Spectators at the 80th Pikes Peak International Hill Climb were treated to a spectacular finish as Team Freightliner’s Mike Ryan, making the final run of the day, flipped his 1,200-horsepower Century Class on its side, literally flying over the finish line and taking first place in the Big Rigs category.
“I’m still not sure exactly what happened,” said Ryan, who was not injured in the mishap. “All I know is I broke traction, got sideways and caught a piece of the shoulder.”
Ryan’s time of 13:21.4 set a new course record for Big Rigs, breaking his 2000 record of 13:39.02.
His Freightliner’s twin turbos screaming, Mike Ryan claws his way to victory atop 14,000-foot Pikes Peak.
Earlier, Bruce Canepa, driving for Kenworth and CFI, posted a record time of 13:57.8 in his T2000, taking first in the tandem-axle division, and second in Big Rigs overall.
And rookie driver Molly Morter, Ryan’s protégé and fellow Freightliner team member, drove a tandem-axle Sterling to finish with a more than respectable time of 15:56.4.
