the most patriotic looking car. His second trophy was for fastest car in his den. His third trophy was for fastest car overall (out of 56 contenders).
I had promised him that this year would be different that's why I contacted you. I knew we would be in the running but never expected this excellent result. The grin on his face was PRICELESS! Thank you very much for your expertise.
Michael & Jordan -
February 1, 2005 - I would like to thank you for assisting in making my son's first derby memory a positive one which will last a lifetime. When Jordan said that he wanted to build a skateboard as his first derby car I thought it would be impossible to build, let alone do well in the derby. After scanning the web and hitting on your website I began to feel more comfortable with the idea. We purchased the booklets for building both the "Board" and the "Wing". With open class races a regular part of our local Pack Derby I thought I would relive my younger days with perhaps a chance to perform better than I did then. We also purchased your "Speed to the finish" booklet and some supplies.
The boys (and fathers) looking at the board on race day thought it was cool, but were not worried about it besting their sleek hot-rods when the racing started. Not only did the car shine, but Jordan took 1st in his Den Race, won the Pack Championship, and is on to District. He also won the "Most Outrageous Car" trophy as Judged by several adults. Oh yea! As for Dad's Open class (BSA Legal) "Wing": 1st Place! That's right, three out of three 1st Places for the day!
If you need any more proof than that your products, plans, and tips produce winners then I just don't know what to tell you!
Jim Heidecker -
January 31, 2005 - Last year was our first year racing and we did very well using some of your products - our Tiger took 1st Place out of about 16 cars and his brother and sister took 3rd and 4th out of about 20 cars in a sibling race. This year we were looking for a little more speed since we knew there would be more competition since our Tiger from last year would now be racing the entire pack instead of just 16 cars. Also my younger son who is now a Tiger was really hoping to win a trophy just like his brother last year.
We used your free car plan as well as some of your products. Our new tiger had six races and I'm happy to report he won every one and took 1st Place! For my older son, there were a total of 70 cars racing, so each car raced in 18 races. To our amazement, he won all 18 races and another 1st Place! Although there are many contributing factors to winning, I'm convinced that your products were a major reason for our success.
Jake -
January 31, 2005 - Thank you so much for your advice and your products. I just took 1st Place in my Cub Scout pack with your Interceptor design!
Bruce Armstrong -
January 31, 2005 - I just want to thank you for making me a hero to my sons Michael and Matthew. We used some of your tools and your tips and had very good results. Matthew took 2nd in his den and Michael took 1st in his. Michael went on to win the grand champion award by beating all of the cars from each den! The night after the race my boys had dreams of racing - they are on a cloud. Now they know what all that sanding was for!
Dominic Bertani -
January 30, 2005 - Just wanted to thank you for making your expertise available. My son placed 1st in his pack!!! The Interceptor design worked very well, and the axle and wheel information gave us the racer's edge. Now it's on to the Finals. Thanks again!
John & Kyle McConnell -
January 30, 2005 - I have to tell you that your booklet makes all the difference in the world! Last year we just knew the basics to get our car built and running, but we didn't win any trophies. This year, we used your free plan, your booklet, and some of the specialty tools to get our car ready. My son Kyle won every race, placing 1st in the Den and 1st in the Pack! Needless to say, Kyle is grinning from ear to ear!
I am by no means a "handyman" so your book was incredibly helpful in understanding the things that can effect the performance of the car. Thank you so much for your help (via the e-mails), your booklet, and your tools.
Bob R. -
January 2005 - Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me about the alignment on my son's Wedge Turbo. He won his division and the Pack championship, and he also received a design award for 'Most Patriotic'. Thanks again for your help!
KR -
January 29, 2005 - My sons won 1st and 2nd with your products last year. We purchased again this year. We just got back from this year's Pack race and again won 1st and 2nd in the Pack. It was exciting! Thanks for your help and advice.
Your advice has been right on track.
The Buffa's -
January 26, 2005 - We are 1st-time scouts and used your website to design our first derby car. Our son took 1st Place !!!!!! He blew all the cars away! It turns out that the aerodynamics (including back-loaded weight) was the perfect formula!
Thank you for making his experience "a lifetime memory!!"
Rich Faulkner -
January 26, 2005 - My son and I won our local BSA Pinewood Derby with the design and advice I got from your website.
This was our first ever Pinewood Derby, and I can't believe we won!
Phil Hanson -
January 26, 2005 - We bought your Speed to the Finish!
booklet and most of the tools, and did the best we could in the limited time we had to build the car. The results were fantastic! My son's car easily beat out over twenty cars to take 1st Place amongst the Wolves in our pack, not losing a single race. He then took 2nd in the pack (over 50 cars). My son was so happy, it was more than worth the effort we put in.
I also entered a car in the open class. It was basically a block with wheels and axles. "The Block", as it instantly became known as, came in 3rd Place overall. All the kids loved it and cheered for "The Block" when it was awarded 3rd Place. I'll certainly enter another (more finely tuned) "Block" for next year's race since it was such a hit.
Thanks again for your great book, tools, and website. It really made my son's day - as well as mine!
Scott P. -
January 24, 2005 - I would like to thank you for all of your tips in preparing our cars. We entered 4 cars in our derby this weekend. My son took 1st Place in his den (out of 11) and took 2nd Overall ( out of 75 cars). I also entered my two younger sons in the sibling division in which they took 2nd and 3rd Places. We didn't stop there, Dad entered a car and took first place, beating 10 parents and one parent who had won the last 6 years. Your speed wheels and speed axles made a difference. And the tips we received off of your web site were very beneficial."
Kevin & Sam Plagman -
January 25, 2005 - My son Sam was very involved this year, doing much of the work himself. His car got 1st Place and Best in Show! My daughter Allie entered a car in the open class and placed 3rd.
Overall, it was a very rewarding experience for us. Thanks for all your help; your emphasis on the shared responsibilities helped us/me keep on the look out for what I could turn over to Sam and what we needed to work on together. For those of us who started without much expertise in the pinewood derby field your resources and information provide a great way to get involved.
Bruce Ballehr -
January 24, 2005 - Just wanted to let you know we used the Sports Car Plans for our car and it came in 2nd Place. Man, you had to see how happy my son was yesterday! Thanks for all of your help!
Bryan & Bradley Clements -
January 23, 2005 - This year our Pinewood Derby was a week earlier than usual and my son and I got started building our car a week later than usual. We had exactly one week to build the car from start to finish. I ordered both your Speed to the Finish, and Car Designs booklets for download via the internet. The books were a huge help - particularly the Car Design booklet. We followed your step-by-step instructions scrupulously.
Since the design was so simple Bradley was able to do the majority of the work.
Our races were like a highlight film for your books. Bradley's car was about even with another car as they came to the flat but then his car exploded ahead like it had a turbo boost. On his 3rd race he set the single race speed record for the day. I don't know yet if he ended up with the fastest times in the entire pack but he was absolutely thrilled to be #1 in the Bear group. He also showed great sportsmanship and pride as he accepted congratulations from the other boys and parents for being the Speed King of the Bear Group. It was a day that both of us will always remember. Thank you very much. We couldn't have done it without your fantastic booklets!
Karl, Zachary, & Emma Spuhl -
January 18, 2005 - My son just completed his second pinewood derby event; it was his 4 year old sister's first one. Before I tell you how they did I want to thank you for all your excellent tools and performance tips. Your booklet about how to build a winning pinewood derby car was packed with great information that I never would have considered. Thanks for the blazing fast answers to all my e-mail questions and the first rate customer service. I will never look any further than this site for my pinewood needs!
Last year my son finished last in every race he ran but one. Although he did not get an award this year, he did place in the top half of his pack. I believe he would have done much better but we had axle slot problems with a non-Maximum Velocity product. His sister, however, ran her car in the sibling derby and took 1st place out of about 19 cars! She would have been ranked 2nd Place overall if she had been lumped in with the scouts (about 65 more cars)! Wait. It gets cooler. She also had the fasted single heat time of ANY car that ran in the races that day (scout or sibling): an insane fast, jaw-droppin, blink and you missed it run! It was over a hundreth of a second faster than the next fastest single heat run. Now you know why my search for tools and advice stops at your site.
Matt McNaught -
January 18, 2005 - This year my son Matthew and I built the Wing kit using your products and the tips in your booklet. Matthew's car took 1st place overall out of about 40 cars! Thanks, we'll be back next year!
Chris & Logan Gill -
January 17, 2005 - We have great news again; 1st in the Pack for the third year in a row! It was amazing; Logan's Car left the gate and was at the transition before the others had hardly started (with the exception of one car). His car beat the field by ALMOST A FULL 3 FEET EVERY RUN! Thanks for The Great Car Design and all the great products.
Ethan & Jeff Miller -
January 11, 2005 - We had built two 2nd Place cars for the pas two years. But with the help of your how-to book and pinewood derby car parts we placed 1st Overall in the pack this evening and are going to district! If a person follows your tips I know the car will place well in any race, and if you take it one step beyond, a victory just might be yours.