Debut of World's Fastest Rhino at Baja 500

MURRIETA, California (June 1, 2006) The popularity of Yamaha's Rhino is exploding as a whole new breed of off road racing enthusiast emerges. While stock Rhinos handle well and deliver a great ride at an affordable price, hard-core racers have used the leftover cash to raise the ante on Rhino performance. Murrieta, California-based Toxic Performance and Offroad recently beefed up a racing Rhino that achieves speeds greater than 100 mph believed to be the first Rhino ever to do so. This little sand devil makes its racing debut at the Score International Baja 500 on June 2-4, 2006, also becoming the first Rhino to race the Baja 500 in the sport UTV class.

Lonnie Banks, the Toxic engineer who oversaw the Rhino upgrades, will also be behind the wheel during the race, coaxing every ounce of performance from his creation. We built everything you'd find in a Class 1 car into our Rhino, Banks explained. First, we boosted the horsepower from 42 to 170 with a 1200 V-Max Engine with a 5-speed transmission from a street bike. Then, we changed the power train from the stock 4WD to 2WD, which creates less frictional drag in the differential, delivers more power to the rear wheels, and is 40-pounds lighter, he said.

The result? On a 1-mile stretch of dry riverbed, the Toxic Rhino was clocked at slightly more than 100 mph. And that was just in third gear. The wide-open stretches of the Baja 500 will reveal the Rhino's true maximum speed.

But speed isn't the only important thing in a 500-mile race through rugged terrain. Handling and safety are vital as well, so the Toxic team lengthened the suspension, raised the travel to 17 inches, and dropped the seats to the floor to maintain the lowest possible center of gravity. They added 4-wheel disc brakes (another Rhino first), and a host of mechanical improvements that make this Rhino a formidable contender on most any off road course.

The Toxic Rhino is already causing heads to turn. We met Baja racing legend Malcolm Smith when we pre-ran the course, and he?s very interested to see how our Rhino performs in the 500. It seems there are many who are fascinated by the Rhino's potential to further popularize off road racing events. We're thrilled to be right in the middle of the action, added Banks.

For more information on the Toxic Rhino, write or stop by the shop at 26520 Adams Avenue, Murrieta, CA 92562, call 951.677.9300, or visit www.toxicrhinos.com.