I think I got second place. The turning felt pretty hair trigger, but also good once I got a feel for it. It kind of made me think of the fan boats they have in swampy areas.
Sadly nothing happened when crossing the finish line. It was also tough to tell where the next checkpoint was going to be after you passed through one, so I lost a decent amount of time because I would just be going in the same direction while the NPCs would take hard angles towards the actual goal. The NPCs also seemed to not make mistakes.
I liked the pixel art. I didn't notice it until after the race was over, but the little wake that you have is well done and gives you a sense of direction. The way the game melts into the page also made me pretty jealous of whoever made the art.
The music was very cool and dramatic. It made me think of old NES games like Contra, where it kicks in and you just think, "Ok, it's go time." Instantly made me feel competitive.