PIKE’S PEAK, Colo. (July 15, 2005) — The world’s most eminent heavy-truck racer has set yet another record in his Mercedes-Benz powered Freightliner Century Class S/T Super Truck.

Mike Ryan recently set his 5th new record in the big rig Class of the 2005 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. It was Ryan’s eighth win in the nine years that he has competed in what has been dubbed “the Race to the Clouds.”

Ryan completed his run up the mountain this year with a time of 12:46.81. When Ryan first entered the class in 1997, the record stood at 15:48.

“My record-breaking times year after year demonstrate the superior performance of our sponsor’s products and their continued commitment to offering the most advanced truck technologies in the industry,” Ryan said. Last year’s truck was capable of breaking records too but the weather on the mountain wouldn’t allow it.”

The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb — considered to be one of the most challenging courses in the world — is the second oldest
motorsports event in the U.S. after the Indianapolis 500. The course runs 12.46 miles through 156 turns, climbing nearly one mile in elevation to reach the 14,110-foot summit of Pikes Peak. The run up the mountain is mostly dirt with no guardrails.