Kub Kar Rally

At the Kub Kar Rally, the Beavers, Cubs and Scouts race their Beaver Buggies, Kub Kars and Scout Trucks to see whose vehicle is the fastest and best designed. We race the cars down a ~15m long track and eventually award trophies for the winners and Best in Show. The overall event takes 3-4 hours.

The facility registration form must be filled in and sent to the Scout Office for approval. They also required a copy of the Scouts Canada insurance which can be provided by the Scout Office. In the past, it has been held at various malls and the New Westminster Quay. In 2019 and 2020, we held it in the Royal Centre Mall at 6th and 6th in an alcove near the Walmart and it worked out very well. With Covid, we are looking for an outdoor space.

As with all Scouting events, everyone attends in full uniform.

The Group covers the cost of the kits, trophies and participant patches, all of which can be purchased from the Scout Shop. Note that the Scout Shop does not have trophies for Beaver Buggies, so typically someone buys some trophies from a loonie store and adds ribbons, etc.

Individual trophies are awarded for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and Best in Show for Beavers, Kub Kars and Scout Trucks. In addition, there are large trophies for the first place Beaver, Cub and Scout that get awarded and held by the winner for a year.

For Beavers, the Beaver Buggies can be assembled and decorated all in one meeting. For Cubs and Scouts, it takes longer. The kids design, cut out, and partially assemble their vehicles in one meeting, and then take them home to finish assembling, painting, decorating, etc. At the next meeting, we weigh the vehicles and practice running them on the track in preparation for the Rally.

Weight limits are 142 grams for Kub Kars and 1200 grams for Scout Trucks. There is no limit for Beaver buggies and because wood is not cut off, no weights should be added other than decoration.

The tracks take time to set up, so some Scouters need to get there early. There is an old track at Queens Ave. United Church and is good for Beaver Buggies and Kub Kars only. The newer (and longer) track is at Knox Presbyterian Church and is good for Beaver Buggies, Kub Kars and the Scout Trucks. The 7/16” bolts for the Knox track is kept in a red plastic coffee can with the track. There is also a weight to hold the starting end down. We typically only set up one track at the Rally, but have brought both in the past.

A few weeks after the Rally, there is often a Coho Area Kub Kar Rally and we have sent our top 3 Cubs and top 3 Scouts. Other groups use it as their only race day, so there are often hundreds of kids that come and it take a LONG time! The registration deadline is at the end of February, so as soon as we know our top finishers, we need to register. The entry cost is covered by the Group, leadership ratio is required on the day, and an Adventure Application Form (AAF) is not required.

To assemble the Kars and Trucks in a meeting, remember to do the following:

• The first meeting is for kids assembling their cars. Bring a band saw, scroll saw, hammers, glue guns, flathead screwdriver, files, sandpaper, extension cords, etc. Some kids will have the cars completely done already, so other activities will need to be planned.
• The second meeting is tuning. Bring the saws again as there is always a last minute problem. For tuning, you need a glue gun, weights, silicone spray lubricant, the scale (normally kept in the locker or at Glenbrook Middle School r in the locker), and to set up the track.
• If we plan to attend the Coho Area races, we need to consider what type of lubricant to use as they may not allow (graphite or spray lubricant) at those races. Lately everyone used silcone spray lubricant.
• Our Group standard is to use silicone spray lubricant.

Before the Rally, remember to do the following:

• Book a place for the Rally. Do this a few months before or you will find the venue has been booked by someone else. Note that the paperwork and insurance takes a while to sort out.
• At a Group Committee meeting, plan the event, including determine the times that people need to be there (some need to be there early to set up the track).
• Establish rules for tie races (the software can't handle this so re-run?), car that jump off the track (re-run?).
• Establish rules for how long it takes to knock a vehicle out of the race. The software assigns 2 points for a 3rd place finish and one point for 2nd place finish. The default is 6 points to be eliminated. For races with a ton of vehicles (20+), suggest making it 5 points to be eliminated or the races take a really long time to finish.
• Establish a plan for running both Colonies. In 2019, we ran the Queens buggies and determined 1/2/3 and then ran the Knox buggies and determined 1/2/3 and then had a runoff for top trophy. In 2020, we ran it as one huge group and this took a long time.
• Tell parents exactly when and where to show up via the ScoutsTracker event.
• Go to the Scout Shop and buy the following items. Sections should work together to determine quantities. Note that there are often leftover vehicles and participant patches from previous years.
  • Sufficient Beaver Buggies, Kub Kars and Scout trucks for all participants.
  • 7 trophies (1st, 2nd, 3rd for each Colony, plus one best in show) for Beaver Buggies.
  • 4 trophies (1st, 2nd, 3rd and Best in Show) for Kub Kars.
  • 4 trophies (1st, 2nd, 3rd and Best in Show) for Scout Trucks.
  • Participant patches (Beavers, Cubs and Scouts) from the Scout Shop.
• Prelabel the trophies with 1/2/3/BIS labels with masking tape. We will get them engraved later.
• Get the first place Beaver Buggy Trophy, Kub Kar Trophy and Scout Truck Trophy back from the last year’s winners.
• Check the track(s) and determine if any maintenance is required.

On the day of the Rally, remember to bring the following from the locker:

• First aid kit.
• Scale from the locker.
• Extension cords from the locker.
• Paper towel to mop up extra spray lubricant.
• Section flags.
• Wooden round to hold the flags from the locker.
• Note that the hosting facilities typically have tables that we can use.

and the following from Knox Church:

• Long track including assembly can of nuts and bolts, 7/16” wrenches, and return the track to Knox Church later.
• Weight to hold the track down at the starting end. There is (used to be?) a brick/block with the track at Knox Church.
• Box of repair equipment including hot glue gun, extra weights, etc.

and the following from home:

• Trophies and participant patches.
• Extra hot glue guns.
• Hammer.
• Spray lubricant.
• Utility knife
• Pliers.
• Scissors.
• Screwdriver - flathead and #2 Robertson.
• Masking tape, sharpies to label the buggies, kars and trucks.
• Blank paper and pens to write down the entries.
• Cordless drill and drill bits to fix the Scout Trucks.
• Extra dowling and screws in case the track release mechanism breaks. Consider replacing mechanism with bolts for durability.
• Laptop with race software (Derby Day!) to track the races.
• Powerbar.
• Computer monitor or projector with screen to display results. There is a screen in the basement at Knox.
• Phone with camera to take video of races, so close races can be evaluated. In 2019, we purchased a timing rig that is compatible with the race software.
• Scout literature that we can hand out to people interested in the Scouting program.

During the Rally, we need a number of people to be involved as follows:

• Note that the software cannot handle late entrants.
• Assemble the track on its side and with the help of at least 4 adults, carefully lift it in once piece and set it down.
• One Scouter needs to be in charge of the computer and running the race software.
• One Scouter needs to weigh and sign in the vehicles, write down the names and affix a number to the vehicle. Once the entire Section has been signed in, the names are entered into the software. As Queens and Knox Beavers run separately, it would be good to label them Q1, Q2, K1, K2, etc.
• One Scouter needs to handle the loading of the vehicles onto the track in the correct order.
• One Scouter needs to be at the end of the track to signal the person on the computer so the results are entered correctly. May not need with the new timing rig.
• One Scouter should use a phone to record the finishes so that close races can be determined correctly. May not need with the new timing rig.
• One Scouter should be the pit crew to repair vehicles as required.
• After each Section race is done, the Section Scouter should immediately present the trophies and participation patches. Don't wait until all Sections races are complete as people may want to leave earlier.

After the Rally, remember to do the following:

• Clean up put away the tables and chairs.
• Return the track and weight to Knox Church and other material to the locker.
• Take the plates from all the trophies (1st/2nd/3rd/Best in Show individual trophies and also the larger trophies) and have them engraved with year and recipient names, to present to the winners at a future meeting. For the last few years, we have taken them to Imperial Trophies at #180 - 5489 Byrne Rd., Burnaby.