The Pre-race Countdown Timer, also known as Pre-Battle Countdown Timer or Countdown Timer, is a feature from the Mario Kart series that involves Lakitu, his Start Signal, and a timer that counts down from two in the first three games (three in later games) to the official start of the race/battle. The race/battle officially starts when the signal turns green or when the word GO! appears on the game screen (START! in Double Dash!! and DS).