Get Items!
Your main goal is to be the first driver to cross the finish line... But in the world of Mario Kart, this means dealing with all kinds of incoming items and attacks from other carts. So instead of being a helpless victim, make sure to take advantage of every opportunity to grab an item. Use items quickly after getting them, because you'll often lose some of your items if you get hit. Also by using up your items, you'll be able to hit more question blocks and try for better items. The more items you dish out to your opponents during a race, the more havoc you'll cause for other drivers.

Keep an Eye Out...
Question blocks aren't the only place to find items.... As the race wears on, carts will sometimes be caused to drop their items. Keep an eye out for powerups on the track, like spare mushrooms, or even a star that fell out of a Yoshi Egg.

Light it up From Last Place...
Never give up, even if you're in eight place on the final lap. When you've fallen behind the pack, you'll get better items... One of the game's ultimate combinations is a Lightning Bolt and a star (you're chances of getting these items increases dramatically if you're in last place). Your opponents will be reduced to minimal speed, while you're invincible and speeding fast.

A final lap comeback can occur especially when you get good items early on during the last lap. A bit of luck in the item department, combined with blasting through the track without making any more mistakes, while performing repeated mini-turbos can turn a bad race into a surprise victory.

Triple Threat...
Having either Koopa Troopa or Paratroopa in your kart can be a great advantage. Their triple red shells can come in very handy, especially during the final lap of any race. But you don't want your triple treats to go to waste... When you have red shells and you're tailing an opponent, don't launch all your red shells at once. Fire them several seconds apart, that way one hits, and then just as they get going again, another one will slow 'em down. Combining the two characters for an All-Koopa-Kart can give you an even greater chance of scoring the much-dreaded triple red shells.

Giant Banana Split...
The Giant Banana is a special item that Donkey and Diddy Kong can receive. If the Giant Banana gets hit while it's lying on the track, it will break into three smaller banana peels. In these screenshots, I'm forced to quickly react as the kart ahead of me runs into the Giant Banana Peel. As the small peels fall, I'm sliding through the opening.

Banana Trap,,,
This applies to Banana Peels, Fake Items, and other hazards... Drop these things in areas where other racers have planted traps. Certain areas of a course will become littered with destructive items, but if you're a good driver you can maneuver around these danger spots. In this screenshot, I've blocked part of the tunnel with two giant banana peels... When someone hits one of these giant banana peel, it'll break up into three smaller banana peels, making for one hell of a tight squeeze.

Kaboom!
As a Spiked Shell makes it's way to the first place driver, everyone else will be able to see it soaring overhead. The huge explosion of the Spiked Shell hitting the first placed driver will even affect other nearby drivers. This situation can be anticipated, and taken advantage of... As a Spiked Shell approaches, I drop behind the pack slightly in the left screenshot because I noticed the lead karts are in a cluster. The explosion takes out the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd karts, allowing me to cruise right through and steal 1st place.

Bash the Baddies
The enemy characters scattered throughout the tracks sure can become annoying... Luckily, you can huck shells and other items at them to make way for your kart. This even goes for Piranha Plants, who retreat when a shell hits their pipe, or if they're hit with a fireball. While invincible, you'll be able to plow right through any enemies who block the path. One neat little trick is to kill a Goomba in Mario Circuit - A defeated Goomba will surrender a mushroom.