DragonFire Racing unveiled one of the most ambitious Kawasaki Teryx-based race vehicles of the early UTV era in 2009. Nicknamed “Nessy,” the approximately 1,100-pound machine combined a purpose-built tube chassis with a heavily modified 840cc Teryx V-twin producing a claimed 130 horsepower.
DragonFire described Nessy as a production race-and-play vehicle that could be purchased ready for competition. Although it used Kawasaki Teryx powertrain components, this was far removed from a standard recreational Teryx. Its full tube chassis, fuel cell, long-travel suspension and specialized steering components reflected how quickly UTV racing was advancing at the end of the 2000s.
DragonFire Racing Nessy Video
Todd Romano of DragonFire Racing introduced the new Teryx-powered vehicle and explained the thinking behind its race-ready design in this original 2009 video.
A Purpose-Built Kawasaki Teryx Race Vehicle
Rather than simply adding a cage and long-travel suspension to a stock Kawasaki Teryx, DragonFire designed Nessy around a complete 1.5-inch tube chassis. The chassis and suspension were modeled using SolidWorks, an increasingly important tool as UTV race fabrication became more sophisticated.
The suspension used FOX racing shocks, while chromoly boxed front-steer spindles and a billet steering rack were selected to withstand the impacts and sustained abuse of desert and short-course racing. A racing fuel cell was integrated into the chassis.
DragonFire claimed the vehicle was configured to meet the contemporary requirements of SCORE International, Best in the Desert and the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series. As with any competition vehicle, final eligibility would have depended on the applicable class and rulebook used at each event.
DragonFire Racing Nessy Specifications
| Engine | Modified Kawasaki Teryx V-twin |
|---|---|
| Displacement | 840cc |
| Claimed output | 130 horsepower |
| Chassis | Purpose-built 1.5-inch tube chassis |
| Claimed vehicle weight | Approximately 1,100 pounds |
| Shocks | FOX racing shocks |
| Front spindles | Chromoly boxed front-steer design |
| Steering | Billet steering rack |
| Fuel system | Racing fuel cell |
| Intended use | Desert racing, short-course competition and high-performance recreation |
Specifications are based on DragonFire Racing’s published claims when the vehicle was introduced in 2009.
Why 130 Horsepower Mattered in 2009
A claimed 130 horsepower was an extraordinary figure for a UTV in 2009. The production 2009 Kawasaki Teryx 750 FI used a naturally aspirated 749cc V-twin and was designed as a recreation-utility vehicle with a cargo bed and towing capability—not as a specialized racing machine.
Early Teryx builders quickly discovered that Kawasaki’s V-twin offered considerable performance potential. Engine displacement increases, intake and exhaust work, fuel-system tuning and clutch modifications allowed race builders to extract much more power than the stock vehicle produced.
Nessy demonstrated how far that development could be taken. DragonFire retained the identity and basic powertrain architecture of the Teryx while surrounding it with a chassis and suspension engineered specifically for competition.
DragonFire’s Successful 2009 Baja Campaign
The Nessy announcement came during an important racing season for DragonFire and Kawasaki. Earlier in 2009, Reid Nordin and Hans Waage drove a DragonFire-built Kawasaki Teryx to the Sportsman UTV victory at the 41st SCORE Baja 500. Despite losing considerable time to repairs, the team recovered and completed the 432.51-mile course ahead of the other UTV finishers.
DragonFire followed that performance with another Sportsman UTV victory at the 2009 Baja 1000. Reid Nordin, Hans Waage, Todd Romano and off-road racing legend Larry Roeseler shared the driving duties in the Monster Energy DragonFire Teryx. The team completed the demanding 672.85-mile race in 24 hours, 32 minutes and 37 seconds.
Nordin later provided UTV Guide with a detailed firsthand account of the 2009 Baja 1000, including the mechanical problems encountered before the start, extremely limited visibility in the dust and the driver changes that carried Nessy to the finish.
Nessy’s Place in Early UTV Racing History
Nessy arrived when the distinction between a modified production UTV and a purpose-built UTV race car was beginning to blur. Most racing machines of the period still started with recognizable Yamaha Rhino, Kawasaki Teryx or Polaris RZR chassis. DragonFire’s vehicle pushed much further toward a dedicated competition design while retaining a production-based Teryx engine and drivetrain.
That approach anticipated the increasingly specialized desert and short-course UTVs that followed. Modern race vehicles benefit from substantially more powerful factory engines, longer suspension travel and stronger production chassis, but Nessy showed what an experienced builder could create when the original UTV platforms were still relatively simple.
For more on the platform that supplied Nessy’s V-twin powertrain, read the complete history and evolution of the Kawasaki Teryx.
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