Mike Ryan, Hollywood stunt driver and founder of Mike Ryan Motorsports, will show his hand-built Freightliner Century Class S/T race truck at the Mid-America Trucking Show this week in Louisville, Ky.

The 2006 MATs is projected to be the largest in the history of the event. The South Wing C expansion added 160,000 square feet of exhibit space, bringing the total to 1 million square feet. With more than 1,000 companies exhibiting, the show is the largest of its kind in the world.
Ryan specifically designed the 7,824-pound Freightliner Century Class S/T Super Truck for the Annual Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. While the truck is a far cry from a standard over-the-road Class 8 Freightliner, there are similarities. The engine is a 1,250-horsepower Mercedes Benz with 2,700 foot-pounds of torque. A ZF five-speed electronically controlled transmission and Arvin-Meritor drive train modified for racing have propelled this Super Truck to speeds of over 100 mph. Much like a sprint car, the suspension is a four-link front end and three-link rear end. Ryan recently set his fifth new record at The Pikes Peak Hill Climb, held annually in Colorado Springs, Colo., with a time of 12:46.81. This year’s race will be held on July 1, 2006. The televised race will air on NBC prior to the Brickyard 400 on Aug. 6, 2006.
Events and appearances for the remainder of 2006 include; Truck World Canada April 20-22 in Toronto; Truck Show Las Vegas, June 15-17; Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, July 1st in Colorado Springs, Colo.; The Great American Trucking Show Aug. 24-26 in Dallas Texas; and The Truck Show Latino this October in Pomona, Calif.