Nintendo's new Mario Kart: Double Dash website (see link above) hints at secret characters and tracks, but all of the locked goodies are marked with silhouettes and the words "Coming soon!" But the diligent PGC staff is always looking for secrets, and thanks to a little snooping around from our staff artist, Ryan Jones, these secrets are coming now.

Ryan tooled around the website and eventually found a document which duplicates the racer info on the site. The only difference is that it also includes the secret racers at the bottom of the list. The secret characters are (highlight the hidden text to view it):

Toad

"Toad is small and fast, and with his Super Mushroom, he can give any kart a real boost. Unlock him by..."

Toadette

"If you feel the need for speed, choose Toadette for your kart, and hold on tight. Unlock her by..."

Petey Piranha

"Petey Piranha can grab any special item, allowing him to lay waste to the rest of the field. Unlock him by..."

King Boo

"If you're not afraid of ghosts, you will be once King Boo is through with you. Unlock him by..."

Obviously, the site still doesn't have info on how to actually unlock these characters. Ryan also examined another document and found evidence of four secret tracks, though there isn't any text description of them. The special cup features (highlight again to view):

Wario Colosseum

Dino Dino Jungle

Bowser's Castle

Rainbow Road

Some of this info has already been reported by European media sources, who received the final version weeks ago. But now you've got confirmation, courtesy of Nintendo's official game website.