▁ 1 1 7 ▁million ▁years ▁ago , ▁the ▁Rails , ▁which ▁are ▁narrow ▁tracks ▁thousands ▁of ▁miles ▁long , ▁were ▁constructed ▁by ▁unknown ▁life ▁forms , ▁with ▁their ▁purpose ▁unclear . ▁The ▁Rails ▁are ▁half ▁open , ▁w inding ▁tub es ▁with ▁a ▁red ▁power ▁strip ▁along ▁one ▁side ▁that ▁boost s ▁a ▁ship ' s ▁speed ▁the ▁closer ▁it ▁f lies ▁to ▁it . ▁They ▁were ▁transformed ▁into ▁massive ▁race ▁tracks , ▁on ▁which ▁the ▁ 4 3 ▁known ▁civil izations ▁of ▁the ▁galax y ▁comp ete ▁for ▁the ▁right ▁to ▁be ▁called ▁" the ▁champion ". ▁The ▁prize ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁championship ▁is ▁the ▁Star ▁S phere , ▁assemble d ▁from ▁ 4 3 ▁stones ▁found ▁at ▁each ▁track , ▁forming ▁a ▁near - per fect ▁glo be , ▁still ▁incomplete , ▁as ▁it ▁has ▁one ▁piece ▁missing . ▁Five ▁centuries ▁ago , ▁a ▁ 4 4 th ▁Rail ▁was ▁discovered , ▁orbit ing ▁a ▁dying ▁star , ▁but ▁it ▁doesn ' t ▁contain ▁the ▁missing ▁piece . ▁Even ▁so , ▁the ▁rac ers ▁must ▁comp ete ▁at ▁this ▁last ▁Rail , ▁located ▁at ▁E psilon ▁Ind i . ▁The ▁actual ▁championship ▁wel comes ▁the ▁first ▁rac er ▁from ▁Earth , ▁Con nor ▁Rh odes , ▁as ▁he ▁compet es ▁for ▁the ▁Star ▁S phere . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁game , ▁Rh odes ▁wins ▁the ▁championship ▁and ▁the ▁Star ▁S phere . ▁It ▁is ▁revealed ▁that ▁he ▁has ▁the ▁last ▁piece ▁of ▁the ▁glo be .