Stunt driver and Class 8 racer Mike Ryan wants you to be a Champ. In 2015, with John Condren of the ChumpCar World Series (pictured, right, with Ryan) among others, the ChampTruck World Series Class 8 race series will launch with a first event at the Charlotte Motor Speedway.
At the Mid-America Trucking Show, Ryan is showing the 2006 Freightliner Columbia he and team put together over six weeks preceding to show potential new “Champs,” drivers in the series, how they can affordably get into a race truck. Only a few mods are required, and they’ve inked a partnership with Daimler’s SelecTrucks used-truck dealerships to help new racers get into the business, other sponsors that could help finance the relatively little extra required equipment.
Ryan and Condren explain things in the video below, shot in the South Lobby Wednesday prior to MATS’ opening today. Essentially, they’d like to build a Class 8 racing culture in the U.S. with a popularity at similar levels to what is seen in Europe today. Enjoy.
Also catch photos of the Ryan Pike’s Peak Hill Climb heavily-modified Freightliner (yes, the one used in the stunt-jump vid I shared earlier this week) with the Columbia in the gallery below the video.
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