---
title: "Clubs 101: UMD Mario Kart Club"
date: 2025-03-13T05:30:00-04:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/clubs-101-umd-mario-kart-club"
section: Articles
---
# Clubs 101: UMD Mario Kart Club

*March 13, 2025* — by [Karen Shih ’09](/author/karen-shih)


> Collegiate League-Winning Team Builds Community Around Popular Video Game

*Mario Kart Testudo 1920x1080 — Drive away the week's stresses with the UMD Mario Kart Club, which meets in person for in-person tournaments each Friday night.*

Don’t be a “Shy Guy” this spring. If you’re feeling like you need a little competition—or are a little nostalgic for the Wii game of your childhood—"Switch” up your Friday nights to “Link” up with the newly official [UMD Mario Kart Club](https://terplink.umd.edu/organization/mariokart).

“It’s chaotic and fun,” said co-President Kyle Duong ’24, M.P.S. ’26, who studies game entertainment and media analytics and hopes to get a job in the industry. “Other driving games depend only on your driving skills, but Mario Kart is more intense. … There’s more strategy involved.”

Launched in 1992 and now the bestselling racing franchise of all time, Mario Kart pits go-kart drivers like Princess Peach, Luigi and Toad against each other across 96 immersive tracks, including the iconic Rainbow Road, futuristic floating cities and snow-covered mountains. Players can deploy Bullet Bills to speed out of last place, banana peels to send opponents into a skid and shells to knock other drivers off course.

Sound up your alley? Here’s what you need to know:


*Three students with Testudo mascot — Testudo with members of the Mario Kart Club. From left: Kyle Duong '24, M.P.S. '26, Chris Nagel '27 and Andrew Naiman '25.*



**Sidebar note:**

**Duong’s Favorites:**

Character: Yoshi, for having the best speed

Vehicle: Mr. Scooty, a blue motorbike

Item: Lightning, because it can take out many players on an opposing team at once. The shock shrinks the players temporarily and forces them to drop their items, and they grow back from last place to first, so the move can dramatically change the race.

Track: Donut Plains 3, because while some tracks are better for pure racing or item-based advantages or sabotage, this one is a great playing field to do both.





**Topics:** [Campus & Community](https://today.umd.edu/tags/campus-community)


**Tags:** [Clubs 101](https://today.umd.edu/topic/clubs-101), [Student Experience](https://today.umd.edu/topic/student-experience)


**Units:** [Division of Student Affairs](https://today.umd.edu/topic/division-student-affairs)