Freightliner and Mike Ryan will attempt to remain "Kings of the Hill" in the annual July 4th Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. For three years in a row, Ryan and his Freightliner Century Class tractor have clocked the fastest time in the race’s Class 8 heavy duty truck division.

The "Race to the Clouds" Hill Climb is a 12-1/2 mile race up Colorado’s Pikes Peak mountain. The race begins at an elevation of 9,402 feet and ends at 14,110 feet. Drivers must maneuver through 156 turns on a gravel track on their way to the top.
For the 2000 race, Mike Ryan's Century Class truck features a new Mercedes-Benz engine. Based on the Mercedes-Benz 501 V-6 twin-turbo diesel, the engine generates over 1,200 horsepower. "This new engine is very responsive and accelerates quickly out of turns," Ryan said. "We expect to be very fast on the mountain."
The Century Class truck driven by Ryan is specially modified for mountain racing. The 155-inch wheelbase truck features the 12-liter Mercedes-Benz engine, ZF Ecomat 5-speed automatic transmission, custom 3-inch chrome molly front axle with ConMet hubs, Meritor RS-19-145 rear axle, Bilstein coil-over front and rear shocks, Meritor hydraulic disc brakes, Accuride alloy wheels and Michelin tires.
Other drivers competing in the Class 8 heavy duty truck division are Bruce Canepa, who will be behind the wheel of CFI’s Red Racer, a 1999 Kenworth T2000, and Shane Chapman, who will be driving a 2000 Sterling A113.