Le Mans Rulebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

• Equipment
• Prepare for Play
• How to Play
• How to Win
• How to Move
• Stopping and Starting
• Passing
• Cornering
• Chances
• Spin Outs
• Pit Stops
• Shifting Down and Hard-Braking
• Collisions
• A Note on the Specification Cards
• Optional Rules
  • Slipstreaming
  • Bonus Moves
  • Over-Revving
  • Team Play
  • Solitaire Version
  • Time Limit
  • LeMans Starts

Equipment

1. 1 four-page Instruction Folder.
2. 22" x 28" playing board. It includes two separate courses; LeMans and Monte Carlo.
3. 12 Specification Cards—one for each car.
4. 1, 5½" x 8½" Record Pad.
5. 12 plastic Cars.
6. 12 wet corner markers.
7. 1 Die.

Playing Board: On each course there is an arrow indicating the starting line and a checkered line indicating the finish line. Gray areas are pits. Yellow spaces represent sharp corners; red spaces are hairpin corners. The letters SO designate corner spaces upon which cars are placed after spinning out. Distances from start to finish are measured in kilometers (Km). French names are the actual names of the existing corners. Both courses are run clockwise.

Specification Cards: For each of the 12 cars there is a specification card that states: (a) the basic (minimum) speeds for each gear, (b) how many gears a car may shift down, (c) in what gear a car may take a corner safely, (d) the number of hard-brakings permitted per four-lap race.

Wet Corner Markers: At the start of the race all of the corners are dry. Whenever a car spins out on a corner a marker is placed at the corner to indicate that the road conditions are wet. The markers should remain where placed for the remainder of the race.

Record Pad: It is necessary that a record be made of all pit stops and hard-brakings so that those incurring these penalties know when they must stop at the pits. It is not necessary to keep a record of spin outs, lap times, order of finish and points, but it increases one's enjoyment of the game to do so.

Prepare for Play

1. Two to twelve people may play.
2. Players should agree on the number of laps to be run. We suggest four laps per race.
3. Each player, hereafter called driver, selects a specification card(s) representing the car(s) he wishes to race.
4. Each driver rolls the die once. Those with the highest rolls get the most advantageous starting positions.
5. Drivers place their cars behind the starting line indicated by the arrow.
6. When more than two cars race they are placed in ranks directly behind each other. Maximum per rank: two cars for both courses.

How to Play

The following is a brief step-by-step explanation of how to play LEMANS.

1. At the start the car drawing first position (inside of first rank) moves first, the car drawing second (outside of first rank) moves next, and so forth.
2. One turn is completed when each car racing has moved its allotted spaces in a particular gear.
3. After each turn cars move in the order of their position on board; the car in the lead moves first, the second car next, and so forth. When two cars are even, that car moves first which moved first in the previous turn.
4. At the start of each turn cars may:
   • a. remain in the same gear.
   • b. shift up one gear.
   • c. shift down according to specifications.
5. When approaching a corner a driver must refer to his individual specification card. This card states in which gear he is allowed to enter the corner.
6. Follow the above routine until a driver wins the race. For ease of play we suggest you write down on the RECORD PAD the gear your car is in at the end of every turn.

How to Win

The winner is the car that completes the prescribed number of laps and crosses the finish line first.

When more than one car finishes in the same turn, the winner is the car that ends up farthest across the line. If cars end up even, it is a tie.

Be sure you have a general understanding of the above routine of play—then read the remainder of the instructions that deal with details of play.

How to Move

1. Each car occupies two spaces at a time so that it takes a two count to move one car length.
2. Each space is counted as one count unless it is marked "two" in which case a count of two must be taken when passing through that one space.
3. Cars are not allowed to move onto a 2-count space if they have but 1 space remaining in their movement.
4. When vacant, SO spaces may be driven through while rounding the corner.
5. Cars are allowed to move only the basic number of spaces stated on their respective specification cards. EXCEPTIONS: (a) In first gear cars may move fewer spaces than stated, (b) Cars are not required to enter pits at basic rate.
6. A car cannot move less than the basic number of spaces specified in a particular gear. For instance, if a Jaguar is in 4th allowing it a ten-space move but the track is completely blocked ten spaces ahead, it must move in 3rd and move just eight spaces.
7. Cars may shift up one gear per turn—no more.
8. Cars may shift down as stated on individual specification cards.
9. A car may not shift gears in the middle of a corner.
10. Top speed is to be treated as a gear.
11. Only one car may occupy a given space at any one time.
12. A car need not stay in one particular lane.
13. A car may not move directly sideways or occupy more than one lane at the end of the turn.
14. Cars may never end a turn in a diagonal position across the track.

The die is used only to resolve chance table situations—it has nothing to do with movement.

Diagram 1: three cars are lined up ready to start the LE MANS course. The Alfa Romeo (car #8) moves first since it has the inside position. It moves two spaces in 1st gear as stated on its specification card. The MG (car #10) is second, moving three spaces as stated. The Mercedes (car #5) starts from the second rank, moving three spaces. If these are the only cars competing the first turn is then complete.

Diagram 2: cars are permitted to move in 2nd gear. This time car #10 moves first because it is in the lead. It moves four spaces in 2nd gear. Secondly, car #8 moves five spaces and pulls up even with car #10. Again moving third is car #5. It is allowed six spaces in 2nd gear; however, since such full movement is blocked by the lead cars it is forced to stay in 1st gear moving three spaces.

In the third turn (no diagram), car #10 moves first because it moved first in the previous turn and was not passed by car #8.

Stopping and Starting

1. No car is allowed to stop unless directed to do so or incurs a collision.
2. A stopped car always moves last in a turn regardless of its position on the board.
3. A stopped car does not have to wait for all cars to pass before moving.
4. A car that has stopped for whatever reason always moves last on the next turn. If more than one car has stopped, the last to have stopped moves last, the first to have stopped moves first, and so forth. Thus, when cars are stopped, their move is not determined by position on the board, but by the relative time of their stop.

Passing

1. When passing a stopped car, the passing car must change lanes before reaching the open space directly behind the stopped car.
2. When passing a moving car, the passing car is allowed to change lanes from the open space directly behind the moving car.
3. When moving into a lane of a stopped car, the passing car is allowed to enter at the first open space directly in front of the stopped car.
4. When moving into a lane of a moving car, the passing car must enter at the second open space in front of the moving car.

Cars that fail to observe passing rules incur a FRONT-END collision and must stop dead at the space of collision. Such cars are required to make one pit stop in that lap. The car hit incurs no delay or penalty.

Cornering

1. In order to enter a corner without taking a chance one must enter it in the gear indicated on the specification card.
2. Cars may not shift up or down while in corners unless on the last space of that corner.
3. Any car on the last corner space is allowed to shift up one gear.
4. A car may avoid taking the first and final corners on the LEMANS course by moving diagonally from the outside white space to the inside white space.
5. Any car approaching a corner so fast that it is unable to shift down to its proper gear before entering that corner must take a chance if one gear above specifications. If after shifting down it is still more than one gear above specifications, it automatically spins out.

Diagram 3: the cars are approaching a hairpin corner and all three are in 2nd gear. Car #5 is in the lead and moves first. Since it must take a hairpin in 2nd it moves six spaces, avoiding the two 2-count spaces. Car #10 is allowed to take a hairpin in 3rd and moves six spaces. Car #8 is allowed to take a hairpin in 2nd and moves five spaces.

Diagram 4: car #5 moves in 3rd gear for seven spaces. Car #10 is permitted to go up one gear since it is on the last corner space. It moves nine spaces in 4th gear. Car #8, still in the corner, must remain in 2nd gear and moves but five spaces.

Chances

1. Chances are taken only on corners, and then only when a driver elects to take a corner in a gear one higher than specifications.
2. Cars are not allowed to take a corner more than one gear higher than specifications allowed. Any car so doing automatically spins out.
3. To take a chance the driver rolls the die and consults the chance table on board.
   • a) "Safely Cornered" indicates that the driver successfully negotiated the corner.
   • b) "Spin Out" indicates that the driver lost control of his car and was forced to come to a dead stop on the space marked SO.
   • c) "Smash Up" indicates that the driver is out of the race.
   • d) "Pit Stop" indicates that the driver safely negotiated the corner but that in so doing he damaged his car and must make one stop at the pits at the end of the lap.
4. A car that has taken a chance successfully but has not completely passed through the corner need not take another chance in the next turn to complete that corner.

Diagram 5: the situation is the same as diagram 3 except car #8 decides to take a chance. Assuming it succeeds on the die roll it may move eight spaces in 3rd instead of five spaces in 2nd. This maneuver not only gets car #8 through the corner but places it ahead of car #10.

Diagram 6: the situation for car #5 is the same as in diagram 4. However, car #8 moves second instead of third in this turn. It can go up to 4th, moving nine spaces and taking the lead. Car #10 is again allowed to go up to 4th, moving nine spaces. Unfortunately, car #10 can only go eight spaces due to blocking by cars #5 and #8; forcing it to take this turn in 3rd instead of 4th.

Compare diagram 6 with diagram 4. Notice the different positions and great advantage car #8 derived by taking the chance.

Spin Outs

1. Place the car on the SO space. If more than one car has spun out in the same turn, place these cars directly behind each other in the same lane.
2. A car that has spun out may resume racing on the next turn, but it must start in first gear and move last in that turn regardless of its position on the board.
3. As soon as a car has spun out a wet marker must be placed at the entrance to the corner to indicate that the corner is wet for the remainder of the race.
4. A spin out does not use up a hard-braking.

Pit Stops

1. To make a pit stop cars do not have to gear down as they would when approaching corners.
2. Regardless of the gear a car is in it is considered automatically stopped in the same turn it reaches its respective pit. Therefore it is not required to reach its pit in the exact number of spaces.
3. A car leaves the pits in first gear on the very next turn after the turn of arrival, unless of course it has drawn more than one pit stop in that lap.
4. Cars that draw more than one pit stop per lap must wait out one extra turn while in the pits for each additional pit stop drawn. In other words, if a car draws three pit stops in that same lap, it remains motionless in the pit for two consecutive turns after the turn of arrival.
5. Cars may stop only in pits reserved for their class (C, D, E or F).
6. Do not make pit stops on the last lap even if so ordered by the chance table.
7. A pit stop does not use up a hard-braking.
8. When a car fails to make a pit stop that it is required to make, it must stop wherever it may be when anyone playing tells the driver. (Cars do not have to gear down in this case—they are considered stopped in that turn.) That car must also make a pit stop the next time around. If it does not make the pit stop, it is disqualified.

Shifting Down and Hard-Braking

1. The specification cards state how many gears a car may shift down without using brakes excessively (hard-braking). Those cars, Class C, D, E, that are only permitted a specific number of hard-brakings, may shift down more than one gear per turn as stated. Class F cars are allowed unlimited hard-brakings and may shift down three gears per turn.
2. Any car that has used all of the hard-brakings permitted must make a pit stop in that lap.
3. Even after brakes have been repaired at the pits the car is not allowed to hard-brake for the rest of the race.
4. Any car not allowed to hard-brake may, in one turn, shift down only the number of gears allowed without hard-braking.
5. A pit stop for brake repair may be combined with a pit stop drawn on the chance table.

(The original numbering skips from 4 to 6.)

Collisions

Drivers are required to avoid collisions whenever possible. If you are forced to ram a car ahead because you have used up all hard-brakings and/or cannot gear down enough, then you incur a collision.

1. Any car that runs into a car in motion must make a pit stop for repairs to its front end. The car in motion incurs no pit stop.
2. Any car that runs into a stopped car forces both cars to make a pit stop.
3. A collision does not use up a hard-braking.
4. When a car is spun out on a corner and another car spins out on the same corner, the second car collides with the first and is placed on the space directly behind it. If a third car spins out on the same corner in the same turn, it is placed behind the second car. For each additional accident that results from spin out collisions, an extra turn must be waited out at the pits by each of the cars. Thus, if three cars spin out at the same time on the same corner, the first car would have to make a pit stop for two turns, the second car for two turns, and the third car for one turn.

A Note on the Specification Cards

Avalon Hill wishes to make it clear that the Specification cards do not, except in the broadest sense, represent the actual performance specifications of the various cars whose names they bear. Liberties have been taken in order to make sure that all 12 cars can compete on an even basis. Naturally Class F cars are not really a match for Class C cars under most conditions. It was felt, however, that this would be understood by those familiar with road racing and that for the purposes of a game such as this it would be better to sacrifice a degree of authenticity to make the game playable on an even basis. Although the Specification cards do bear the names of particular cars, these names may be changed for any other car that races in a particular class if the players so desire.

You have completed the basic instructions for LeMANS. LeMANS has been designed to be complex. For this reason, you must become completely familiar with the rules in order to play correctly. You should refer to them occasionally while playing your first few games.

Once you feel you have mastered the basic game, we recommend you play the OPTIONAL RULES.

Optional Rules

The optional rules are designed to make the game even more realistic. Players should become familiar with the basic game first before attempting play under the optional rules. Basic rules apply unless otherwise stated.

Slipstreaming

A car which is directly behind another car at the end of one turn may elect on the next turn to slipstream the car ahead, that is, when the lead car moves, the car behind moves the same number of spaces as the car it is slipstreaming and remains directly behind it. Thus an MG directly behind a Jaguar going at top speed would be able to take 15 spaces by staying directly behind the Jaguar on its next turn. However, the car doing the slipstreaming must indicate that it is going to slipstream before the first car moves.

A car slipstreaming behind another car through a corner must take a Chance even though the other car does not and it must take 2 Chances if the lead car takes a Chance successfully. In the second case, for the car to get through the corners safely, both the Chance rolls must say safely cornered. If either one has a penalty such as Pit Stop or Spin Out even though the other says successfully cornered, the car must make the Pit Stop or Spin Out. If the lead car draws a Pit Stop the second car automatically spins out and if the lead car spins out the second car automatically smashes up and is eliminated from the race.

If a driver who has been slipstreaming a car does not wish to do so through a corner he must say so before the lead car begins his turn which takes him into the corner.

Bonus Moves

The spaces allotted each gear on the Specification cards are the basic speeds in those gears, but the maximum speed in any gear is one less than the basic speed of the next higher gear. If a driver remains in the same gear as on the previous turn he may take any number of spaces in that gear from basic to maximum, but drivers must take corners in basic speed of the gear except as provided for under over-revving.

When shifting down from a higher to a lower gear it is permitted to take the maximum number of spaces permitted in the lower gear, thus a Jaguar shifting from top speed of 15 to 5th gear could take 14 or 13 spaces, and by using a hard-braking, it could shift down to 4th and take 10, 11 or 12 spaces.

When shifting from a lower to a higher gear it is always necessary to shift into the basic speed of the higher gear for one turn. In the following turn you may move in the bonus speed of the same gear or basic speed of the next highest gear. Slowing down from top speed to basic speed in the same gear does not require a hard-braking.

Over-Revving

Every car is permitted to over-rev its engine twice in every four laps. If it over-revs more than twice in four laps it must stop for a Pit Stop for two turns. If it over-revs more than twice in one lap it blows its engine and must retire from the race. Over-revving is considered to take place in two instances:

• a) When cars elect to take a corner in maximum speed of a gear rather than its basic speed they over-rev their engines. Drivers may take corners by over-revving without taking Chances if they are in the correct gear. They may take them by over-revving with Chances when they are in one gear above their safe cornering speed. Thus a Jag by over-revving could take a corner safely in 2nd gear at 7 spaces or by taking a Chance at 9 in third.
• b) Cars shifting down may use an over-revving in the same manner as a hard-braking in order to shift into the proper gear. Thus a Jaguar could shift down to 3rd from top speed by using two hard-brakings or one hard-braking and one over-revving or by using two over-revvings.

Team Play

Each driver selects three cars for a team. Team Races are won by the team amassing the greatest number of points, not necessarily by the team with the winning car. Racing strategy will be developed by players as they see fit, but usual racing strategy is to send out one fast car to break down the opposition with other cars close behind waiting for the big break when the leading cars fall out from engine failure and mishaps so that the conservative cars can pull forward at the end.

10 points are awarded for first place, 8 for second, 6 for third, 4 for fourth, 2 for fifth, and 1 for sixth. A car that does not finish receives no points. When 2 cars tie for a position they share the points for the 2 positions, thus a tie for first place will result in 9 points for the first 2 cars.

Solitaire Version

One person can play against himself in the following manner: He observes all the same rules, basic or optional, but must roll the die to decide whether or not to take a Chance entering each corner.

• If the corner is dry, a roll of 1, 2 or 3 means he must take a Chance.
• If the corner is wet, a roll of 1 or 2 means he must take a Chance.

Time Limit

Players may decide to set a time limit of 10 seconds a move to force players to make quick decisions without counting out spaces that will be traveled by their car. In this way players have to drive without counting ahead and must have a clear idea of what gear they must be in on the next move, etc.

LeMans Starts

The famous 24 hours of LeMans is noted for its running start. The drivers line up on one side of the track across from their cars. When the starting signal goes, they run across the road, jump in their cars and take off. First one off is the first one out.

In order to incorporate a LeMans start in your game, draw lots for first to move, placing the winner of the lot in the first Pit, the 2nd in the next, and so forth. Cars should be facing diagonally in the Pit area, not straight ahead. The winner of the lot moves out first on to the gray space and then straightens out and goes ahead in the usual manner. No doubt there will be much bunching of cars just as in the real race and it will take a few turns before the cars straighten out and begin to circuit the course.