A VS Race is a mode featured in all Mario Kart games. This mode is very similar to Grand Prix in that you race on the same courses as Grand Prix. However, you do not win cups in a VS race. In Super Mario Kart (in this game, VS Race was called Match Race) to Mario Kart: Double Dash!! and Mario Kart 7, this mode was only playable through multiplayer. In Mario Kart DS and all games after that (with the exception of the aforementioned Mario Kart 7), this mode is playable in single player mode as well as multiplayer mode. This mode basically gives you the freedom to select the individual tracks you want to race on, and in Mario Kart DS and games after that, it features more complex rules you can set, like the ability to race in teams, or set the difficulty of the CPU characters, or to even set how many races are played. This mode can be used for multiplayer, or just for practicing racing on a course with other characters. In Mario Kart 7, Mario Kart 8, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe it can also be played online.
In Mario Kart: Super Circuit, there's a unique game mode known as Quick Run, which is similar to the single-player VS Races of later installments.