It's a great day for a race and Lakitu is sick! He can't start the race, but can Yoshi save the day?

The story begins in Mario Circuit where the race is held today and the crowd is cheering. "And now, here to start this race is our referee, Lakitu!" the announcer said.

But, Lakitu can't make it! The crowd felt sad.

Then Yoshi came in and said, "Oh, no! The race is about to start and Lakitu's not here. I better go see him and find out what he's up to."

He went to the hospital and saw Lakitu. "Lakitu, are you OK?" Yoshi asked.

Lakitu said slowly, "I'm sorry I can't make it for the race but you can start the race for me."

"How can I start the race for you?" Yoshi asked.

Lakitu gave him the start signal and said, "Use my start signal!"

"Wow!" Yoshi replied to him when he saw the signal. "But how does it work?"

"I'll show you how it works!" Lakitu answered. "First you call the racers by saying 'Racers, start your engines!', next you push the green button. This button triggers the countdown lights and finally, you say the countdown phrase and the race officially begins! Got it?"

"Got it!" Yoshi said.

"Now, go to Mario Circuit and hurry! Good luck Yoshi! " Lakitu said.

Yoshi thanked him and said "I will!"

So, he used the warp pipe and off he went to Mario Circuit.

"Well race fans, it looks like we have a special guest referee who will start the race for us this afternoon." the announcer said, "Please welcome our special guest referee, Yoshi!"

The crowd cheered for him as Yoshi makes his way to the track!

"Thank you, Thank you so much!" Yoshi said, "Now, what did Lakitu say again? Oh! I remembered now!"

He said to the racers, "Racers, start your engines!" and all of the racers started their engines thanks to his instruction.

"Now for step 2: Push the green button, this button triggers the countdown lights." he said. "Now which button triggers the countdown lights?"

He searched for the button high and low, but there's no green button. So he kept on looking.

When he got to the green button, it reads: 'Countdown Light Button Switch On/Off'. Yoshi got excited and said, "That's it! That's the one that I was looking for! This green button triggers the countdown lights. Let's push it!" He pushed the green button and the lights turned on.

"All right!" Yoshi proclaimed, "Now all that's left is to say the countdown phrase. If I say the phrase, then the race officially begins. To the starting line!"

So he went to the starting line in front of the racers with his start signal on the left hand, waiting for the countdown to begin.

"This is it, race fans! It all comes down to the phrase. If Yoshi says this phrase, then the race officially begins!" the announcer said. "Let's cheer him on, everyone! Yoshi! Yoshi! Yoshi!"

The crowd chanted his name: "Yoshi! Yoshi! Yoshi!"

Even Lakitu at the hospital watched the race and chanted his name, too! "Yoshi! Yoshi! Yoshi!"

Yoshi thought to himself: *This is for you, Lakitu. I hope this works.*

He raised his right hand up, took a deep breath and he's ready to say the famous phrase that officially begins the race.

"Well, here goes!" Yoshi said, "Racers, are you ready?"

The crowd grew silent and chanted as Yoshi says the famous phrase, "Say it! Say it! Say it!"

"Here we go!" Yoshi shouted, "3..."

Lakitu said to him, "Yes!"

"2..."

The crowd said to him, "Yes! Yes!"

"1..."

The announcer said to him, "Just one more! Say the word!"

Yoshi took a deep breath and then he said the one word that officially begins the race, "And..."

Everyone watched and waited.

"GO!!"

The green light flashed and the crowd cheered as the racers flew out of the starting line in a cloud of dust. Yoshi has saved the race for the first time!

"I did it! I did it!" Yoshi proclaimed, "I saved the race!"

The announcer got excited, "He did it! Yoshi started the race! Thank you, Yoshi! The crowd loves you! Look!"

The crowd cheered for him in a standing ovation by saying his name, "Yoshi! Yoshi! Yoshi!"

After the race, Lakitu came back and feeling better than ever. He told Yoshi, "Wow Yoshi, you saved the race for me? Thank you so much! I knew I can count on you! Say, will you be my co-referee in the next race?"

Yoshi answered, "Yes! Yes! Yes! I'll do it, Lakitu!"

"All right, Yoshi!" Lakitu said, "Let's go!"

At the next race, Lakitu and Yoshi are now a perfect pair as referees.

"Ready, Yoshi?" Lakitu asked.

"Let's do it, partner!" Yoshi replied.

"Racers, start your engines!" they shouted.

Lakitu told Yoshi, "Now push the green button and let's start the countdown right now."

"OK, one countdown sequence, coming up!" Yoshi replied as he pushed the green button. The countdown begins.

"3..." Lakitu started.

"2..." Yoshi continued

"1..." Lakitu finished.

They shouted the word at the same time: "GO!"

And so thanks to Yoshi and Lakitu, the race is on as the perfect pair gave themselves a high five and shouted, "YES!"