Driver breaks record in Pikes Peak truck climb

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GREENVILLE, S.C. — Veteran truck driver Mike Ryan recently broke his own record at the 2002 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb competition.

Ryan, driving a No. 77 Freightliner SuperTruck, climbed the treacherous Pikes Peak racecourse in 13:21.4, breaking his previous record time of 13:39.2. The twisting road course winds up and around the 14,110-foot Pikes Peak.

“My goal was to break my previous record on the mountain, so I really drove the Freightliner hard. I pushed the truck on the last leg and hooked my tire just before the finish line,” says Ryan.

Rookie driver Molly Morter, the first woman to compete in the powerful Big Rig division at Pikes Peak, also set a record. She finished second in the tandem axle division of the Big Rig class, and received the Rookie of the Year award.

Randy Clark, vice-president of marketing for Michelin Americas Truck Tires, was pleased by the performance of Ryan and Morter – both drivers set their records on Michelin tires. Ryan’s truck was equipped with Michelin’s new X One XDA-HT wide single tires, and Morter had XD2 tires mounted on her rig.

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