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Heat: Pedal to the Metal

156 questions players ask about Heat: Pedal to the Metal, answered in plain words and graded by where the answer comes from. See also the full rulebook.

Updated 2026-10-29.

  • Setup and components
  • Gears and playing cards
  • Reveal and move
  • React: boost, cooldown and Adrenaline
  • Slipstream
  • Corners and spin outs
  • Discard, replenish and deck
  • Heat cards and Cluttered Hand
  • Starting Upgrade cards
  • How to win
Garage module and upgrade cards
  • Legends module (bots)
  • Weather and road conditions
  • Championship, sponsorship and press corners
  • Heat: Heavy RainExpansion
  • Heat: LegendsExpansion
  • Heat: Tunnel VisionExpansion
  • Heat: Rocky RoadsExpansion
  • Setup and components

    Can you shift gears on the first turn of the race?

    The designer answered this directly on BGG.

    • beewee · Publisher · 2022-07-21
    • megalomane · Designer · 2022-11-20
    • Ryan Keane · Community · 2022-12-03
    • AegisToast · Community · 2023-12-31
    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · 1. Shift Gears

    Yes — everyone starts in 1st gear, but the first round is a normal round, so you may shift up one gear for free or two gears (to 3rd) by paying 1 Heat from your engine. The same applies on the turn after a spin out.

    How is the starting grid order decided, and do cars at the back have to move more?

    The rulebook text answers this directly.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · Setting up the game
    • ryan3740 · Community · 2023-06-13
    • Thane13 · Community · 2023-06-13

    Place the cars on the grid at random, one at a time, filling the spots in order. Cars move from wherever they are placed, so cars at the back simply have further to go to reach the first corner.

    Which line on the track is the Race Line?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • ColtsFan76 · Community · 2025-05-03
    • TripleThr3at · Community · 2022-10-12
    • LeonardQuirm · Community · 2026-09-02
    • ColtsFan76 · Community · 2025-04-19
    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · 3. Reveal & Move

    The Race Line is the thick white line along the edge of the track, not the thin black line next to it. It can switch sides through the corners, and the car on the spot nearest it is considered ahead of a car beside it.

    Where do the Heat cards go when an experienced player removes 1 or 2 to handicap themselves?

    The rulebook text answers this directly.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · Setting up the game
    • arrie1987 · Community · 2024-08-13

    They go back to the box, not the discard pile, so you really do have less Heat for the whole race. The rulebook suggests this when experienced drivers play with rookies.

    How many Heat and Stress cards do you start with, and does Stress carry over between Championship races?

    The rulebook text answers this directly.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · Setting up the game
    • RazorOz · Community · 2024-10-17
    • kocici_tata · Community · 2024-10-17

    The numbers are printed on the track board (typically 6 Heat in your engine and 3 Stress shuffled into your deck). In a Championship they reset before every race, so Stress picked up from spin outs or weather does not carry over.

    What do the three numbers on the track board mean?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • Gawain · Community · 2024-02-26
    • Clavos · Community · 2023-01-02

    Left to right they give the number of laps in the race, the number of spaces per lap, and the number of corners per lap.

    How many laps is a standard race?

    The rulebook text answers this directly.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · Setting up the game
    • Frank Hamrick · Community · 2023-02-01
    • rasmussen81 · Community · 2023-02-01

    The number of laps printed on the board for the track you are using, normally 2 (the rulebook suggests 1 lap for a first learning game on the USA track). You win by being first across the line after completing that many laps.

    How many players or cars can a race hold, and can you play with 7 or more?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • ryan3740 · Community · 2025-02-07
    • Teeka · Community · 2026-05-14
    • brokengod · Community · 2025-10-30
    • Bondp99 · Community · 2026-01-09

    The base game seats 6, and the designers tested up to 12 cars without any rule changes. Each expansion except Legends adds a car, mat and deck, so adding expansions lets you reach 7 players or more, and the newer tracks have grid spots for up to 12 cars.

    Do you need to read the text on the components to play Heat?

    The designer answered this directly on BGG.

    • megalomane · Designer · 2022-10-01
    • SaltyHorse · Community · 2022-10-11

    No. The game is almost entirely language independent. The only text that matters is on the 10 Championship Event cards, which are read when setting up a championship race.

    Did the second printing or Rules v1.1 change any rules?

    Based on a single reply or a contested reading; no official ruling.

    • beewee · Publisher · 2023-06-05
    • Swiggan · Community · 2023-07-19

    The v1.1 rules are the revised version, and players report the rewrite only clarified wording rather than changing how the game plays. The version number is on the last page of the downloadable rules.

    Gears and playing cards

    What does it cost to shift two gears in one turn, and can you shift three?

    The rulebook text answers this directly.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · Shifting up/down 2 positions
    • steveowen · Community · 2023-01-25
    • Moose Malloy · Community · 2023-10-24
    • rasmussen81 · Community · 2022-12-03
    • argaille · Community · 2023-01-08

    Shifting one gear up or down is free; shifting two gears costs 1 Heat, paid immediately from your engine to your discard pile. If you have no Heat in your engine you can only shift one gear, and you can never shift three (for example 1st straight to 4th).

    Do you have to shift gears every turn?

    The rulebook text answers this directly.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · 1. Shift Gears
    • Panarg · Community · 2024-01-04

    No. You may stay in your current gear or shift one gear up or down for free; shifting two gears costs Heat.

    Are gears and cards chosen at the same time, and can you change them after others reveal?

    The rulebook text answers this directly.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · Playing a round
    • AegisToast · Community · 2026-06-10
    • Ligght · Community · 2024-04-21
    • Josutxasko · Community · 2024-04-14

    Yes, in the standard game steps 1 and 2 happen simultaneously, and once your cards are placed face down they cannot be changed. The turn-by-turn steps from 3 onward are done one car at a time.

    How does Tournament Mode change gear shifting?

    The designer answered this directly on BGG.

    • AsgerAG · Designer · 2023-02-23
    • Daverman · Community · 2023-02-24
    • Moose Malloy · Community · 2022-12-27
    • Race_Bannon · Community · 2024-03-12
    • Blackwolfpt · Community · 2023-12-28

    Gears stay hidden until the cards are revealed, then the gear pawn moves and any Heat for a two-gear shift is paid at that moment. The designer says this was the original core rule, kept as an option to stop players signalling their gear. Players can still shift up on the first turn, and you still get the new gear's cooldown.

    Can you look at your hand before choosing your gear?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • zenxacred · Community · 2024-08-06
    • Ligght · Community · 2024-02-19
    • Slotracer · Community · 2025-02-05

    Yes. Your hand is open to you at any time, and you draw your new hand at the end of the previous turn, so you can plan your gear and cards from it. You may not look through discard piles.

    Can you play Stress cards (or only Stress cards) as part of your gear's cards?

    The rulebook answers this, and a designer or publisher post agrees.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · 2. Play Cards
    • beewee · Publisher · 2023-08-10
    • thefiddler · Community · 2024-09-14

    Yes. You may play any mix of cards except Heat, including Stress, and Stress cards count toward the number of cards your gear requires. Only Heat cards can never be played (except by Cluttered Hand).

    Is the number of Heat cards in each engine public information?

    The publisher answered this directly on BGG.

    • beewee · Publisher · 2022-10-11
    • mudshark_baby · Community · 2022-10-31
    • SaltyHorse · Community · 2022-11-18
    • ryan3740 · Community · 2024-01-24
    • Teeka · Community · 2025-09-05

    Yes. The Heat count in an engine is open information, so you can count it and ask opponents how many they have. Your hand is not shown to others.

    Can you look through a discard pile, including your own?

    The rulebook text answers this directly.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · 8. Discard
    • Sykokaj · Community · 2022-10-11
    • PeteHawkins · Community · 2022-12-15
    • Prullenbak · Community · 2023-01-13
    • gachzorge · Community · 2023-04-21
    • RDewsbery · Community · 2025-04-13

    No. Nobody may browse any discard pile, your own included; only the top card is public. The only exceptions are specific upgrade effects such as Supercool or Salvage that let you look.

    Who moves first each round, and what if two cars are side by side?

    The rulebook text answers this directly.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · Playing a round
    • SwiftAero · Community · 2026-06-26
    • DoomTurtle · Community · 2025-01-29
    • LeonardQuirm · Community · 2023-06-10
    • steveowen · Community · 2023-01-24

    After steps 1 and 2, cars take turns from the frontmost car backward, with turn order fixed by positions at the start of the round. If two cars share a space, the one on the spot nearest the Race Line is ahead and goes first.

    Does each car finish steps 3 to 9 before the next car moves, including in solo games?

    The rulebook answers this, and a designer or publisher post agrees.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · Playing a round
    • Fede__ · Community · 2024-09-29
    • steveowen · Community · 2023-01-17
    • Thane13 · Community · 2023-04-11
    • megalomane · Designer · 2022-10-13

    Yes. Steps 3 to 9 are completed by one car before the next car starts, in solo as well as multiplayer; only gear and card choices are made together beforehand. This is why slipstream and Adrenaline are resolved on your own turn only.

    Reveal and move

    How does the + on a Stress card work, and what happens to the cards flipped?

    The rulebook answers this, and a designer or publisher post agrees.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · Stress Cards
    • megalomane · Designer · 2022-12-19
    • beewee · Publisher · 2023-01-03
    • robmcarthur2001 · Community · 2025-06-03
    • DoomTurtle · Community · 2024-05-29
    • megalomane · Designer · 2022-10-13

    Reveal cards from the top of your draw deck one at a time. Anything that is not a Basic 1-4 card (Heat, other Stress, Upgrade cards including the 0 and 5) goes straight to your discard pile; the first Basic card stays in your Play Area and gives the speed. The flipped cards never enter your hand, so even a flipped Heat can be discarded.

    Does playing a Stress card cost Heat?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • dysjunct · Community · 2022-12-15
    • megalomane · Designer · 2022-10-14
    • elebenty · Community · 2022-10-12

    No. Resolving a Stress card's + is free; you just flip until a Basic speed card appears. Only the optional Boost costs 1 Heat.

    Where do played Stress cards go, and can you ever get rid of them?

    The rulebook answers this, and a designer or publisher post agrees.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · 9. Replenish Hand
    • beewee · Publisher · 2023-09-21
    • beewee · Publisher · 2022-11-14
    • Squidget · Community · 2025-12-27
    • DoomTurtle · Community · 2024-05-08

    Played Stress cards go to your discard pile with the rest of your Play Area at the end of the turn and return when you reshuffle. You cannot discard Stress from your hand in step 8, and in the core game Stress never leaves your deck.

    Can cars block you, and where do you stop if your landing space is full?

    The rulebook text answers this directly.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · 3. Reveal & Move
    • bgm1961 · Community · 2023-08-09
    • Novis · Community · 2024-03-10
    • schloetterer · Community · 2024-01-21
    • klund · Community · 2025-01-05

    Cars never stop you passing through them. You are only blocked if you would end in a space whose spots are all taken; then you stop in the first space with a free spot behind them. Two cars side by side do not block the path, only the final space.

    If you are blocked, can Boost or Adrenaline carry you past the blocking cars?

    The publisher answered this directly on BGG.

    • beewee · Publisher · 2023-05-17
    • beewee · Publisher · 2023-04-12
    • beewee · Publisher · 2023-07-05
    • DoctorBandage · Community · 2023-01-23
    • ryan3740 · Community · 2023-09-26
    • herobean · Community · 2024-02-09

    Each of your step 3 move, Boost, Adrenaline and Slipstream is a separate move measured from where you actually stopped. A single extra space such as Adrenaline's often just lands on the same full space and sends you back again, but a bigger separate move such as a Boost can carry you past the blockers. Your Speed value is unchanged by being blocked.

    In what order do Stress cards, + symbols and Boost resolve?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • RDewsbery · Community · 2025-03-02
    • Daverman · Community · 2023-06-18
    • WolfsongSwe · Community · 2026-02-08
    • steveowen · Community · 2023-06-18

    All + symbols on the cards you played (Stress and upgrades) resolve in step 3 when you reveal, in any order you like, before you move. Boost is a separate optional + that resolves later in step 5. Variable-value cards such as Brakes are set after those + flips are known.

    React: boost, cooldown and Adrenaline

    How does Boost work, how often can you use it and what does it cost?

    The rulebook answers this, and a designer or publisher post agrees.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · Boost
    • mudshark_baby · Community · 2022-11-13
    • megalomane · Designer · 2022-11-16
    • bgm1961 · Community · 2023-12-31
    • acharlie1377 · Community · 2022-12-10
    • Shadowen · Community · 2025-08-15

    Once per turn, in any gear, you may pay 1 Heat from your engine (moved to your discard pile) to boost. Resolve it like a Stress +: flip cards until a Basic 1-4 card appears, discarding the rest, and move that many spaces. Upgrade cards never count as the flipped speed card, and having + cards in play does not give extra boosts.

    What do the Heat and + symbols beside each gear on the player mat mean?

    The publisher answered this directly on BGG.

    • beewee · Publisher · 2022-07-20
    • oRd3s · Community · 2022-12-17
    • mudshark_baby · Community · 2023-01-01
    • tkelly · Community · 2024-02-29

    They are reminders, not costs. The + with a Heat is the Boost you may buy for 1 Heat once per round in any gear. You do not pay Heat just for being in a gear.

    Can you resolve React-step symbols in any order, for example cool down first and then boost?

    The rulebook answers this, and a designer or publisher post agrees.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · 5. React
    • Novis · Community · 2024-06-28
    • DoctorBandage · Community · 2022-12-25
    • mayrik · Community · 2022-10-13
    • beewee · Publisher · 2023-10-18
    • Eldard · Community · 2024-07-23

    Yes. In step 5 each symbol is activated and completed on its own, in whatever order you choose, so you can cool a Heat back into your engine and then spend it on a Boost. Cooldown and Boost are both optional.

    Which gears give Cooldown, and do you get it again if you stay in the same gear?

    The designer answered this directly on BGG.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · Cooldown
    • AsgerAG · Designer · 2022-10-16
    • henchcritter · Community · 2024-05-27
    • Ryan Keane · Community · 2022-10-19

    1st gear gives Cooldown 3 and 2nd gear Cooldown 1, and you get it in the React step of every turn you end in that gear; nothing carries over. 3rd and 4th give none, and shifting down by itself does not cool the engine.

    What exactly does Cooldown move, and can it use cards drawn this turn?

    The rulebook text answers this directly.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · Cooldown
    • winksGeek · Community · 2025-01-15
    • steveowen · Community · 2026-08-11

    Cooldown moves Heat cards from your hand back into your engine. It never takes Heat from your discard pile.

    Who gets Adrenaline each round?

    The rulebook text answers this directly.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · 4. Adrenaline
    • brokengod · Community · 2023-07-13
    • KingOfRohan · Community · 2022-12-28
    • hemulen · Community · 2023-02-27
    • Ouduk · Community · 2023-10-12
    • Harald · Community · 2024-12-28
    • clubcourage · Community · 2023-01-05

    The car that moves last this round, or the last two cars in a race that started with 5 or more cars. It is fixed by turn order at the start of the round, not by where you end up after moving, and it applies from the very first round. Legends count when deciding who is last.

    Is Adrenaline based on the cars that started the race or those still racing?

    The rulebook text answers this directly.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · How to Win
    • nachof · Community · 2024-03-25
    • GruenesFeuer · Community · 2025-03-05

    On the number of cars that started the race. Once cars finish and are removed, the last car (or last two, if five or more started) still gets Adrenaline.

    Is Adrenaline mandatory, and are its +1 space and +1 Cooldown independent?

    The designer answered this directly on BGG.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · 4. Adrenaline
    • AsgerAG · Designer · 2022-11-05
    • dragodelbiondo · Community · 2022-10-22
    • Highland Cow · Community · 2022-11-22
    • oracol8 · Community · 2026-05-24

    Nothing about Adrenaline is mandatory. The extra space (which adds 1 to your Speed) and the extra Cooldown are separate, so you may take either, both or neither, with no need to boost. It cannot be saved for later rounds.

    Can the Adrenaline Cooldown be used in 3rd or 4th gear?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • rickert · Community · 2023-01-31
    • Joakley815 · Community · 2023-01-05
    • pinkled5 · Community · 2025-04-12
    • Harald · Community · 2024-03-22
    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · 4. Adrenaline

    Yes. It is an extra Cooldown on top of any you already have, so it works in any gear, even if your gear gives none.

    When is Adrenaline used, and can it be used after slipstreaming?

    The rulebook answers this, and a designer or publisher post agrees.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · 4. Adrenaline
    • ryan3740 · Community · 2023-05-17
    • KuzKuz · Community · 2023-10-13
    • steveowen · Community · 2025-03-15
    • beewee · Publisher · 2023-10-18

    Step 4 only tells you whether you qualify; you actually use the extra space and Cooldown in step 5 (React), in any order with Boost and Cooldown. Slipstream is step 6, so Adrenaline cannot be used after it.

    Does Adrenaline's +1 count toward your Speed for the corner check?

    The rulebook answers this, and a designer or publisher post agrees.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · 7. Check Corner
    • megalomane · Designer · 2022-10-13
    • beewee · Publisher · 2023-01-08
    • Murr · Community · 2023-10-16
    • Teeka · Community · 2024-03-07

    Yes. The +1 is added to your Speed, so it counts at every corner you cross that turn. Slipstream is the only movement that does not.

    Is the React step optional, and which symbols must you resolve?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • Eldard · Community · 2024-07-23
    • ryan3740 · Community · 2023-11-10
    • Murdoc2D96 · Community · 2023-11-18

    React always happens, but Boost and Cooldown are optional. Symbols marked with an exclamation mark on upgrade cards are mandatory, as are the + flips on cards you played.

    Slipstream

    When can you slipstream, and does the exact spot or lane matter?

    The rulebook answers this, and a designer or publisher post agrees.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · 6. Slipstream
    • rasmussen81 · Community · 2023-01-07
    • megalomane · Designer · 2022-10-14
    • herobean · Community · 2023-11-04
    • joepunman · Community · 2024-12-29
    • rasmussen81 · Community · 2022-10-25

    You may slipstream if your move ends next to another car or in the space directly behind one. Only the space matters, not the lane or which spot you occupy, and a car on the other side of the track still counts. It is optional.

    Can you slipstream just one space instead of two?

    The designer answered this directly on BGG.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · 6. Slipstream
    • beewee · Publisher · 2022-11-09
    • beewee · Publisher · 2022-07-21
    • AsgerAG · Designer · 2022-09-05
    • substandardtim · Community · 2025-05-17
    • Gawain · Community · 2024-09-22

    No. A slipstream is two spaces or nothing. The only way it shortens is blocking: if the final space is full you stop in the first free spot behind the blockers.

    Can you slipstream more than once in a turn, or chain slipstreams?

    The rulebook answers this, and a designer or publisher post agrees.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · 6. Slipstream
    • AsgerAG · Designer · 2022-08-17
    • rasmussen81 · Community · 2022-10-24
    • megalomane · Designer · 2022-12-08
    • mayrik · Community · 2023-02-24
    • Ligght · Community · 2026-01-07

    No. You may slipstream only once per turn, even if the first slipstream leaves you behind or beside another car, and not once per lap or per race either.

    Can you slipstream past cars, or when the spaces ahead are full?

    The rulebook answers this, and a designer or publisher post agrees.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · 6. Slipstream
    • beewee · Publisher · 2022-08-23
    • Novis · Community · 2024-03-10
    • Thane13 · Community · 2023-09-22
    • robmcarthur2001 · Community · 2024-05-19
    • drmesa · Community · 2026-03-12

    Yes. Cars never block passage, so you can slipstream past or behind pairs of cars. If your two-space landing space is full, you simply stop in the first free spot behind the blocking cars. Being blocked after step 3 does not stop you slipstreaming either.

    Does slipstream movement add to your Speed for a corner check?

    The rulebook answers this, and a designer or publisher post agrees.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · 6. Slipstream
    • PeteHawkins · Community · 2022-12-08
    • beewee · Publisher · 2022-12-17
    • AegisToast · Community · 2022-12-08
    • GozzyBear · Community · 2023-05-07
    • Tungstene · Community · 2026-06-06

    No. Slipstreaming moves your car but never raises your Speed, so a corner is checked against your cards, Boost and Adrenaline only. If the slipstream carries you over a corner line you still make that corner check, at the lower Speed.

    Can you slipstream off a car that spun out earlier in the same round?

    The designer answered this directly on BGG.

    • megalomane · Designer · 2022-10-13
    • schloetterer · Community · 2023-05-21
    • DaddyKool · Community · 2026-07-06

    Yes. Slipstream depends only on where your own move ends: if you finish beside or behind a car, you may slipstream, even if that car was moved back by a spin out.

    If another car later moves up beside you, can you slipstream off it?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • TripleThr3at · Community · 2022-10-13
    • beemanberlin · Community · 2025-07-19
    • substandardtim · Community · 2023-10-27
    • Walt Mulder · Community · 2023-06-04

    No. Slipstream is only checked at the end of your own move on your own turn. A car that arrives next to you afterwards has no effect, and a car that already moved on gives no slipstream to a later car.

    Can you slipstream if you did not move, for example after playing a 0?

    Based on a single reply or a contested reading; no official ruling.

    • zarathud · Community · 2024-07-18
    • Thane13 · Community · 2023-06-16
    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · 6. Slipstream

    Yes, most players read it that way: slipstream depends only on where your move ends, next to or behind another car, not on how far you travelled. There is no explicit ruling.

    Can you slipstream off a car that is a lap behind?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • substandardtim · Community · 2023-10-09
    • bgm1961 · Community · 2023-09-30
    • Mayaheine · Community · 2025-01-21

    Yes. Nothing excludes lapped cars, so a car a full lap behind you still counts as a car you end beside or behind.

    Are extra slipstream bonuses from weather or upgrades mandatory, and do they stack?

    The designer answered this directly on BGG.

    • megalomane · Designer · 2023-01-02
    • AsgerAG · Designer · 2023-08-30
    • beewee · Publisher · 2024-01-05
    • beewee · Publisher · 2024-01-09
    • Koski · Community · 2023-01-18
    • steveowen · Community · 2024-07-22

    The base 2-space slipstream must be taken in full whenever you slipstream, but each bonus from weather, road conditions or upgrade cards is an optional add-on to it. Several bonuses add together, and you choose which to use before moving, so totals like 0, 2, 4 or more are possible but never 1.

    Corners and spin outs

    What counts toward your Speed for the corner check?

    The rulebook answers this, and a designer or publisher post agrees.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · 7. Check Corner
    • beewee · Publisher · 2022-12-07
    • wonderloss · Community · 2023-10-05
    • costguy · Community · 2023-01-25
    • l-hansen · Community · 2023-11-20
    • Thane13 · Community · 2024-12-30

    Your Speed is the sum of every played card value (including Upgrade and Stress flips), Boost, and Adrenaline's +1. Slipstream does not count, and neither does the distance you actually moved.

    If you are blocked short of your full move, do you still pay corner Heat?

    The publisher answered this directly on BGG.

    • beewee · Publisher · 2023-05-13
    • VictorViper · Community · 2022-12-07
    • ryan3740 · Community · 2024-02-07
    • Fede__ · Community · 2024-09-20
    • pinkled5 · Community · 2024-03-25

    Only if you actually crossed the Corner Line. If being blocked leaves you in front of the line you pay nothing and still need to clear the corner next round. If you did cross it, the Heat is based on your Speed, not on the spaces you moved.

    How much Heat do you pay for exceeding a corner's speed limit?

    The rulebook text answers this directly.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · 7. Check Corner
    • OsAsTk · Community · 2023-07-02
    • RDewsbery · Community · 2022-11-21

    One Heat for each point your total Speed is above the limit. At or under the limit costs nothing, and you may always choose to go slower.

    If you cross two corners in one turn, do you pay for each, and where do you spin out?

    The publisher answered this directly on BGG.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · 7. Check Corner
    • beewee · Publisher · 2022-10-14
    • clubcourage · Community · 2023-01-28
    • Tobl · Community · 2024-04-05
    • ryan3740 · Community · 2026-02-22

    Yes. Each corner is checked and paid separately, starting with the first line you crossed, using the same total Speed. You spin out at the first corner you cannot afford and never reach the second.

    What happens when you spin out?

    The rulebook text answers this directly.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · Spin out
    • rasmussen81 · Community · 2022-10-14
    • Stumptonian · Community · 2022-12-10
    • substandardtim · Community · 2023-06-20
    • Slotracer · Community · 2022-12-02
    • Ancientvirus · Community · 2023-01-09

    You pay all the Heat you have, your car goes back to the first available space before the Corner Line that caused it, you take 1 Stress card (1st/2nd gear) or 2 (3rd/4th gear) from the reserve into your hand, and your gear pawn drops to 1st. The extra Stress comes from the supply, not your deck.

    Can you cool down on the turn you spin out, and what can you do next turn?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • Killbray · Community · 2024-02-26
    • Skylar114 · Community · 2023-12-22
    • FantasticFlow · Community · 2022-12-01
    • claudio212 · Community · 2022-12-27
    • andrewkapish · Community · 2025-01-16

    Cooldown happens in React before the corner check, so you can use it to avoid the spin out, but moving to 1st gear afterwards gives no cooldown that turn. You have no Heat after paying, so next turn you can shift to 2nd but not 3rd, and the turn continues normally to discard and redraw.

    Can you cool Heat from your hand back to the engine to pay for a corner?

    The rulebook text answers this directly.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · 5. React
    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · 7. Check Corner
    • Skylar114 · Community · 2023-12-22
    • steveowen · Community · 2024-02-03
    • snubber · Community · 2024-04-06

    Yes. Cooldown resolves in React, before the Check Corner step, so Heat you return to your engine can pay for the corner. You cannot save a cooldown until after a spin out.

    Can you be eliminated for spinning out?

    The designer answered this directly on BGG.

    • AsgerAG · Designer · 2022-07-09
    • Solipsiste · Community · 2022-07-08
    • AsgerAG · Designer · 2022-12-06

    No, a spin out just costs you Heat, position, gear and extra Stress. The only exception is one optional Championship Event card that removes a car that spins out.

    Discard, replenish and deck

    What can you discard from your hand in the Discard step?

    The rulebook text answers this directly.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · 8. Discard
    • steveowen · Community · 2023-07-04
    • steveowen · Community · 2025-05-02
    • ryan3740 · Community · 2024-09-03
    • brokengod · Community · 2023-04-22

    Any non-Heat, non-Stress card, including Upgrade cards with speed or + symbols. Heat cards and Stress cards (marked with a crossed-out bin) can never be discarded, nor can an Upgrade card that is itself a Heat card.

    At the end of your turn, do you discard played cards before drawing back up to seven?

    The rulebook text answers this directly.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · 9. Replenish Hand
    • arrie1987 · Community · 2024-07-27

    Yes. Move your whole Play Area to your discard pile, then draw up to 7 cards.

    When your draw deck runs out, when do you shuffle the discard pile?

    The rulebook answers this, and a designer or publisher post agrees.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · Running out of cards
    • pinoeppel · Community · 2023-04-21
    • AsgerAG · Designer · 2023-05-13
    • AegisToast · Community · 2026-02-22
    • ryan3740 · Community · 2023-10-06
    • Harald · Community · 2024-03-20

    Whenever you must draw, flip or discard from an empty draw deck, shuffle your discard pile into a new deck and finish the action. Do not shuffle if the deck still holds enough cards. Cards in your Play Area are not in the discard yet, so they stay out of that shuffle; a Heat paid for a Boost is already in the discard.

    Do you have to discard down to 7 cards if you hold more?

    The designer answered this directly on BGG.

    • megalomane · Designer · 2024-03-09
    • GruenesFeuer · Community · 2023-05-09
    • geigerclan · Community · 2026-04-20

    No. You only draw back up to 7; a hand that is already above 7 (for example after gaining Sponsorship cards) is simply left as it is.

    Heat cards and Cluttered Hand

    What happens when you hold too many Heat cards to play enough cards for your gear?

    The designer answered this directly on BGG.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · Cluttered Hand
    • megalomane · Designer · 2022-12-27
    • PedanticPangolin · Community · 2022-12-18
    • beewee · Publisher · 2022-12-18
    • AsgerAG · Designer · 2022-10-24
    • Murr · Community · 2023-12-29

    This is Cluttered Hand: you play every playable card you have and cover the rest with Heat cards. Your car does not move; on reveal you drop to 1st gear, put your Play Area in the discard, skip React (so no cooldown) and go straight to replenishing your hand. Only the played cards are discarded, not the rest of your hand, and the next turn is normal.

    Can you shift gears when your hand is cluttered, or do it on purpose?

    The designer answered this directly on BGG.

    • AsgerAG · Designer · 2022-12-29
    • AsgerAG · Designer · 2022-10-16
    • arrie1987 · Community · 2023-11-12

    Yes. Cluttered Hand does not stop you changing gear in step 1, up or down, even to 4th to discard more Heat; use non-Heat cards before Heat cards. Choosing a gear that forces it is legal, though some groups house-rule against it to dodge a spin out.

    Where does Heat you pay come from, and can you pay from your hand?

    The rulebook text answers this directly.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · Paying Heat
    • rickert · Community · 2023-01-25
    • Benji68 · Community · 2023-04-27
    • Frank Hamrick · Community · 2023-01-14

    Paid Heat always moves from your engine to your discard pile. Heat in your hand can only be put back into the engine by Cooldown. If you have no engine Heat, you cannot boost or shift two gears.

    Can Heat cards ever be discarded or played from your hand?

    The rulebook text answers this directly.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · HEAT Cards
    • PedanticPangolin · Community · 2022-12-18
    • LordRybalt · Community · 2024-05-08

    Not by choice. Heat cards cannot be discarded in step 8 or played in step 2; they just clog your hand until you cool them down. The only time Heat is played is the Cluttered Hand rule.

    Starting Upgrade cards

    Does the Heat card among the Starting Upgrades start in your deck or your engine?

    The designer answered this directly on BGG.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · Starting Upgrade Cards
    • AsgerAG · Designer · 2022-11-30
    • beewee · Publisher · 2022-11-17
    • beewee · Publisher · 2022-07-21
    • Moose Malloy · Community · 2023-02-16

    In your draw deck, shuffled in with the other cards. It behaves like any other Heat card afterwards: once in your hand it can be cooled down into your engine and later paid out as Heat. Only the six regular Heat cards start in the engine.

    How do the 0 and 5 Starting Upgrade cards work?

    The rulebook answers this, and a designer or publisher post agrees.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · Starting Upgrade Cards
    • beewee · Publisher · 2022-12-07
    • rasmussen81 · Community · 2022-12-18
    • Moose Malloy · Community · 2023-10-22

    You can play them like normal cards for your gear: the 0 adds nothing and the 5 adds 5 Speed (they count toward corner Speed). They have no speedometer, so when flipped for a Stress or Boost they are discarded and you keep flipping.

    Are the Starting Upgrade cards used with the Garage module or in a Championship?

    The designer answered this directly on BGG.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · Starting Upgrade Cards
    • megalomane · Designer · 2022-12-17
    • joetweber · Community · 2023-01-04
    • Murr · Community · 2023-09-15
    • fefkus · Community · 2023-02-24

    No. When you use the Garage module the three Starting Upgrades (0, 5 and Heat) are removed and replaced by upgrades you build or draft, and a Championship uses none of them. Keeping both is only a house rule.

    How to win

    Can you slipstream across the finish line or after you have crossed it?

    The designer answered this directly on BGG.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · How to Win
    • AsgerAG · Designer · 2022-09-05
    • beewee · Publisher · 2022-09-05
    • beewee · Publisher · 2022-09-07
    • KrazyKiwiSteve · Community · 2023-12-19
    • Forke · Community · 2023-11-10

    No. On the final lap, slipstreaming can never cross the finish line or be used after crossing it. A slipstream is two spaces or nothing, so a car whose two spaces would take it over the line cannot slipstream. The designers treat the finish line like a Corner Line here.

    Does the no-slipstream marker at the start/finish line apply on every lap?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • Murr · Community · 2023-09-26
    • Killbray · Community · 2023-05-21
    • Highland Cow · Community · 2023-01-09

    No. It reminds you of the finish-line rule, which only applies on the final lap, when slipstream cannot cross or follow crossing the line. Earlier laps are unaffected.

    Do corner speed limits apply after crossing the finish line?

    The designer answered this directly on BGG.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · How to Win
    • megalomane · Designer · 2022-10-25
    • l-hansen · Community · 2023-05-10
    • hemulen · Community · 2023-05-23
    • RazorOz · Community · 2024-07-28
    • rasmussen81 · Community · 2023-01-11

    No. Speed limits in corners beyond the finish line are disregarded and you simply move as far as you can; this applies to Legends too. A corner you cross before the line in the same move is still checked and can still cause a spin out.

    Can you Boost or use Adrenaline after crossing the finish line?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • UteFan · Community · 2023-03-23
    • rasmussen81 · Community · 2022-10-23
    • Slotracer · Community · 2025-12-31
    • ryan3740 · Community · 2023-11-20
    • Gawain · Community · 2023-09-25

    Yes, if you can pay the Heat (or a free boost applies); only slipstream is barred. It rarely changes the result once you are across.

    If several cars cross the finish line in the same round, who wins?

    The rulebook answers this, and a designer or publisher post agrees.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · How to Win
    • Thane13 · Community · 2023-12-18
    • Clavos · Community · 2025-02-06
    • beewee · Publisher · 2022-10-14
    • WolfsongSwe · Community · 2026-01-30

    The car that ends furthest past the line, not the first to cross; if two share a space, the one on the spot nearest the Race Line wins. Cars are removed at the end of the round, and Adrenaline keeps going by the number of cars that started.

    Does the race continue after the first car finishes, and do later finishers score?

    The rulebook text answers this directly.

    • Heat: Pedal to the Metal rulebook · Rulebook · How to Win
    • Marcuspolus01 · Community · 2023-05-25

    Yes. Play continues until every car has crossed the line (the last car just keeps going), and later finishers are ranked by finishing order, which earns Championship points. Finished cars go to the Hall of Fame at the end of the round.

    Garage module and upgrade cards

    Are the + symbols on upgrade cards such as 4 Wheel Drive mandatory, and when do they resolve?

    The designer answered this directly on BGG.

    • megalomane · Designer · 2022-10-13
    • megalomane · Designer · 2022-10-21
    • megalomane · Designer · 2022-12-18
    • The4thJawa · Community · 2023-01-09
    • FitzyJ · Community · 2023-01-12
    • Murr · Community · 2024-01-23

    Yes. If you play a card with + symbols you must resolve every one, in step 3 like a Stress card, flipping cards until a Basic speed card appears for each. They cost no Heat and are not a Boost. A card like 4 Wheel Drive with +++ is the same as three Stress cards played together, and a 4+ is a fixed 4 plus one such flip.

    What happens if you play an upgrade whose Heat cost you cannot pay?

    The designer answered this directly on BGG.

    • rob_vz · Community · 2022-11-21
    • beewee · Publisher · 2023-10-18
    • AsgerAG · Designer · 2022-12-29
    • Andy44 · Community · 2022-11-24
    • AsgerAG · Designer · 2023-12-30
    • megalomane · Designer · 2022-12-01

    You ignore the card: it is discarded and replaced by a random Basic speed card from your draw deck, resolved like a + symbol (in effect a Stress card). Playing it knowing you cannot pay is legal.

    When do you pay an upgrade card's Heat cost, and can you cool down first?

    The publisher answered this directly on BGG.

    • beewee · Publisher · 2022-11-17
    • beewee · Publisher · 2022-11-24
    • steveowen · Community · 2023-07-05
    • bizzio · Community · 2023-07-06
    • VillainousEye · Community · 2023-01-27

    In the React step, in any order you choose, so you can cool a Heat back into your engine first and then pay for the card. The exception is Heat for a two-gear shift, which is paid immediately in step 1.

    When can you play a Direct Play card such as Gas Pedal, and does it add to your gear's card count?

    The publisher answered this directly on BGG.

    • beewee · Publisher · 2022-12-19
    • beewee · Publisher · 2024-01-05
    • i0anes · Community · 2022-08-24
    • l-hansen · Community · 2022-12-28
    • claudio212 · Community · 2023-01-18
    • Daverman · Community · 2024-02-11

    You may play it face down in step 2 as one of your gear's cards, or from your hand in the React step as an extra card; in React it applies as if revealed in step 3, with its speed and mandatory icons, resolved as a separate move. It does not change your gear and does not stop you boosting.

    Can you play more than one Direct Play card in a turn, and do their values add up?

    The publisher answered this directly on BGG.

    • RazorOz · Community · 2024-01-21
    • beewee · Publisher · 2023-11-04

    Yes, you can play as many as you like, but each resolves on its own, one symbol at a time, so their effects do not combine into one lump.

    What does the Accelerate symbol add?

    The designer answered this directly on BGG.

    • megalomane · Designer · 2022-10-20
    • megalomane · Designer · 2022-11-21
    • beewee · Publisher · 2022-11-22
    • l-hansen · Community · 2023-09-07
    • beewee · Publisher · 2023-04-20

    +1 Speed for every + symbol you used this turn (Stress, Boost, upgrades). If you use it you must apply it to all of them, and it counts toward your corner Speed. Cards flipped and then discarded do not count. Accelerate is optional.

    If a card has two Accelerate symbols, are they used together?

    The publisher answered this directly on BGG.

    • beewee · Publisher · 2022-12-12
    • Murr · Community · 2023-09-28

    No. Apply them one at a time: each moves its own amount and they do not sum, so the total can be none, one or both.

    How do Brakes and other variable-speed upgrade cards pick their value?

    The designer answered this directly on BGG.

    • AsgerAG · Designer · 2023-02-11
    • megalomane · Designer · 2022-12-02
    • Fede__ · Community · 2023-06-21
    • Murr · Community · 2023-10-23
    • roodbird · Community · 2024-04-10

    A card showing two numbers lets you choose one of those two (not anything between); one showing a range lets you pick any value in it. Choose after revealing and after your + symbols and Stress flips have resolved, before you move. The chosen value counts for corner Speed.

    Does an Adjust Speed Limit effect (such as Tires) apply to every corner crossed that turn?

    The publisher answered this directly on BGG.

    • beewee · Publisher · 2023-07-06
    • mudshark_baby · Community · 2022-12-31
    • Murr · Community · 2023-10-30
    • Slotracer · Community · 2024-02-12
    • Eisert · Community · 2023-01-23

    Yes. The adjustment applies to all Corner Lines you cross on the turn the card is played, including both corners of a chicane. It changes the corner's limit only; you still move your full Speed and pay Heat for any excess over the adjusted limit.

    Which upgrade symbols are mandatory, and in what order do they resolve?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • Murdoc2D96 · Community · 2023-11-18
    • l-hansen · Community · 2023-05-28
    • DoctorBandage · Community · 2023-01-06
    • Avantyr · Community · 2023-12-26

    Symbols marked with an exclamation mark (and the + flips) are mandatory; others such as Cooldown are optional. You may apply the symbols in any order, but a single symbol must be completed once started.

    Do cooldown symbols on upgrade cards work in any gear?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • James_Blair · Community · 2024-03-15
    • DoctorBandage · Community · 2023-01-08
    • Murr · Community · 2023-10-06

    Yes. Upgrade cooldown is an extra source in the React step and does not depend on your gear; gears 1 and 2 add theirs on top.

    Does the Refresh symbol have to put the card back on your draw deck?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • arzman · Community · 2022-12-25
    • mayrik · Community · 2022-10-23
    • Killbray · Community · 2023-07-28
    • costguy · Community · 2023-01-10

    No, Refresh is optional: you choose whether the card returns to the top of your deck or goes to the discard. The card still counts for Speed and any slipstream bonus that turn.

    What does the Reduce Stress icon on a Body or Suspension card do?

    The designer answered this directly on BGG.

    • AsgerAG · Designer · 2022-12-17
    • joker111 · Community · 2023-11-09

    It lets you discard up to that many Stress cards from your hand to your discard pile. It is an opportunity rather than a penalty, so you use as many or as few as you like.

    How does the Scrap symbol resolve when your draw deck is short?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • steveowen · Community · 2024-02-25
    • Vronk · Community · 2023-05-13

    Flip the top cards of your draw deck into your discard pile one at a time. If the deck runs out part-way, shuffle the discard pile (including cards just scrapped) into a new deck and continue with the rest.

    When are one-time-use cards removed from the game?

    The designer answered this directly on BGG.

    • megalomane · Designer · 2022-12-27
    • mayrik · Community · 2022-11-15
    • claudio212 · Community · 2022-12-27

    A card with the one-time-use symbol is removed from the game instead of being discarded. The designer confirmed this happens in step 9 (the booklet text says step 8); it makes no practical difference.

    Can your car have two upgrades of the same category, or two copies of the same card?

    The designer answered this directly on BGG.

    • AsgerAG · Designer · 2022-10-18
    • Ramsar · Community · 2025-01-02
    • AegisToast · Community · 2026-01-08
    • schloetterer · Community · 2023-06-12

    Yes. The Garage module has no limit on cards of a category (two Brakes or two Tires is fine), and one player can even own two copies of the same upgrade. One-per-category is only a house rule.

    Is a Garage upgrade that is a Heat card treated like a normal Heat card?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • Joakley815 · Community · 2023-02-15
    • brokengod · Community · 2023-04-10

    Yes, it works like a standard Heat card except that it starts in your deck. Once it is in your hand you can cool it into your engine. This is different from an upgrade that merely has a mandatory Heat cost icon.

    Legends module (bots)

    Can a Legend cross two corners in one move?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • Suprsim · Community · 2022-11-21
    • bgm1961 · Community · 2023-10-07
    • Highland Cow · Community · 2023-01-16
    • ElQuiltro · Community · 2025-05-07

    No. A Legend may never cross two corner lines in the same move; if its move would carry it past the second, it stops on the first free space before that corner. The expansion tracks add Aggressive Legends rules that allow crossing extra corners.

    How far does a Legend move once it is past its Legend Line?

    The publisher answered this directly on BGG.

    • beewee · Publisher · 2022-11-22
    • Daverman · Community · 2023-05-04
    • PapaReally · Community · 2026-06-29
    • Murr · Community · 2024-02-21
    • skatingtortoise · Community · 2023-12-01
    • joepunman · Community · 2025-03-13

    It moves the next corner's speed limit plus the diamond number on its flipped card, wherever it stands after the Legend Line, using any modified limit. The Legend Line printed at a corner applies to the next corner.

    Do road conditions or weather that change a corner's speed limit affect Legends?

    The designer answered this directly on BGG.

    • megalomane · Designer · 2022-11-14
    • megalomane · Designer · 2022-09-25
    • Woetjo · Community · 2024-02-26
    • steveowen · Community · 2025-03-02
    • SkytigerGaming · Community · 2026-09-03

    Yes. Modified corner limits apply to Legends too, and that is the only effect weather and road conditions have on them: Legends get no upgrades, Sponsorship, slipstream or Heat.

    Do Legends ignore corner limits after the finish line?

    The designer answered this directly on BGG.

    • megalomane · Designer · 2022-10-25
    • AegisToast · Community · 2024-04-29
    • steveowen · Community · 2024-01-15
    • megalomane · Designer · 2022-12-20
    • arrie1987 · Community · 2024-11-11

    Yes. Like human players, Legends disregard corner speed limits after the finish line and move as far as they can; an earlier reading that they must still obey corners was overturned.

    Can the Legends module be combined with Garage, Weather and Championship modules?

    The designer answered this directly on BGG.

    • megalomane · Designer · 2022-12-05
    • PeteHawkins · Community · 2022-12-09

    Yes, the modules can be combined freely. Legends ignore the others except for corner speed-limit changes.

    When do you flip the Legends card, and does each Legend flip its own?

    The publisher answered this directly on BGG.

    • beewee · Publisher · 2023-01-01
    • Slotracer · Community · 2022-12-03
    • weishaupt · Community · 2023-03-16
    • karlhiesterman · Community · 2024-06-19
    • Dr_Bewd · Community · 2024-01-23

    Choose your gear and cards first, then flip the top Legends card only when the first Legend is about to move in step 3; every Legend moving that round uses that one card. Legends move in turn order with the other cars.

    Do Legends get Adrenaline, slipstream or spin out?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • Gawain · Community · 2024-06-24
    • clubcourage · Community · 2023-01-05
    • VictorViper · Community · 2022-12-27
    • ashman · Community · 2025-05-31

    Not in the base Legends module. Legends never spin out, get no Adrenaline or slipstream, but they still count when deciding which cars are last and so who gets Adrenaline.

    Are the Legends different in strength, and how can you adjust difficulty?

    The designer answered this directly on BGG.

    • megalomane · Designer · 2022-12-11
    • Stahre · Community · 2024-01-10
    • ryan3740 · Community · 2026-01-21

    No, all Legends are statistically identical. To tune difficulty, subtract or add 1 or 2 to a Legend's top speed or movement; the +1/+2 is intended for straights, not corner approach.

    What happens when the Legends deck runs out?

    Based on a single reply or a contested reading; no official ruling.

    • substandardtim · Community · 2023-05-31

    Shuffle the Legends cards and keep going.

    How do non-aggressive Legends handle chicanes?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • RazorOz · Community · 2025-03-18
    • steveowen · Community · 2026-04-18

    They can only cross one corner per turn, so on a chicane some of them queue up behind the first. Aggressive Legends from the expansions are recommended on tracks with chicanes.

    How many Legends can you race against?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • vitus979 · Community · 2025-07-31
    • AsgerAG · Designer · 2024-01-04

    Six at most: the Legends cards show only the six base-game colours, so a solo race tops out at seven cars. The designer suggests mentally swapping a colour on the cards if you want to drive a colour they do not show.

    Weather and road conditions

    How do you draw and place Road Condition tokens?

    The publisher answered this directly on BGG.

    • beewee · Publisher · 2023-02-09
    • Slotracer · Community · 2022-10-22
    • Murr · Community · 2023-09-21
    • VictorViper · Community · 2022-12-05
    • substandardtim · Community · 2023-05-06

    Draw as many tokens as the track has corners and reveal one per corner in race order; the rest are unused. A token with the sector (double-arrow) symbol goes on the tent of the stretch after the corner, and a token without it goes on that corner's own tent.

    Where does a Weather tile's effect apply on the track?

    The publisher answered this directly on BGG.

    • beewee · Publisher · 2023-05-08
    • beewee · Publisher · 2023-05-06
    • rasmussen81 · Community · 2022-12-11
    • xc4628 · Community · 2024-02-20
    • brokengod · Community · 2026-01-20

    Only in the sectors that carry a Weather road-condition token (the sun-and-cloud symbol). If no such token is drawn, its sector effects do not apply that race, though heat and stress setup still does. Effects cover a stretch from corner line to corner line, never a corner.

    Which sector counts for cooldown or free boost effects when you move during the turn?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • AsgerAG · Designer · 2024-02-28
    • RazorOz · Community · 2024-02-08
    • Daverman · Community · 2023-02-02
    • Daverman · Community · 2024-04-09
    • costguy · Community · 2024-01-05

    The sector your car is in when that effect resolves. Cooldown and free boost are checked in React, after your step 3 move and any earlier React moves, so you can order your React actions to move in or out of a sector. Reaching a sector later by slipstream does not give you its React effect.

    Where must you be for a sector's slipstream bonus or ban to apply?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • Thane13 · Community · 2024-02-16
    • jujulautre · Community · 2024-08-02
    • klund · Community · 2023-01-14
    • Daverman · Community · 2023-06-18
    • Keithustus · Community · 2025-01-27
    • ryan3740 · Community · 2023-07-24

    Where you start the slipstream. A +1 or +2 sector bonus only applies if you are already in that sector before slipstreaming, a no-slipstream sector stops you starting one there, but you may end a slipstream inside such a sector, and that ban overrides upgrade bonuses.

    Does a no-cooldown weather sector stop upgrade or Adrenaline cooldown, and Super Cool?

    The designer answered this directly on BGG.

    • megalomane · Designer · 2024-02-26
    • Gawain · Community · 2024-03-30
    • ryan3740 · Community · 2025-04-17
    • GruenesFeuer · Community · 2025-03-13

    It stops all normal cooldown from any source in that sector, including gear, Adrenaline, upgrade and sponsor cards. The purple Super Cool from Heavy Rain is a different effect and still works.

    What is the difference between Overheat and an Adjust Speed Limit corner effect?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • acharlie1377 · Community · 2022-12-19
    • Slotracer · Community · 2022-12-01
    • CaesarXCII · Community · 2023-11-21
    • PeteHawkins · Community · 2025-08-18
    • AegisToast · Community · 2026-03-11

    Adjust Speed Limit changes the limit itself (+1 raises it, -1 lowers it) so you pay for every point over the new number. Overheat leaves the printed limit as it is and adds 1 Heat in total, not per point, only when you exceed it. Passing at or under the limit costs nothing either way.

    Is there a minimum corner speed limit if modifiers lower it?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • Murr · Community · 2023-09-22
    • Ah_Pook · Community · 2023-12-30

    No minimum is printed, so a limit can fall to 0 or below and each point of Speed over it costs Heat. Some groups house-rule a minimum of 1.

    Can you combine a free boost from a road condition with a paid Boost?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • RDewsbery · Community · 2023-01-10
    • Stavr0s · Community · 2023-05-31

    No. You still get only one boost per turn, so the free boost replaces your paid one.

    When is the weather revealed relative to drafting, and when do you draw your starting hand?

    The publisher answered this directly on BGG.

    • beewee · Publisher · 2023-12-09
    • Vronk · Community · 2024-08-12
    • Prousseau · Community · 2023-06-27

    Outside a Championship, reveal weather and road conditions before drafting upgrades; in a Championship follow the event card, which does it after. Drawing your starting hand is the last setup step, so Heat added by the weather can already be in your first hand.

    Championship, sponsorship and press corners

    How many upgrades do you have in a Championship, and when do you draft?

    The designer answered this directly on BGG.

    • AsgerAG · Designer · 2022-10-16
    • megalomane · Designer · 2022-12-17
    • robmcarthur2001 · Community · 2024-08-30
    • Gawain · Community · 2023-06-25
    • Fredoux · Community · 2024-07-22

    You start with none, and build or draft one upgrade before every race, including the first, so three races give three upgrades. The last-placed player may swap one card after the picks. Draft from the number of human players plus three cards (Legends do not count); in solo you choose from four.

    Must an Event card match the track in a Championship?

    The designer answered this directly on BGG.

    • AsgerAG · Designer · 2023-01-17
    • kamikaza · Community · 2022-12-29

    No. Any Event card can be combined with any track.

    When do you draw a Sponsorship card you gain?

    The designer answered this directly on BGG.

    • AsgerAG · Designer · 2023-04-17
    • AsgerAG · Designer · 2022-12-26
    • Murr · Community · 2024-02-14
    • ryan3740 · Community · 2024-05-26

    Immediately into your hand, where you can use or discard it like any non-Heat, non-Stress card. Only a Sponsorship card played on a turn is removed from the game.

    What happens to Sponsorship cards between races?

    The designer answered this directly on BGG.

    • AsgerAG · Designer · 2023-05-18
    • Murr · Community · 2024-01-07
    • Randi_Rabbit · Community · 2026-03-03
    • MatteoB88 · Community · 2023-04-16

    Unused ones go back into your deck and can come up in a later race; only the one drawn for the race starts in your hand. After each race the used cards are shuffled back into the Sponsorship deck, and Heat and Stress return to the reserve.

    How do you earn a Press Corner Sponsorship card?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • steveowen · Community · 2023-09-03
    • brokengod · Community · 2023-09-16
    • Avantyr · Community · 2024-01-15
    • joetweber · Community · 2022-12-11
    • vetinari7878 · Community · 2022-12-27
    • mflander · Community · 2023-01-05
    • GruenesFeuer · Community · 2026-01-30

    Cross the corner while 2 or more over its speed limit (as modified by a Road Conditions token, not by your upgrade cards), or cross it with your Slipstream. You do not need to pay Heat. You get at most one card per pass, at the corner check, and only if you crossed the line on that move. On a chicane only the last corner counts.

    Do you get a Sponsorship card on a turn you spin out, or for corners after the finish?

    The publisher answered this directly on BGG.

    • beewee · Publisher · 2023-12-28
    • Tompy · Community · 2023-01-11
    • vetinari7878 · Community · 2025-09-04

    No. No Sponsorship is gained on a turn in which you spin out, and corners after the finish line are not checked, so neither route earns one.

    How do you place the Press Corner standees and read their letters?

    The publisher answered this directly on BGG.

    • SaltyHorse · Community · 2022-12-31
    • ryan3740 · Community · 2023-08-10
    • Slotracer · Community · 2024-09-14
    • beewee · Publisher · 2024-09-15
    • beewee · Publisher · 2024-09-16
    • Dam the Man · Community · 2026-01-25

    Use the letter beside the camera icon on the event card and find it on the track card. Corners are lettered in order from the start, A first; expansion tracks can differ, so check the card, and in a chicane only the second corner is counted. Where a corner carries two letters, they refer to the same corner.

    What counts as Speed for 15-speed Sponsorship events, and does slipstream or being blocked matter?

    The publisher answered this directly on BGG.

    • beewee · Publisher · 2023-07-06
    • costguy · Community · 2023-01-23
    • Mr. Burp · Community · 2024-05-15
    • Gawain · Community · 2025-05-21
    • bgm1961 · Community · 2023-06-10

    Speed is the total of your played card values plus Boost and Adrenaline. Slipstream does not count, and being blocked short does not reduce it. A New Speed Record at the finish line still earns its card, and you keep it for next race.

    How are Championship points scored and ties broken?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • ryan3740 · Community · 2025-03-25
    • steveowen · Community · 2023-09-26
    • ryan3740 · Community · 2025-04-22

    The top six places earn 9, 6, 4, 3, 2 and 1 points (printed on the Hall of Fame space; events can change them). The most points wins the season, with ties broken by the best finish in the final race, and several seasons are simply added together.

    Does a +1 corner Sponsorship card apply to both corners of a chicane?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • Kendress · Community · 2025-09-23
    • beewee · Publisher · 2023-07-06

    Yes. The bonus applies to every corner line you cross on the turn it is played, so both corners of a chicane benefit.

    On the Britain event, who gets the Sponsorship for the first three cars across the line?

    The designer answered this directly on BGG.

    • beewee · Publisher · 2023-07-03
    • vetinari7878 · Community · 2023-07-02
    • Zomerdromen · Community · 2023-07-02
    • megalomane · Designer · 2022-10-14

    The card is gained as soon as a car crosses the line, so cars are counted in the order they cross during the round, not by how far they end up past it.

    Heat: Heavy RainExpansion

    What does Super Cool do, and does it work with weather or from your hand?

    The designer answered this directly on BGG.

    • megalomane · Designer · 2024-02-26
    • OhBollox · Community · 2024-02-26
    • RazorOz · Community · 2024-03-23
    • Stahre · Community · 2024-02-14
    • Thane13 · Community · 2024-10-12

    Super Cool returns Heat cards from your discard pile to your engine (not from your hand), and you may look through the whole pile without showing others. It is not cooldown, so no-cooldown weather does not stop it. The cards work on any track.

    With seven cars in a Heavy Rain race, which cars get Adrenaline?

    The designer answered this directly on BGG.

    • megalomane · Designer · 2024-03-01

    Only the last two cars to move, exactly as in the standard rule for five or more cars.

    How do Aggressive Legends cross two corners, and which corner's limit do they use?

    The designer answered this directly on BGG.

    • AsgerAG · Designer · 2024-01-09
    • AsgerAG · Designer · 2024-01-09
    • Arlen76 · Community · 2024-06-23
    • bipboupbip · Community · 2024-02-22
    • RogueTom17 · Community · 2025-03-09

    Aggressive Legends are an optional Heavy Rain rule. A Legend starting on a marked chevron space may go through two corner lines in one move, and only the first corner's speed limit sets its move, whatever the second limit is. The base rule (stop before the second corner) applies elsewhere.

    Can you use the orange Heavy Rain car as a Legend or play solo with it?

    The designer answered this directly on BGG.

    • AsgerAG · Designer · 2024-01-04
    • Steve99 · Community · 2024-01-12
    • steveowen · Community · 2024-02-28
    • WolfsongSwe · Community · 2025-02-20

    There are no orange Legend cards, so mentally swap orange for your own colour on the existing Legends cards. Heavy Rain adds no new Legends cards.

    Do the Japan and Mexico tracks start their Heat in the engine or the discard pile?

    The publisher answered this directly on BGG.

    • beewee · Publisher · 2024-03-15
    • Keithustus · Community · 2024-12-16

    In the engine as usual. The different symbol printed on those two tracks is a mistake; it should match the base game tracks.

    How do chicanes work with Heat, weather and road conditions?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • steveowen · Community · 2026-01-04
    • steveowen · Community · 2024-03-07
    • Novis · Community · 2024-06-10
    • steveowen · Community · 2024-06-12
    • ryan3740 · Community · 2024-04-19

    A chicane is two close corners in a single tent with one corner marker: each corner is checked and paid separately, Overheat adds its Heat on each corner, a road token with the sector symbol modifies the stretch after, one without it modifies both corner lines, and one weather token covers the chicane and the straight after. If you cannot pay the second corner, you spin out just before it.

    Can you add the Heavy Rain car to the core game for seven players?

    Based on a single reply or a contested reading; no official ruling.

    • ryan3740 · Community · 2025-02-07
    • ryan3740 · Community · 2024-11-18

    Yes, no rule changes are needed; the base game was tested with up to 12 cars. The orange car has 9 Heat cards and each other colour 1, which is why the box includes 15 extra Heat cards.

    What if a weather section's Heat leaves you with too few playable cards?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • Clavos · Community · 2024-07-21
    • ryan3740 · Community · 2024-07-21

    Use the normal Cluttered Hand rule: play every card you can, cover the rest with Heat, and do not move.

    Heat: LegendsExpansion

    Does Nimble counter Impeding?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • Blueshells50 · Community · 2026-03-09
    • Cardinalle · Community · 2026-03-10
    • nyrang · Community · 2026-05-17
    • Marque1961 · Community · 2026-04-02

    In theory yes, Nimble counters Impeding, but it rarely matters in practice. A Nimble car is never blocked for the whole turn, including an Adrenaline move.

    What does an Impeding rival block?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • skritter · Community · 2026-04-25
    • arrie1987 · Community · 2026-05-01
    • PeteHawkins · Community · 2026-04-14
    • arrie1987 · Community · 2026-07-18

    Both spots of the space directly behind an Impeding Legend are always blocked from slipstreaming, even if it occupies only one spot. You can still overtake it normally and slipstream from further back, but you cannot end a move on a space it impedes.

    Can a Legend behind its Legend Line cross a corner with Adrenaline, Draft, slipstream or Full Throttle?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • steveowen · Community · 2026-06-06
    • SkytigerGaming · Community · 2026-06-22
    • PeteHawkins · Community · 2026-04-07
    • Overgaard27 · Community · 2026-05-18
    • skritter · Community · 2026-05-09

    No. A Legend that starts behind the Legend Line is in Approaching Corners mode, so it can never cross the next corner that turn, whatever its bonuses or abilities. It only gets as close as it can; Full Throttle's 20-space move stops at the 0 diamond.

    How do Legends choose their movement type?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • Sayburr · Community · 2026-07-15
    • Slotracer · Community · 2026-07-10
    • steveowen · Community · 2026-06-06

    By where the Legend sits relative to the Legend Line, fixed for the whole turn: past the line it uses Clearing Corners (corner limit plus diamond), before it uses Approaching Corners. After the finish line it moves full speed.

    What happens when a Legend's star ability cannot be used?

    Based on a single reply or a contested reading; no official ruling.

    • nyrang · Community · 2026-04-20
    • RazorOz · Community · 2026-07-30disagrees
    • skritter · Community · 2026-05-23

    The secondary +1 space applies when the primary ability does not, for example when a corner would be crossed or the space is blocked. Players disagree about sequencing when a blocked second ability is involved. A Draft is only up to its value, as for players.

    Does Reckless let a Legend cross a corner it could not reach?

    Based on a single reply or a contested reading; no official ruling.

    • drmesa · Community · 2026-03-13
    • nyrang · Community · 2026-04-23

    No. Reckless adds one to the number of corners a Legend may cross in a turn, but the Legend must already be able to cross one, so it does not let a Legend approaching a corner cross it.

    Do Legends use Adrenaline in this expansion, and is it mandatory?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • Keylan · Community · 2026-04-10
    • PeteHawkins · Community · 2026-04-13
    • hleveillegauvin · Community · 2026-09-29

    Adrenaline is optional for Legends. Only the last two cars of a race with five or more cars get it, a Legend can use it regardless of stars unless it would cross too many corners, and a Championship effect saying nobody benefits applies to Legends too.

    In what order do a Legend's normal move, Draft, Adrenaline and slipstream resolve?

    Based on a single reply or a contested reading; no official ruling.

    • steveowen · Community · 2026-04-18

    Normal speed first, then abilities such as Draft and Adrenaline in whichever order moves the Legend furthest, with slipstream always last.

    Does Legends work with just the base game, and which cards can you use without the Legends module?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • Thrawn_47 · Community · 2026-02-14
    • Chango · Community · 2026-08-16
    • Teeka · Community · 2026-02-18
    • rasmussen81 · Community · 2026-04-19

    Yes, it works with the core set and all expansions. The brown Upgrade cards mix into base upgrades and Sponsorship cards work in Championships, but Power Up cards are for Legends only and the coloured Rival cards are for the rivals module. It adds no tracks and replaces the original Legend deck.

    Can Rival Mode be used in multiplayer games?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • DaddyKool · Community · 2026-06-01
    • skritter · Community · 2026-06-01

    Yes. The rivals are the Legend cars, so you can add Legends to a human game and they act as rivals.

    Can higher-level Legends be used without the star module?

    Based on a single reply or a contested reading; no official ruling.

    • steveowen · Community · 2026-07-29

    Yes, the stars only mark which Legends get the bonus; without them you get a baseline where Legends run slightly faster.

    Why does the box list 1 to 5 players?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • GenuineAdrian · Community · 2026-02-02
    • Vronk · Community · 2026-02-02

    The base game already supports six players and the expansion's material is built for six cars, so the box does not add a player.

    What do the Legends expansion's Sponsorship cards do?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • SkytigerGaming · Community · 2026-05-24
    • algytaylor · Community · 2026-05-24

    They are single-use Direct Play cards worth 2 Speed, meant for Championships; how their symbols work is explained in the base game's advanced rules.

    Heat: Tunnel VisionExpansion

    How does Draft work, and can you use less than its value?

    The publisher answered this directly on BGG.

    • beewee · Publisher · 2025-01-17
    • beewee · Publisher · 2025-01-17
    • Marque1961 · Community · 2025-01-19
    • vetinari7878 · Community · 2025-02-28
    • joepunman · Community · 2026-04-17
    • Marque1961 · Community · 2026-07-06

    Draft lets you move up to its value, so you may use fewer spaces. Every space you move into or through must be completely free of cars (a car on either spot blocks it), so you cannot draft past a car; you end in the space directly behind your target. A car beside your landing space does not matter.

    When does Draft resolve relative to Cooldown, Adrenaline and Slipstream?

    The designer answered this directly on BGG.

    • AsgerAG · Designer · 2025-04-21
    • algytaylor · Community · 2025-01-18
    • Teeka · Community · 2025-04-29

    Draft is an optional React-step symbol, used before slipstream and in any order with Adrenaline and Boost per the rulebook examples. The designer ruled that it resolves after Cooldown.

    Can you draft more than once in a round, or combine Draft cards?

    The publisher answered this directly on BGG.

    • beewee · Publisher · 2025-07-01
    • arrie1987 · Community · 2025-06-30
    • GruenesFeuer · Community · 2025-03-05

    Yes. With several Draft symbols you can use them separately or add them into one Drafting action. A second separate draft needs another car to draft behind, which normally takes extra movement such as Adrenaline or a Boost.

    Can you discard cards from your hand in a tunnel?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • cybertrigger · Community · 2025-01-15
    • Thane13 · Community · 2025-11-20
    • Woetjo · Community · 2025-03-01
    • steveowen · Community · 2025-01-20

    No. While your car is in a tunnel you cannot discard extra cards from your hand in step 8, though played cards still go to the discard. You can still pay Heat, put Heat back into your engine and scrap from the top of your draw deck.

    Can you use a Body card's discard-Stress ability in a tunnel?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • arrie1987 · Community · 2025-06-02
    • ryan3740 · Community · 2025-06-01

    Not in React if your car is in a tunnel at that point; the ability is checked against where your move ends. If you start in a tunnel and end outside it, you can use it.

    Can a Legend cross extra corners in Tunnel Vision?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • ryan3740 · Community · 2025-05-23
    • Teeka · Community · 2025-05-24

    Yes. A Legend starting its turn on a space with a chevron above the diamond can cross one extra Corner Line per chevron that round; this is separate from the chicane rule.

    Does drafting across a Press Corner earn a Sponsorship card?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • steveowen · Community · 2026-05-03
    • Squidget · Community · 2026-05-03

    Yes, as with any way of crossing it, if you are 2 or more over the speed limit; drafting across the corner line counts as crossing.

    How many discards do the Tunnel Vision Championship events allow?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • steveowen · Community · 2025-03-16
    • dury · Community · 2025-03-16
    • Dam the Man · Community · 2026-03-05

    Under the discard-limiting Great Britain event you may discard one card per turn in total, counting both Stress removed by a Suspension and step 8 discards.

    How many road condition tiles does the Spain track need, and what if an Event card reduces it to 0 laps?

    The publisher answered this directly on BGG.

    • RazorOz · Community · 2025-02-26
    • beewee · Publisher · 2025-01-17
    • Dystopian · Community · 2025-07-30

    Nine, because a chicane counts as one corner. If an Event reduces the race to 0 laps, draw another Event card (or another Track card if the track came first).

    In the 1965 Netherlands race, where do you remove Heat from when the event lists several places?

    Based on a single reply or a contested reading; no official ruling.

    • RazorOz · Community · 2025-04-27

    The list is a priority order: engine first if it has Heat, otherwise hand, then discard, and so on.

    Heat: Rocky RoadsExpansion

    How do Extra Slipstream symbols work with slipstream bonuses?

    The publisher answered this directly on BGG.

    • beewee · Publisher · 2026-08-27
    • steveowen · Community · 2026-03-03
    • RazorOz · Community · 2026-03-26
    • Teeka · Community · 2026-03-25

    Each Extra Slipstream symbol gives you a separate, complete slipstream move, and you choose which bonuses apply to each. A no-slipstream weather sector blocks starting any of them from that sector.

    When do you pay the Gravel Heat cost at the end of your turn?

    Based on a single reply or a contested reading; no official ruling.

    • steveowen · Community · 2026-01-10
    • Slotracer · Community · 2026-01-10
    • Cardinalle · Community · 2026-03-05
    • Teeka · Community · 2026-01-10disagrees

    Most players read it as in step 9, after discarding your Play Area and before you redraw, though some read "end of your turn" as after redrawing. There is no official ruling.

    Is the Rocky Roads Sponsorship card one-time use despite the missing icon?

    Several experienced players agree on this reading; no official ruling.

    • Slotracer · Community · 2026-03-01
    • Clavos · Community · 2026-03-01

    Yes. All Sponsorship cards are one-time use; the missing icon on the Rocky Roads card is a printing error.

    What does the Germany Championship card do with Stress cards?

    Based on a single reply or a contested reading; no official ruling.

    • SkytigerGaming · Community · 2026-03-18

    Before the race you move your Stress cards from your draw deck into your discard pile, then draw your starting hand. They are not removed from the game.