The NEW B.S.A. wheel has a stepped ledge in the outer hub area where the axle head rides. All Derby Worx / Warp Speed wheels feature this area cut out to move the friction area back to the inner edge of the hub for reduced friction and less rotational area PLUS this area is NOW CONED for greater speed and easier set up of a RAIL RIDER (TM) ALIGNMENT!!! Thats right, BOTH sides of the hub on our PRO Ultra Lite, Pro Inertia Lite & Pro Stock wheels are coned and only from Derby Worx / Warp Speed!

Next: the new B.S.A. wheel allows us to take our Pro Inertia Lite wheels to a amazing low of 1.4g’s (down from 1.8g) and still retain ALL original wheel markings inside and out to meet many tight pack and district rules.

All Derby Worx / Warp Speed Wheels feature our exclusive 5 step hub treatment and are precision machined using our NEW Haas cnc’s on our EXCLUSIVE fixtures for added precision.

If your rules would question the hub step removal, check out out Derby Worx Super Stock’s / #MM01, these wheels are mold matched and precision machined on the tread face only on our exclusive fixtures using our Okuma cnc.

Best of luck to ALL racers this season.

Racer X

Derby Worx Products can be found at Derby Monkey Garage at www.DerbyMonkeyGarage.com

Bill Launius at Derby Worx, Inc. made the following comments
–The B.S.A. had the current molds as they put it “Cleaned up, repaired or replaced” since they were getting old and worn. Some of the molds dated back to 1985. THESE up-dated wheels have been slowly introduced into the supply chain since some time late January (I and National supply are surprised that more people have not seen them yet). The B.S.A. does not consider this to be a big change or improvement, just a reworking of the existing designs due to age and wear, also it is not a announced change or improvement as some of the crazies think it should be and no one was informed at national supply outside of purchasing. I don’t understand why everyone thinks the B.S.A. should make like perfect parts for the Pinewood Derby, the real beauty of PWD is teaching, showing and correcting the little imperfections of the existing kit and truly succeeding as a father and son team, if everything is PREFECT then what? –

One problem now is that some kits have the new wheels and some have the old.  That can create some competitive advantages at pack and district races because the new wheels are faster than the old when pulled straight out of the kit box.  Pinewood Derby coordinators must be aware of this and handle it accordingly.

The Main Differences Between the Old and New Wheels

•I.               Outside

• A. The font style on the raised lettering has slightly changed as you’ll notice from the photo of the wheel comparison.
• B. The old style wheel has the “TM” trade mark symbol whereas the new wheel shows the ® registered trademark symbol.
• C. The new style wheel has a recessed ring in the outer hub. This ring will likely create more friction against the inside of the axle head.

•II.            Inside

• A. Just like on the outside, the font style has changed from the old to new wheels.
• B. The inner hub is reduced in diameter.
• C. The inner hub is coned.
• D. The tread is slightly thinner.

•III.           Tread Surface

• A. The new wheel has no mold marks on the tread surface.
• B. The new tread surface requires much less additional work to be competitive.

•IV.           Overall

• A. The basic measurements are the same.
• B. The new wheels are lighter.
• C. The new wheels are truer.
• D. The new wheels are more accurate.
• E. The new wheels are slightly smaller in diameter.
• F. The new wheels are faster.

Unfortunately, stock BSA Pinewood Derby wheels vary considerably from one mold to the other. And the official BSA Pinewood Derby kits contain unmatched wheels. There are about 16-18 different molds used for Pinewood Derby wheels. Each mold being a little different than the other creating wheels with different characteristics.  This inconsistency makes for an unreliable set of wheels that do not work very well with each other.

Mismatched wheels can have slightly different diameters, bore sizes, and tread characteristics. Many Pinewood Derby races are won, or lost, by only a fraction of a second so you want every possible speed advantage no matter how small. You need each wheel to be exactly the same because small differences can make the car slightly off balance adversely affecting speed.

The Derby Monkey Mold Matched BSA Pinewood Derby Wheels are official BSA Pinewood Derby wheels which are hand selected by Derby Worx, inspected and matched to the same mold number.  So, get a set of matching Pinewood Derby wheels, or any set of prepared Pinewood Derby speed wheels offered by Derby Monkey, and give yourself an advantage over the compitition.

Mold matched Pinewood Derby wheels are now available in 5 different colors:

* Black
* Ragin’ Red
* Screamin’ Yellow
* Outrageous Orange
* Blazin’ Blue

Mold Matched Pinewood Derby Wheels Features:

* Hand selected
* Inspected
* Mold matched

Note: Better wheels are only one of many factors that make a fast car. Good wheels alone may not improve your speeds. In addition to prepared wheels you must also have adequate lubrication, alignment and weight placement.

Please check your local rules to see what Pinewood Derby wheels are permitted.

Available in 5 different colors:

• Black
• Ragin’ Red
• Screamin’ Yellow
• Outrageous Orange
• Blazin’ Blue

The stock colored wheels perform just as well as the original wheels in black.  The lighter colors, yellow, orange and red, seem to be a bit softer which is preferred by many racers.  The blue seems to be close to the hardness of the original black.

One good thing about the colored wheels is that you can see your modifications much easier.  Especially with the yellow where you can distinctly see your carvings and cut marks.  This is an added bonus when you’re tediously tweaking your wheels.

The colored wheels are now available in four aftermarket Hi-Performance styles including Mold Matched, Pro Stock, Pro Inertia Lite and Pro Ultra Lite.  All styles are prepared from official BSA Pinewood Derby wheels.

Hi-Performance Styles:

• Mold Matched – These are official BSA wheels which are hand selected, inspected and matched to the same mold number. Unfortunately, stock BSA wheels vary considerably from one mold to the other. This inconsistency makes for an unreliable set of wheels that do not work well with each other.
• Pro Stock – These are official BSA wheels that are precision machined on the outside by Derby Worx Inc. and will meet any rule book. These wheels can be raced without any additional preparation.
• Pro Inertia Lite – These are official BSA wheels that weigh in at only 1.8 grams and retain all of the lettering and numbering inside so they will meet most Pack, District and Council Rules. These wheels are much faster than stock BSA wheels. Gain a huge edge over the competition. These wheels can be raced without any additional preparation.
• Pro Ultra Lite- These are official BSA wheels which are precision CNC machined with True Track Tread, by Derby Worx and Warp Speed, and reduced in weight from 3.5 grams to only 1.0 grams each. Extensive testing has proven that these are the fastest BSA wheels available. These wheels can be raced without any additional preparation.
• To see the Hi-Performance colored wheels click here

So far, colored wheels have not been included in the official BSA Grand Prix Pinewood Derby Kits.  So, you must purchase them separately. Please check your local rules to see what wheels are permitted because some pack rules require that you use the wheels that are in the kit.

To see the Hi-Performance colored wheels click here

Check out some Monkey Spit Here

So, a truly fast BSA wheel includes the following factors:

1. The lighter the wheel the faster the wheel due to low start-up inertia.
2. The truer the roundness of the wheel the faster the wheel.
3. The more polished the wheel bore the faster the wheel.

You can take the stock BSA Pinewood Derby wheels from the box and perform these modifications. However, in order to properly perform some of the most beneficial wheel modifications you must be highly skilled and have the proper equipment.  A micro-lathe or CNC is required to accurately machine the wheels interior.  This will remove a lot of unneeded plastic and drastically reduce weight.  You can decrease the stock weight of 3.6 grams per wheel all the way down to only 1.0 grams.

Unless you have the equipment and are somewhat of a master craftsman it is highly recommended that you purchase a set of official BSA wheels that have been professionally modified by an experienced machine shop.

So, finally, the answer to the question…

What are the Fastest Pinewood Derby Wheels?

Answer: This is a tough one to answer in all honesty.  The Edge wheels by Jewkes Engineering and the Derby Worx Pro Ultra-Lite Pinewood Derby Wheels are extremely fast and are official BSA wheels which are precision CNC machined and reduced in weight from 3.5 grams to only 1.0 grams each. Extensive testing has proven that these two wheels are the fastest BSA wheels available. 

Both Jewkes and Derby Worx claim their wheels are the fastest.  Both have stats to back up their claims.

These wheels can be raced without any additional preparation.  Some extra polishing on the wheel bore can be helpful.

Of course, other factors play a roll in fast wheels including reduced friction, alignment and lubrication.

I have not personally raced the Edge wheels by Jewkes but I feel confident that they are excellent wheels.  I do know this… my son’s Pinewood Derby cars have won their last three pack races and District Derbies using Derby Worx wheels.  So, in my opinion, with all things being equal, the Derby Worx Pro Ultra-Lite Pinewood Derby Wheels are the cat’s meow!