• Look at the underside in the vicinity of the wheels.
  • Is there any non-dry contamination apparent? Yes? The contaminant must be removed, and the wheel tread and sidewall area cleaned effectively before proceeding with further inspection.
• Look at the sides of the wheels.
• • Is there anything dripping down the side of the wheel or oozing out from the hub?  Yes?  The lubricant must be removed, and the wheel tread and sidewall area cleaned effectively before proceeding with further inspection.  Send to the PIT table.

Have the Cub Scout place the car on the scale.

• Does the weight exceed 5 ounces? (If so, have the car removed, reset the scale, check the scale with the 5 ounce standard, and repeat the weighing once.) Yes,  The car's weight must be reduced. Send to the PIT table.

Have the Cub Scout shake the car gently up and down, then fore and aft.  Listen to the sounds the car makes.

• Are there any noises other than the wheels rattling on the axles? Yes?  Inspect the car more closely for moving parts in or on the body. Moving parts (other than the wheels, of course) must be immobilized.  It should noted that gluing federal currency (coins) to the car is a violation of law. Let's hope that there are not any IRS folks at the race.

Have the Cub Scout set the car on the track section.

• Look at the ends (nail heads) of the axles.  Are they shaped like a regulation axle nail? Normal dome shape, no indentation, normal texture, normal diameter, ...No?  The axles must be replaced.
• Look at the top and sides of the car.
  Is there tape or loose material on the car? Yes?  Tape must be removed. Loose material must be removed or affixed firmly.

Inspect all four wheels on the track section.

• Does the flat tread of each wheel touch flat on the track surface. Yes.  Do three of the wheels touch the track at the same time.  Yes, proceed to next test. No, if three of the wheel treads will not touch simultaneously on the track section, the car will likely not stay on the track. Deliberately angled or bent axles should be disqualified.

Look under the car from the end.

• Does the car belly touch the track section? Yes? Advise Cub Scout and his adult partner of possible problem. Tell them that they may repair, otherwise, the car is disqualified.
• Look at the front of the car
  • Is there anything that could catch or stick onto the starting pin?
    Yes, The stickiness must be resolved.

Hang a steel (ferrous) paper clip against the front of the car. Then pull it away gently.  

• Does the paper clip tend to stick to the front of the car? Yes?  The stickiness must be resolved.

Tip the track section so that the front of the car rolls to the pin. From above, look at the front of the car.

• Does the car body extend past any part of the pin?  Yes?  The front of the car must be filled or extended so that no part of the car extends past the starting pin.

Have the Cub Scout set the car upside-down on the pad.

• Look at the wheels
• Are the wheels Official BSA Gradn Prix wheels? No?  The wheels must be replaced.
• Have the wheels been altered in any way from 'out of the kit box'?
  No? Skip the next six wheel inspection steps. Remember that many Districts allow the extreme edge of the wheels to be sanded to remove burs.  The rule of thumb is that ALL BSA markings must be visible inside and outside of the wheel.  Coning of the axles is not allowed.

Look at the wheel treads from the end of the car. Compare width with a fresh wheel of the same type.

• Have the treads been narrowed or are the treads uneven? 
• Yes?  The wheels must be replaced.  Remember that sanding the wheels is permitted to remove burs. However, all BSA markings must remain present and the wheel tread flat. 

Look at the inside of the wheels.

• Is the lettering 'Official BSA Made in USA' intact? No? The wheels must be replaced.
• Has the underside of the tread been cut away? Yes? The wheels must be replaced. 

Look at the junction between the wheels and axles.

• Is there evidence of washers, bushings, sleeves or bearings?  Yes? The washers, bushings, sleeves and bearings must be removed. The wheels and/or axles must be replaced.

Look at the axle between the wheels and car body.

• Is it really the axle, and not a brass tubing over the axle?  No?  That is a bushing/washer and must be removed. The wheels and/or axles must be replaced.

Look at the axle between the wheels and car body.

• Are the axles holes generally the same distance from the bottom of the cars. (While three wheels should touch simutaneously; a fourth wheel may be slightly higher.  You are looking for cars whose fourth wheel has been deliberately raised higher than the others.)?  Yes, go to next step.  No?  Car is disqualified for deliberately raising a four wheel.
• Are the axles evenly sanded, as far as you can tell?  Yes, proceed to next step.  No, replace the axles.  Lathing the axles unevenly is not allowed.  This can be difficult to detect because the uneven lath part of the axles is usually found inside the hub.  This is not allowed, if detected.

These are the most common construction checks.  Many of the obvious checks are not listed, such as, width, height, depth etc.