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6 lane pinewood derby chart

Six lanes means six runs for every car and 36 heats for a pack of 36. Set your own numbers below and print the schedule, the cards and the tally sheet.

36 cars on 6 lanes: 36 heats, every car once in every lane, and no two cars meet more than once. About 54 minutes of track time.

Every car runs each of the 6 lanes exactly once, no two cars meet more than once, and nothing you type leaves your browser.

Pinewood Derby is a trademark of Scouting America. This chart generator is an independent tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Scouting America.

Heat schedule

36 cars, 6 lanes, 36 heats — every car once in every lane
HeatLane 1Lane 2Lane 3Lane 4Lane 5Lane 6
11311141823
22412151924
33513162025
44614172126
55715182227
66816192328
77917202429
881018212530
991119222631
10101220232732
11111321242833
12121422252934
13131523263035
14141624273136
1515172528321
1616182629332
1717192730343
1818202831354
1919212932365
202022303316
212123313427
222224323538
232325333649
242426341510
252527352611
262628363712
27272914813
28283025914
292931361015
303032471116
313133581217
323234691318
3333357101419
3434368111520
353519121621
3636210131722

Pinewood Derby is a trademark of Scouting America. This chart generator is an independent tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Scouting America.

Race cards

  • 1

    1. Heat 1Lane 1
    2. Heat 15Lane 6
    3. Heat 20Lane 5
    4. Heat 24Lane 4
    5. Heat 27Lane 3
    6. Heat 35Lane 2

  • 2

    1. Heat 2Lane 1
    2. Heat 16Lane 6
    3. Heat 21Lane 5
    4. Heat 25Lane 4
    5. Heat 28Lane 3
    6. Heat 36Lane 2

  • 3

    1. Heat 1Lane 2
    2. Heat 3Lane 1
    3. Heat 17Lane 6
    4. Heat 22Lane 5
    5. Heat 26Lane 4
    6. Heat 29Lane 3

  • 4

    1. Heat 2Lane 2
    2. Heat 4Lane 1
    3. Heat 18Lane 6
    4. Heat 23Lane 5
    5. Heat 27Lane 4
    6. Heat 30Lane 3

  • 5

    1. Heat 3Lane 2
    2. Heat 5Lane 1
    3. Heat 19Lane 6
    4. Heat 24Lane 5
    5. Heat 28Lane 4
    6. Heat 31Lane 3

  • 6

    1. Heat 4Lane 2
    2. Heat 6Lane 1
    3. Heat 20Lane 6
    4. Heat 25Lane 5
    5. Heat 29Lane 4
    6. Heat 32Lane 3

  • 7

    1. Heat 5Lane 2
    2. Heat 7Lane 1
    3. Heat 21Lane 6
    4. Heat 26Lane 5
    5. Heat 30Lane 4
    6. Heat 33Lane 3

  • 8

    1. Heat 6Lane 2
    2. Heat 8Lane 1
    3. Heat 22Lane 6
    4. Heat 27Lane 5
    5. Heat 31Lane 4
    6. Heat 34Lane 3

  • 9

    1. Heat 7Lane 2
    2. Heat 9Lane 1
    3. Heat 23Lane 6
    4. Heat 28Lane 5
    5. Heat 32Lane 4
    6. Heat 35Lane 3

  • 10

    1. Heat 8Lane 2
    2. Heat 10Lane 1
    3. Heat 24Lane 6
    4. Heat 29Lane 5
    5. Heat 33Lane 4
    6. Heat 36Lane 3

  • 11

    1. Heat 1Lane 3
    2. Heat 9Lane 2
    3. Heat 11Lane 1
    4. Heat 25Lane 6
    5. Heat 30Lane 5
    6. Heat 34Lane 4

  • 12

    1. Heat 2Lane 3
    2. Heat 10Lane 2
    3. Heat 12Lane 1
    4. Heat 26Lane 6
    5. Heat 31Lane 5
    6. Heat 35Lane 4

  • 13

    1. Heat 3Lane 3
    2. Heat 11Lane 2
    3. Heat 13Lane 1
    4. Heat 27Lane 6
    5. Heat 32Lane 5
    6. Heat 36Lane 4

  • 14

    1. Heat 1Lane 4
    2. Heat 4Lane 3
    3. Heat 12Lane 2
    4. Heat 14Lane 1
    5. Heat 28Lane 6
    6. Heat 33Lane 5

  • 15

    1. Heat 2Lane 4
    2. Heat 5Lane 3
    3. Heat 13Lane 2
    4. Heat 15Lane 1
    5. Heat 29Lane 6
    6. Heat 34Lane 5

  • 16

    1. Heat 3Lane 4
    2. Heat 6Lane 3
    3. Heat 14Lane 2
    4. Heat 16Lane 1
    5. Heat 30Lane 6
    6. Heat 35Lane 5

  • 17

    1. Heat 4Lane 4
    2. Heat 7Lane 3
    3. Heat 15Lane 2
    4. Heat 17Lane 1
    5. Heat 31Lane 6
    6. Heat 36Lane 5

  • 18

    1. Heat 1Lane 5
    2. Heat 5Lane 4
    3. Heat 8Lane 3
    4. Heat 16Lane 2
    5. Heat 18Lane 1
    6. Heat 32Lane 6

  • 19

    1. Heat 2Lane 5
    2. Heat 6Lane 4
    3. Heat 9Lane 3
    4. Heat 17Lane 2
    5. Heat 19Lane 1
    6. Heat 33Lane 6

  • 20

    1. Heat 3Lane 5
    2. Heat 7Lane 4
    3. Heat 10Lane 3
    4. Heat 18Lane 2
    5. Heat 20Lane 1
    6. Heat 34Lane 6

  • 21

    1. Heat 4Lane 5
    2. Heat 8Lane 4
    3. Heat 11Lane 3
    4. Heat 19Lane 2
    5. Heat 21Lane 1
    6. Heat 35Lane 6

  • 22

    1. Heat 5Lane 5
    2. Heat 9Lane 4
    3. Heat 12Lane 3
    4. Heat 20Lane 2
    5. Heat 22Lane 1
    6. Heat 36Lane 6

  • 23

    1. Heat 1Lane 6
    2. Heat 6Lane 5
    3. Heat 10Lane 4
    4. Heat 13Lane 3
    5. Heat 21Lane 2
    6. Heat 23Lane 1

  • 24

    1. Heat 2Lane 6
    2. Heat 7Lane 5
    3. Heat 11Lane 4
    4. Heat 14Lane 3
    5. Heat 22Lane 2
    6. Heat 24Lane 1

  • 25

    1. Heat 3Lane 6
    2. Heat 8Lane 5
    3. Heat 12Lane 4
    4. Heat 15Lane 3
    5. Heat 23Lane 2
    6. Heat 25Lane 1

  • 26

    1. Heat 4Lane 6
    2. Heat 9Lane 5
    3. Heat 13Lane 4
    4. Heat 16Lane 3
    5. Heat 24Lane 2
    6. Heat 26Lane 1

  • 27

    1. Heat 5Lane 6
    2. Heat 10Lane 5
    3. Heat 14Lane 4
    4. Heat 17Lane 3
    5. Heat 25Lane 2
    6. Heat 27Lane 1

  • 28

    1. Heat 6Lane 6
    2. Heat 11Lane 5
    3. Heat 15Lane 4
    4. Heat 18Lane 3
    5. Heat 26Lane 2
    6. Heat 28Lane 1

  • 29

    1. Heat 7Lane 6
    2. Heat 12Lane 5
    3. Heat 16Lane 4
    4. Heat 19Lane 3
    5. Heat 27Lane 2
    6. Heat 29Lane 1

  • 30

    1. Heat 8Lane 6
    2. Heat 13Lane 5
    3. Heat 17Lane 4
    4. Heat 20Lane 3
    5. Heat 28Lane 2
    6. Heat 30Lane 1

  • 31

    1. Heat 9Lane 6
    2. Heat 14Lane 5
    3. Heat 18Lane 4
    4. Heat 21Lane 3
    5. Heat 29Lane 2
    6. Heat 31Lane 1

  • 32

    1. Heat 10Lane 6
    2. Heat 15Lane 5
    3. Heat 19Lane 4
    4. Heat 22Lane 3
    5. Heat 30Lane 2
    6. Heat 32Lane 1

  • 33

    1. Heat 11Lane 6
    2. Heat 16Lane 5
    3. Heat 20Lane 4
    4. Heat 23Lane 3
    5. Heat 31Lane 2
    6. Heat 33Lane 1

  • 34

    1. Heat 12Lane 6
    2. Heat 17Lane 5
    3. Heat 21Lane 4
    4. Heat 24Lane 3
    5. Heat 32Lane 2
    6. Heat 34Lane 1

  • 35

    1. Heat 13Lane 6
    2. Heat 18Lane 5
    3. Heat 22Lane 4
    4. Heat 25Lane 3
    5. Heat 33Lane 2
    6. Heat 35Lane 1

  • 36

    1. Heat 14Lane 6
    2. Heat 19Lane 5
    3. Heat 23Lane 4
    4. Heat 26Lane 3
    5. Heat 34Lane 2
    6. Heat 36Lane 1

Pinewood Derby is a trademark of Scouting America. This chart generator is an independent tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Scouting America.

Judge's tally sheet

Write the place or the time beside the car in each lane
HeatLane 1Lane 2Lane 3Lane 4Lane 5Lane 6
11311141823
22412151924
33513162025
44614172126
55715182227
66816192328
77917202429
881018212530
991119222631
10101220232732
11111321242833
12121422252934
13131523263035
14141624273136
1515172528321
1616182629332
1717192730343
1818202831354
1919212932365
202022303316
212123313427
222224323538
232325333649
242426341510
252527352611
262628363712
27272914813
28283025914
292931361015
303032471116
313133581217
323234691318
3333357101419
3434368111520
353519121621
3636210131722

Pinewood Derby is a trademark of Scouting America. This chart generator is an independent tool and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by Scouting America.

What a 6-lane chart comes out as

36 cars across six lanes is 36 heats and 216 runs in total — six for each car, one in each lane. At about a minute and a half from gate to gate that is roughly 54 minutes of track time, which is the number to plan the morning around rather than the racing itself.

Six lanes is the widest track in normal use: a district or council track, set up down the centre line of a school gymnasium on a Saturday morning.

On six lanes a pack of 31 cars or more can be arranged so that no two cars ever meet twice all day. Below 31 the ring is too short to hold the 30 gaps the rotation needs, so some pair has to be sent down the track together a second time.

Lane bias on six lanes

Six lanes spans the full width of whatever the track is standing on, which turns a floor that is not quite flat into a lane bias — and gymnasium floors are not quite flat.

Timers at this width report all six places and all six times together, which is the only practical way to get a heat recorded before the next one has to be called.

Each run is 16.7% of a car's result at this width, so a single bad lane draw would move a six-lane standing a long way if the lanes were not rotated. Once they are, every car has carried the same handicap exactly once and the totals compare cleanly.

Printing and running six lanes

The schedule prints as 7 columns — the heat number and six lanes — down 36 rows, which fits portrait on both Letter and A4 without shrinking the type to something unreadable across a hall.

Six runs each for a large pack is a long morning, and the schedule is what makes it survivable: six lanes moves more cars through per heat than any other width in use.

Call six cars to the top of the track while the current heat is still running. On six lanes that is 6 boys already holding their cars when the gate drops, and it is the single change that turns 54 minutes of track time into 54 minutes of morning.

Common questions

How many heats for a 6 lane pinewood derby?

One per car: 36 cars on six lanes is 36 heats, and 40 cars would be 40. The lane count sets how many times each car races, not how many heats there are.

How many times does each car race on 6 lanes?

Six times — once in every lane. That is the smallest number of runs that cancels the lane advantage completely, which is why the figure is set by the track rather than chosen by the organiser.

Can two cars end up racing each other repeatedly on 6 lanes?

Not on this chart above 31 cars, where the offsets are chosen so every pair meets at most once. Six lanes produces 30 pairings per rotation, and spreading them is the whole reason the offsets are searched rather than counted off.

Every track width

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