Mario Flies Off a Ramp in His Kart

About this drawing

Mario go-kart jump moments have been part of his life since 1992, when his racing series kicked off. Mario and his friends speed around twisting tracks packed with ramps, shortcuts and surprise items.

Winning takes more than a fast kart. Racers grab items to slow down rivals, from banana peels to shells, and the earliest games scattered coins on the track that gave a small speed boost. That mix of luck and skill means even the driver in last place can sneak back to the front.

Go-karts are real machines too. They are small, low and open, with a simple engine and four wheels. Karting took off in the United States in the 1950s, and today there are kart tracks in towns all over the world where kids and grown-ups can try racing.

Because a kart sits just inches off the ground, it feels much faster than it really is. For lots of people, a few laps on a kart track are their first taste of driving. Kart racing also teaches young drivers how to brake smoothly, take corners safely and respect everyone else on the track.

• mario
• go-kart
• racing
• coins
• video games