N64 Mario Raceway

N64 Mario Raceway is the fourth and final course of the Shell Cup in Mario Kart Wii. Its first appearance as a course was in Mario Kart 64.

Overview

Current BKTs

Type	Unrestricted	No Ultra	No Glitch
3lap	1:35.910		1:38.895
Flap	8.777	24.517	30.564

N64 Mario Raceway has a 3lap viable ultra shortcut, and currently benefits from the use of supergrinding, superhopping, supersliding, and a large shortcut currently deemed a community shortcut. Hence, it has three 3lap and three flap categories. The Unrestricted 3lap record is technically the No Ultra 3lap record since no run exists using an ultra shortcut.

Unrestricted 3lap

Video: 1:35.910 by Ejay B, kierio04, Malleo, Marth (2025)

Despite the run being created in 2025, it was made to reflect the best known strategies as of late 2019.
The strategy involves the hill shortcut. A supergrind is started at the pipe exit, carried all the way to the big hill after turn 2, and clears over the entire hill with a supergrind ejection. The Bullet Bike is used because it is the fastest IDB that can perform the shortcut with one mushroom; Baby Daisy is used for the speed bonus.

• Lap 1: Driven following most strats from the NG 3lap, up until the end of the pipe, where a supergrind is started.
• Lap 2: The hill shortcut is performed using the second mushroom. Upon landing, a short supergrind is started to skip the hairpin turn shroomless. Another supergrind is started at the end of the lap.
• Lap 3: Same as lap 2, except the second pipe trick and last turn are driven like the NG 3lap.

Unrestricted Flap

Video: 8.777 by Ancient, ego, Ejay B, Jellopuff, kierio04, Marth, Zappg (2022)

The current strategy for UR flap is to perform an ultra shortcut with a delayed lap count. The Quacker is used due to having the highest handling among IDBs, while Baby Daisy is used for her top speed stat bonus.
The setup starts by performing a wallclip at the giant mushroom stalk, to land on the seam of the track. This is done shroomless, by initiating a small supergrind on the banked offroad to the left and ejecting. After seam riding all the way to the finish line, the bike turns around, accelerates with the first, and combines a spindrift with a big landing bounce to cross over to the other side, stopping on the seam. This completes the setup for the delayed lap count.
The lap is started from the front of the finish line checkpoint, still riding on the seam. The second mushroom is used to cross over to the other side again. The third mushroom is used immediately after to clear the chasm between the seam and the last key checkpoint. The turnaround movement is optimized with a spindrift into the last key checkpoint, followed by a grounded hop and two miniturbos into the finish line.

No Ultra Flap

Video: 24.517 by Estaloy, Shadow (2023)

The current strategy for NU flap is to perform WBSS for the entire lap, and as such uses Wario Bike. King Boo is used to increase the handling stat.
The setup involves using a mushroom to wallclip over the invisible wall, then landing on the road seam. This is done by clipping the giant mushroom stalk; there is a convenient gap in the invisible walls here. After landing on the seam to the right, the WBSS state is entered. The flap begins after building an excess of EV, such that almost the entire lap is spent at the speed cap of 120 u/f. The bike ejects from the superslide near the end of the lap, then cuts through the offroad at the last turn with the two leftover mushrooms.

No Glitch 3lap

Video: 1:38.895 by Corvid, ego, Ejay B, sorry (2025)

Funky Kong + Flame Runner is optimal; the Spear is too long to perform the shroom strategy, and its drift is too low for many of the turns.

• First + second turns: Delayed softdrift to the right, with a quickhop realignment, followed by a regular hard drift to the right. On lap 1 only, a startslip is used to avoid having to hop.
• Third turn: A combination of softdrifting and counterdrifting. Due to the awkward shape of the road, the miniturbo can't be released earlier without getting a bad exit line, while hopping later into the turn results in a bad line through the turn.
• Fourth turn: Some wheelie turning preceding a delayed softdrift. Offroad is clipped for 2 f during the miniturbo release. The shape of the road makes it fast to start drifting as far left as possible, and softdrifting prevents exiting the turn with too much left rotation.
• Piranha cut: It's possible to fit between the Piranha Plant and the wall for a tight cut. This is done with a short right drift to realign, followed by a spindrift for good rotation upon landing. Landing bounces are minimized without compromising the line, but some airtime during acceleration is present.
• Ramp trick: While it's possible to get significantly lower tricks, the fastest strategy involves performing a wheelie trick, by drifting off the edge of the ramp and quickly landing on it again using a left trick. This saves time over a simple lowtrick due to the miniturbo boost. The increased trick height, combined with a slipchain, is also used to remove a chain wheelie outright.
• Fifth + sixth turns: Basic turns, with some softdrifting to accomodate the shape of the road. A chain drift is done on the fifth turn, holding the first miniturbo briefly due to the length of the turn.
• Pipe tricks: Two drift tricks are done to greatly reduce the airtime from both tricks, and quickly realign during boost acceleration.
• Last turn: Also a basic turn to the right, with small amounts of softdrifting.
• QM locks: Shroom (saving time results in hitting the offroad, doing the spindrift 1 f early results in a poor drift line); pipe tricks (the second one in particular is very strict).

No Glitch Flap

Video: 30.564 by Citrinitas, ego, sorry (2023)

Like for the NG 3lap, Funky Kong + Flame Runner is the optimal combo.

• Lap entry -> piranha cut: Same strategy as the 3lap. The lap is entered on the right side of the road to reduce distance driven.
• Ramp trick: The wheelie trick strat is not performed because it was not known at the time. It would still save time, even if the wheelie cancel is not applicable.
• Fifth + sixth turns: The second and third mushrooms are used here to cut through as much offroad as possible. The hop before the third shroom is done to delay the mushroom usage.
• Pipe tricks + last turn: Same as the 3lap.

History

TODO: History of all strat developements. Section devoted to the ultra shortcut and its many variations, the no glitch optimisation development, and supergrinding/supersliding.

TAS Competitions

N64 Mario Raceway has featured in four tasks of the MKWii TAS Competition (Task 8 2020, Task 1 2021, Special Task I, Task 6 2023) and one tafk of the MKWii TAF Competition (Tafk 1).

Future

Known timesaves

UR 3lap

• Implement the ultra shortcut and supersliding.

UR Flap

• Velocity stacking + banana clearance sale

NU 3lap

• Implement supersliding.

NU 3lap

• Redo with automatic transmission and better optimization.

NG Flap

• Add the ramp wheelie trick.

Potential timesaves

(none)