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| Following Hunter Service Check, Mike Ryan Makes Record Win at 2006 Pikes Peak Hill Climb |
 Prior to his ninth win and sixth record-setting run in the historic Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, race and stunt driver, racing truck builder, accident forensics expert, aviator and entrepreneur Mike Ryan stopped by Hunter’s Truck & Bus Safety Center in St. Louis. Ryan visited the center to acquire some precise alignment and
brake performance data and fine tune his Freightliner Century Class S/T racing truck.
Hunter engineers used a standard 811T to measure the truck’s alignment. The system’s WinToe feature was employed to accommodate the truck’s rack and pinion steering, which only this year became Freightliner original equipment.
Ryan’s repeated passes over the center’s B400T brake tester and low-speed laps through the parking lot when calibrating his cab-adjustable brake balance system drew curious glances from classrooms at the adjacent Hunter training center.
When not racing in the U.S. and internationally, Ryan exhibits the truck at industry events throughout the country. His schedule is available at www.fastrucks.com. In addition to his racing and business accomplishments, Ryan serves on the board of directors of Trucker Buddy International, the pen-pal group that matches professional drivers with elementary school classes.
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Top: Weeks prior to the July 4th weekend race, Ryan make brake and alignment adjustments based on test results at Hunter's Truck and Bus Saftey Center in St. Louis
Left: Mike Ryan in his Freightliner Century Class S/T Pikes Peak racing truck on his way to a ninth victory in his sixth record time up the mountain. |
| Right: Hunter's heavy-duty truck pit made easy work of alignment adjustments, including a critical rear-axle offset, to ensure that the engine's 1250 horsepower is efficiently delivered to the road. The truck is powered by a Mercedes-Benz 501 V6 twin turbo diesel, originally designed for European truck road racing. The engine is actually de-tuned using smaller turbo chargers, which better handle the high altitude encountered at Pike's Peak. |
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Left: Hunter President Stephen Brauer stopped by during testing and traded stories with Ryan. From left are: Hunter R&D Engineer Dennis Linson; Manager R&D Engineering Mike Gerdes; Heavy-Duty Product Manager Mitch Weller; Mike Ryan and Stephen Brauer. |
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