The SFX artists of the Corridor Crew said it would be more expensive and more difficult to fake the moon landing than to actually land on the moon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ML2ZYYFOnI

I always thought it rewarded skill better. Instead of blue shells, karts were faster the farther back they fell in rankings, the lack of randomized items encouraged strategy, and if you didn’t touch the steering, accelerator or brakes, the boosts would last longer. Plus the music was dope.