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Cross Product Frequently Asked Questions

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Can you tell me the name of someone in my area who is already using SuperTrack or SuperTimer II?

From the start of our business more than 20 years ago we have had a policy of not providing the names of current users to potential users for the purpose of aiding our sales. We do this for four reasons.

--First, such lists are self-serving and inherently misleading since they would only contain names of satisfied customers. The most outrageous scams ever perpetrated (e.g. Madoff) all had people who truly believed in them and were more than willing to provide a reference.

--Second, the persons who purchase our products paid money for a product to help their organization and their members, not for a series of phone calls nor for the opportunity to become our salespersons. Several users have sent us letters/emails allowing us to use their names, but we still think it's an intrusion.

--Third, with the significant annual turnover in organization leaders as their children "move up," maintaining an accurate list is all but impossible.

--Fourth, the only opinion that matters is yours.

As a preferred alternative to "recommendations," we provide the most liberal possible guarantee for BOTH SuperTimer and SuperTrack. "If you ever think you didn't get your money's worth, simply return the product for a refund." There's no time limit, you are the sole judge. After all, whose opinion is most important?

If there is a problem, we fix it. If you need the system tomorrow, we'll try to get it there. Our record is 23 hours from order to race (for SuperTimer II), and that race was on the other side of the U.S.! We have likewise been very liberal in our software upgrade policy. And, once we spent about an hour on several phone calls with a user who was having great difficulty only to discover he had a competitors' product.

Speaking of time, here's an interesting link that demonstrates how long we've being serving your needs. Our web site years ago. It's from more than a decade ago although we started producing timers about 15 years before that in DOS.

There is one exception to the references policy. We will provide the names of current users to current users in the same area for the purpose of sharing expertise, providing a backup or a second system for a regional event, etc.

We look forward to having you as a satisfied customer and not using you as our salesman. That said, the advent of Facebook has allowed users to volunteer their experiences. You can see them here.

What is the Goal of the Pinewood Derby?

Before you even begin to run a Pinewood Derby, you need to answer the following question. "WHAT IS THE GOAL OF THE PINEWOOD DERBY?" A surprising number of people think that it's to determine a winner. We don't think so. We think the goal of the Pinewood Derby is to provide a positive experience for the Scout and the Scout's family and the Pack. Our Pinewood Track, Pinewood Timer and Pinewood Software have all been designed with that in mind. Of course we do find the overall winner. We also find the winner in each Den(or other user-defined group), the fastest Den, etc.

Will SuperTimer II work with SuperTrack - is it easy to install?

SuperTrack, our Pinewood Track, was specifically designed to work with SuperTimer II, our Pinewood Timer. If you already have a Pinewood Timer, you can probably make that work as well but you won't be surprised to hear that we recommend SuperTimer II and RaceManager, our Pinewood Software. When you order SuperTrack with SuperTimer II at the same time, both the Start Gate and the Finish Assembly will arrive pre-wired and tested. You simply slide the components into place. No tools!

What's the difference between the SuperTimer II and RaceManager?

SuperTimer II is a Pinewood Timer that, controls the start, judges the heat, calculates the times and speaks the answers. It also communicates with the RaceManager option if available. The RaceManager is a Pinewood Software computer program that schedules the runs, gets the times from SuperTimer II and calculates the winners. The RaceManager schedules the races to make them look more competitive while keeping them fair. When used together, SuperTimer II and RaceManager work together to produce an easy to run and fair race with lots of winners.

Why do I need a computer?

You don't. SuperTimer II will run alone and time a heat. Then you can schedule and score the results. Organizations with fewer than 20 racers sometimes do this. With more than 20 racers the scoring becomes tedious and complex. A computer is needed only if you want our RaceManager Pinewood Software to manage your race. You will not be surprised to find that we recommend that and that even without our recommendation, the great majority of our users choose the RaceManager Option.

Will SuperTimer II and/or RaceManager work on any track?

Yes. Any shape, any size (up to 50 feet!), up to six lanes, even aluminum tracks although we shamelessly recommend SuperTrack instead. On request we can provide for whatever special needs you might have. Here's a link that debunks aluminum tracks.

How can I pay for SuperTrack, SuperTimer II and/or RaceManager?

If you would like to pay by check, we will process your order when we receive the check number (indicating it has been written). We don't wait for the check although we certainly want to receive it. We certainly don't wait for the check to clear! If you would like to pay by credit card, we will process the order immediately and usually ship that day or the next. We accept Discover, MasterCard and Visa.

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