Game Night: Heat Solo Championship

With my wife going out of town, I have some solo dad nights. Thinking of what to do, I started a solo championship for Heat: Pedal to the Metal.

Racing as my typical yellow (🟨), I would do 4 rounds, randomly drawn, from the 6 currently available maps. When I play solo, I just play with the advanced upgrades and without the other modules (weather, sponsorship, etc). When choosing upgrades while playing solo, I draw three cards, pick one, and discard the remaining until I three upgrade cards.

Race 1: British Grand Prix

Great Britain was the first race randomly drawn. The upgrades I chose for this race was:

• Cooling System: Speed 4, Cool 1, Trash 2
• Tires: Speed 1, Traction +1, Trash 2
• Fuel: Speed +, Cool 1, Reshuffle 2 

 

The race was difficult with the given upgrades I picked. Originally with the idea that having more cool down symbols to help me on the long straight, and the using the fuel card to regain the cards trashed from either the + symbols or trash symbols. In practice it worked okay, allowing me to pull my cooling system and a heat card out into a guaranteed draw deck. Silver (⬜) gained a massive lead on lap 2 when they maxed out the fast turn 1 at speed 13 and then maxed turn 2 at speed 9. I fell behind quiet badly turning this time, but regained P2 when I was able to get through both turns 3 and 4 with the help at my tire's traction.

British Grand Prix Race Results

1. ⬜+9 🥇
2. 🟨+6 🥈
3. 🟩+4 🥉
4. ⬛+3
5. 🟦+2
6. 🟥+1
   

Championship Standings (Wins/Podiums)

1. ⬜: 09 (1/1)
2. 🟨: 06 (0/1)
3. 🟩: 04 (0/1)
4. ⬛: 03 (0/0)
5. 🟦: 02 (0/0)
6. 🟥: 01 (0/0)

Race 2: Mexican Grand Prix

Mexico was the second race randomly drawn. The upgrades I chose for this race was:

• Gas Pedal: Speed 1, React, Trash 1
• Wings: Speed 6, Traction +3, Heat 2
• Air Intake: Speed 4, Super Cool 1, Trash 4
  

The Mexican Grand Prix is my favorite map out of the currently available six. I think it looks stunning and the two chicanes are lots of fun. The race started off on a good note. With two chicanes, I opted for a big wing to allow me to go through the speed 7 chicane at Turns 1 and 2. Pairing it with the Super Cool from the intake, I thought I could get discounted use of the wing, and it worked out pretty good! I lead a good portion of the 3 laps of the race, but going into the final lap, I had a hiccup into Turn 3 and I lost some momentum, letting Red (🟥) sneak by through the final chicane.

Mexican Grand Prix Race Results

1. 🟥+9 🥇
2. 🟨+6 🥈
3. ⬜+4 🥉
4. 🟩+3
5. ⬛+2
6. 🟦+1
   

Championship Standings (Wins/Podiums)

1. ⬜: 13 (1/2)
2. 🟨: 12 (0/2)
3. 🟥: 10 (1/1)
4. 🟩: 07 (0/1)
5. ⬛: 05 (0/0)
6. 🟦: 03 (0/0)

Race 3: Japanese Grand Prix

Japan was the third race randomly drawn. The upgrades I chose for this race was:

• Body: Speed 6, Stress Clear 3, Heat 1
• Air Intake: Speed 4, Super Cool 1, Trash 4
• Fuel: Speed +, Cool 1, Reshuffle 2
  

 

 The Japanese Grand Prix brings with it the historical chance of rain! The low areas of the track around Turns 1, 4, and 5 are flooded with water and make downshifting in these tricky. Unfortunately, I made the wrong call on the car setup. Hoping to keep my car in second gear more often, I opted for a few larger speed cards, and a super cool card that can help mitigate a downshift in the flooded zones. The race went south for me quickly. Blue (🟦) jumped out to a huge lead early on, being around Turn 3 while others were still crossing the Turn 1 and 2 chicane. I then lost my cool heading into the second and final lap. 

Desperate to catch up with the leader, I took off out of Turn 5 heading towards turn 1 with a huge third gear blast, not thinking about the downshift in the chicane. Out of heat, full on stress, and few options to choose, I couldn't do anything about the chicane and spun out in third gear, gaining two more stress cards! I needed to clear my head and attempt to salvage some points. Luckily, the 3 stress reducing body card I wrongly drafted at the start of the race paid off with the now five stress cards  I had in my deck. I was able to pull off a decent recovery drive, salvaging 3 points.

Japanese Grand Prix Race Results

1. 🟦+9 🥇
2. 🟩+6 🥈
3. 🟥+4 🥉
4. 🟨+3
5. ⬛+2
6. ⬜+1
   

Championship Standings (Wins/Podiums)

1. 🟨: 15 (0/2)
2. ⬜: 14 (1/2)
3. 🟥: 14 (1/2)
4. 🟩: 13 (0/2)
5. 🟦: 12 (1/1)
6. ⬛: 01 (0/0)

Race 4: French Grand Prix

France was the final race randomly drawn. The upgrades I chose for this race was:

• Body: Speed 2, Stress Reduce 1, Draft +1
• Tires: Speed 2, Traction -1, Cool 3
• Gas Pedal: Speed 1, React, Trash 1
  

 

We returned to Europe to race in France for the season finale. Based on the current championship standings, It was nearly "winner-takes-all" for everyone in the field. After the disaster that was Japan, I came into this race with the classic driver motto of just "run your own race". The car set up worried me, as I kept drawing wings for a track that didn't really benefit from having them as much as some of the other tracks were. A fast, flowing circuit, I took a few lower speed cards to allow me to remain in third gear for the medium speed corners and straights. 

The green flag dropped, and it became a pretty good race. By Turn 3 of the first lap, it became apparent it was a two horse race between Blue (🟦) and myself (🟨). I took the lead around Turn 2, but Blue tailed me closely through out the rest of the race, nearly constantly remaining one space behind me up until the final corner of the final lap, where she pulled level next to me on the final straight blast to the finish (pictured above). I had 17 speed worth of cards I could play for the final blast, but I knew there was a chance Blue could pull an 18 or 19 speed card, but there was nothing else I could do. I blasted out of the final corner, and then Blue drew an 18! Nipped at the post!

French Grand Prix Race Results

1. 🟦+9 🥇
2. 🟨+6 🥈
3. 🟩+4 🥉
4. ⬜+3
5. ⬛+2
6. 🟥+1
   

Championship Standings (Wins/Podiums)

1. 🟦: 21 (2/2) 🏆
2. 🟨: 21 (0/3)
3. ⬜: 17 (1/2)
4. 🟩: 17 (0/3)
5. 🟥: 15 (1/2)
6. ⬛: 09 (0/0)

With two race wins under her belt, Blue (🟦) came through to sneak the championship on count back! In my last championship I ran back in 2024, I beat Blue to the championship taking 3 out of 4 wins on the original circuits. The addition of the Heavy Rain circuits of Mexico and Japan made the championship much closer than it was last time, and much trickier too!