This was one of the games I got into really late in the life of the Nintendo Entertainment System. By then, I was already jaded by other racing games that I preferred more.
I can see why it is a good game, just not my cup of tea. I also did not have any friends around, at the time I discovered Excitebike, to play with via the track editor or anything.
The track editor was the highlight of the game. Sparked a lot of creativity when I was a kid. :)
I have had a few good runs with the track editor since becoming an adult so I can see how it was a major selling point back in the day.