MANITOU, Colo. (July 5, 2004) — Mike Ryan, piloting his No. 77 Freightliner Century Class S/T Super Truck, claimed victory for the seventh time at the 82nd annual Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Manitou Springs, Colo.

Ryan finished the race with a time of 6:05:03 — 36 seconds faster than the second-place time. Ryan also broke his own qualifying-time record at this year’s competition by 20 seconds.

The hill climb takes on trucks, rally cars, ATVs and motorcycles competing in separate divisions to achieve the fastest time up the mountain on a course of pavement, gravel and dirt with hairpin turns and sheer drop-offs.

The race begins at 9,390 feet and finishes at the 14,110-foot summit of Pikes Peak. However, this year’s finish line for the Class 8 segment of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb stopped six miles short of the summit due to severe weather conditions that developed in the afternoon, shutting down the race for more than two hours preceding Ryan’s run up the mountain. Only one other time in the history of the hill climb has weather altered the race route.

“Mike takes that Century Class to the limit year after year,” said Mark Lampert, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Freightliner Trucks. “It’s a testament to his crew and our product that it keeps performing so well in such extreme conditions.”

Ryan’s race-modified Freightliner Century Class S/T features a racing version of the Mercedes-Benz 501 V-6 twin turbo engine that produces nearly 1,300 horsepower. In tests, the 8,000-pound truck topped out at speeds nearing 100 mph on the course.

It also features custom-made tires supplied by Michelin, which feature special rubber compounds and hand-carved treads, which significantly improve traction and vehicle handling. In addition, the tires are filled with nitrogen gas rather than air to slow air pressure expansion.