Pitstop Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Components
• Setup
  • Dice
  • Track
  • Starting grid
  • Turn order
• Movement
• Corners
  • Tyre wear
  • Fuel consumption
• Traffic limits
• Pit stop
• Race length
• Winning
• Championship
• Additional rules
  • Quick play
  • Soft tyres
  • Slipstream
  • Pit lane speed limit

Components

• 65 circuit "sections" printed on cardboard sheets, used to build the various tracks shown in the track diagrams at the end of this rulebook.
• 6 dashboards ("tableaux de bord") with indicators for speed, fuel consumption and tyre wear. A set of speed-limit tokens with values between 50 and 300 km/h.
• 6 plastic racing cars in different colours.
• 12 special dice, 18 black counters, 6 grey counters.

Setup

Detach the cardboard pieces from their frames and store them in the compartments of the box. Choose which track to play from those listed at the bottom of this rulebook, assemble the track, and place the speed-limit tokens as shown in the diagram for the chosen track. Give each player a car, a dashboard and three black counters, which are placed on the dashboard as shown in Figure 1 on page 2.

Dice

The dice determine each car's speed and its fuel consumption. There are 12 dice in total to make the game faster (see "Quick play"), but each player never rolls more than 6. The faces on the dice are as follows:

• A 50 km/h face (the number 50 on a red die face).
• A 50 km/h fuel face (the number 50 with a fuel symbol). This is a 50 km/h face that also counts for fuel consumption.
• A speed-drop face (a plain red face, called "baisse de régime" in the source).

Track

Tracks are divided into "cells" marked by small white signs on the asphalt. Cars advance from one cell to the next.

Starting grid

The position on the starting grid is random. However, it is also possible to draw lots to decide who takes pole position and the other positions, or to roll the dice. In that case, each player rolls 6 dice and the player who obtains the greatest number of neutral faces starts at the back of the group. If two or more players are tied, they must roll again. Keep rolling until all the starting positions are set.

Translator's note: the source says "faces neutres" (neutral faces) without defining which faces are neutral, and does not say whether the speed-drop face counts. The text is transcribed as printed.

Turn order

After each turn, the playing order is determined by the position of the cars on the track. The first to play is the car at the front; the others follow according to their position. If two cars are level, the one with the higher speed plays first. If they are still tied, the car that was ahead in the previous turn rolls first. When all drivers have played, the next turn begins and the order is again determined by track position.

Movement

The driver whose turn it is may roll a number of dice equal to the gear (speed) the car is in. All cars start in 1st gear.

Before rolling, the player must declare aloud whether he wants to use the "speed bonus" of 50 km/h (if he is in 1st, 2nd or 3rd gear) or of 100 km/h (if he is in 4th, 5th or 6th gear). After declaring whether he wants to use this bonus, the player rolls the dice and adds the bonus, if any, to the total obtained on the dice to determine the car's speed for the current turn. The car advances one cell for every 50 km/h of speed.

Example: the player is in 4th gear and decides to use his 100 km/h bonus. He rolls 4 dice and obtains the combination shown in the original illustration: three 50 km/h faces and one speed-drop face. The car's speed is therefore 250 km/h (100 km/h bonus + 50 + 50 + 50), which is a movement of 5 cells.

When his turn is over, the player must decide the gear for his next turn, subject to the following limit: he may accelerate by up to 2 gears or downshift by a maximum of 3 gears.

Each player must decide his future action before seeing the other players' movements. This rule is fundamental to the strategy of the game. Do not forget it!

Corners

Every corner has its own speed limit, shown by a token. CAUTION: track pieces can form corners that look alike but have different speed limits. In some cases, short curved stretches can be driven at the maximum speed possible. For the purposes of the rules (fuel consumption and tyre wear), these stretches of track must be treated as straights. Track sections that count as corners are marked by the presence of kerbs ("bordures"). Unless otherwise stated, the speed limit applies to every cell of the corner.

Tyre wear

Each time a car passes a cell located in a corner at a speed above the limit, it uses "tyre points" at the rate of one point for every 50 km/h of excess speed.

Example: 2 cells in a corner with a 150 km/h limit, where the car passes at 250 km/h, cost 2 "tyre points" for the first cell plus 2 more for the second cell, for a total of 4 "tyre points" used (Fig. 3).

The level of tyre wear is shown on the dashboard by moving the corresponding counter. If a driver takes a corner above the permitted speed and has no "tyre points" left, he leaves the track and is eliminated (Fig. 4).

Fuel consumption

If the car ends its movement on a straight, it may consume fuel based on the dice result. Fuel consumption equals one "fuel point" for each 50 km/h fuel face obtained with the dice (Fig. 5, 6, 7).

If the car ends its movement in a corner, it does not consume fuel.

If a car consumes all its fuel, it may continue the race but suffers three significant penalties:

1. the player may not use the "speed bonus";
2. the 50 km/h fuel face is treated as if it were a speed-drop face;
3. the driver may accelerate by only one gear at a time instead of two per turn.

The penalty takes effect from the next turn in which the driver is without fuel.

Traffic limits

Each cell may hold no more than 3 cars. It is not possible to enter or pass through a cell already occupied by 3 cars.

When this happens, the car following must slow down, using one "tyre point" for every 50 km/h of deceleration. If the driver uses his last "tyre point" during this, he spins and is eliminated.

Pit stop

At the end of each turn, a car may stop at the pit boxes for a Pit Stop, which allows it to refuel and change tyres.

The pit boxes occupy a single cell and can be entered at any speed. There is no limit on the number of cars that may be in the pit boxes at the same time.

The pit stop procedure is as follows:

1. The car enters the pit boxes.
2. On the next turn, the driver declares whether he wants to refuel, change tyres, or do both.
3. Reposition the counter (or counters) on the dashboard to show that the car has a full tank of fuel and/or new tyres.
4. If he performs only one of these two operations, he rolls one die; if he performs both, he rolls two dice.
5. If the dice show no speed-drop face, the player may leave the pit boxes on the next turn (in 1st gear, of course).
6. For each speed-drop face, the player loses one turn.

Race length

Regardless of the track chosen, each Grand Prix is run over a total of 3 laps.

Winning

The first car to cross the finish line on the third lap wins the Grand Prix. The other drivers continue to play to determine the remaining finishing positions.

Championship

If you decide to play a championship, at the end of each Grand Prix award points according to the finishing order:

• 5 points to the first car
• 3 points to the second
• 2 points to the third
• 1 point to the fourth

Points are only awarded to drivers who finish the race.

From the second Grand Prix onward, the starting grid position corresponds to the standings established at the last Grand Prix played.

Additional rules

Quick play

To speed up the competition, the players may set a time limit (3 seconds or 5 seconds) within which the driver whose turn it is must decide which gear to shift to for his next movement. In this case, the other players count down for the driver whose turn it is.

Soft tyres

Each driver may choose to fit softer tyres by taking a grey counter instead of a black counter. If this rule is adopted, when the cars are lined up on the starting grid, each player must hold the chosen counter in his hand, without showing it to the others, until everyone has made their choice.

Advantages of soft tyres: this tyre type cancels the speed-drop faces obtained on the dice, so the speed chosen by the player is always guaranteed. Each speed-drop face is therefore "converted" into a 50 km/h face, but at the cost of one "tyre point". The bonus is not at the player's discretion, and once the soft tyres are worn out it can no longer be used. Tyre wear in corners is the same regardless of the type of tyre fitted.

Slipstream

A car is in the "slipstream" of the car ahead when the following conditions are met:

1. The car ahead is in the cell immediately in front of the following car.
2. Both cars are on a straight.
3. Both cars have the same speed.

Advantages for the car in the slipstream. The player in the slipstream drives at the same speed as the car ahead of him, which "pulls" him along, without consuming fuel. In addition, he benefits from ALL the speed-drop faces of the car that pulled him in its slipstream. At the end of his movement, he rolls the dice again to try to overtake it, moving his car a number of cells equal to the number of 50 km/h faces or 50 km/h fuel faces obtained. (Fuel consumption on this roll is calculated as usual.)

WARNING: if you choose to use the slipstream effect, you get the advantages described above, but you are also subject to any negative consequences.

Pit lane speed limit

Entry into the pit boxes must take place at a speed below 100 km/h. If the speed is higher, the driver must remain stationary for one turn for every 50 km/h of difference.