A group of folks used to regularly play "Advanced" Speed Circuit in the Detroit, Michigan area in the 1980s into the 1990s. In early 2017, some of the same folks (and some new folks) started a new series of boardgame races using the Championship Formula Racing game.
When we played in the 1980s, we quickly discovered that using a small board-game size track didn't work too well when you had a dozen or more drivers trying to race. So, we expanded the tracks to fit on bed sheets, and we modified 1:64 scale Hot Wheels cars to use on the tracks. In our new campaign we continue to use the large tracks and 1:64 scale cars. In the 1980s, we used to regularly draw an average of between 12 and 13 drivers per race, and racing board games are lots more fun with more players. For the eight races of the 2017 racing season, we averaged 10.3 drivers per race. For the eight races in 2018, we averaged 12.8 drivers per race. We had a high of 15 drivers twice, and a low of 11 drivers twice. After ten races in 2019, we averaged 12.5 drivers per race, with a high of 14 drivers (twice) and a low of 9 drivers. For the six races of the 2020-2021 season, we averaged 12.0 drivers, with a high of 13 drivers and a low of 11 drivers. For the 8 races of the 2022 season, we averaged 11.8 drivers per race, with a high of 15 drivers and a low of 9 drivers. For the 8 races of the 2023 season, we averaged 10.9 drivers per race (high of 13 and low of 10 drivers). The 2024 season had an average of 10.9 drivers (high of 13 and low of 10).
In the campaigns of the 1980s, we raced a series of races (usually 16 races per year), awarding points to the top finishers as did the real Formula One. At the end of the year, the driver with the most points was the "Speed Circuit Champion" and was awarded a small engraved trophy. We also awarded a team championship, as well as elected a driver as the recipient of the "Tom Kane Memorial Award" to the most sportsmanlike driver of the year. We had only an individual champion and the most sportsmanlike driver awards for the 2017 and 2018 seasons, but beginning in 2019 we also awarded a team championship award.
Want to check out the CFR rules before coming to a race? Download the CFR rules from the designer's website. If you ever played our old Advanced Speed Circuit rules, you will find the CFR rules very similar. If you have never played either racing game, the basic idea is that you plot how fast you want your car to go on each turn. For each multiple of 20 mph, your car moves one space on the track. So, if you plotted a speed of 120 mph, your car would move 6 spaces on the track. You of course want to go as fast as possible on the straight parts of the track, but your car is constrained by its acceleration and top speed ratings. There are also speed limits in the corners, so you must either slow down (also constrained by your car's deceleration rating) to the speed limit, or else use "wear points" (which simulate using up your brakes and tires) and/or roll dice to take a chance of possibly spinning or else crashing out of the race. The basic system is very easy to learn, although you will need to learn the nuances of the game to get really good at it.
Rank Driver Car Points
1 Bill Worrel Ferrari 84
2 Mickey Akins Benetton 1 83*
3 Mike Cook Camel Lotus 52
4 Garry Kaluzny Marlboro McLaren 44
5 Dennis De Bol Shadow 42
6 Aric Parr Tropicana McLaren 41
7 Richard White Marlboro McLaren 37
8 Jim Magnanti Benetton 1 31
9 Jack Beckman Ferrari 22
10 Mike St. Peter Tropicana McLaren 9
11 Ethan Benedict Camel Lotus 8
12 Gary Sturgeon Benetton 2 4
13 Nathan Dempster Benetton 2 1
*Mickey Akins had to forfeit 6 points, as he could only count his top 7 finishes.
Points are awarded to the top 8 finishers in each race, as 15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1 points (15 points to 1st place, 12 points to 2nd place, etc). Drivers can only count their best 7 finishes out of 8 races.
Beginning in 2019, CFR-Detroit awarded a team championship to the team with the most points. Teams score points like individuals, with each team only able to score points for its top two cars in any particular race.
After 8 of 8 races:
Rank Team Points
1 Benetton 1 114
2 Ferrari 106
3 Marlboro McLaren 81
2 Camel Lotus 60
5 Tropicana McLaren 50
6 Shadow 42
7 Benetton 2 5
All races are currently scheduled at GateKeeper Games; begin car setup at 12:00 pm (noon), races start at 12:45 pm.
Everyone is welcome to join us to play CFR. There is no fee to play most races, as we plan on rotating races among local game stores. We will probably also run CFR at local game cons (especially of the Metro Detroit Gamers), but as there is a fee to play at game cons, the CFR races at cons will be demos, and will not count towards the points championship. If you are thinking about joining our campaign, come and race at one of the demo races to learn the rules! Or just show up at a points race!
(Clicking record links will download PDF files.)
Records files are updated through race 7 of 8 of the 2024 CFR-Detroit season.
Pictures of the Championship Formula Racing game.
Championship Formula Racing was designed by Douglas Schulz, and published by Ultra PRO Entertainment/Jolly Roger Games. Copyright by Ultra PRO Entertainment.
Speed Circuit was a product of the old Avalon Hill game company, which is now owned by Wizards of the Coast / Hasbro. Sadly, Speed Circuit was discontinued when Hasbro bought Avalon Hill in the late 1990s.
Latest update: November 10, 2024