9-10 News & Events 5/16/14 4:20 PM Page 9
Industry News
Diesel Freightliner To Take On Pikes Peak BY GREG JONES
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is the second oldest motor sports race in America and a longstanding tradition in Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak Region. First competed in 1916, this year marks the 91st running of the “Race to the Clouds.”
The race is run on a 12.42-mile course with 156 turns that begins at 9,390 feet and finishes at the 14,115 foot summit of America’s Mountain – Pikes Peak. The current record is 8 minutes 13.878 seconds and was set by Sebastien Loeb in 2013 while driving an 875-horsepower Peugeot 208 T16. But that isn’t deterring Mike Ryan, a professional driver who is no stranger to Pikes Peak himself. In fact, Ryan has won the race in the Big Rig-Semi-Truck division from 19972013 and has set seven Big Rig records on the course. Now he is looking to keep outdoing himself and capture the Open class record during the 2014 Pikes Peak International Hill Climb on June 29. In 2013, Ryan teamed up with industry legend Gale Banks of Gale Banks Engineering/Banks Power to give Ryan’s diesel Freightliner Cascadia even more power. This year is no different, and the team is back at it again looking to give the Freightliner more under the hood. The addition of Banks Racing equipment will ensure that Ryan has a good chance at setting a new world record. In 2013, Banks installed its Banks Racing Ram-Air intake, TechniCooler intercooler and intercooler spray system, StraightShot multistage-
multipoint water injection system, Banks iQ Man-Machine Interface (MMI), Banks SpeedBrake system, and Monster exhaust. The crowning touch, according to Banks, was the addition of its new Banks SuperTurbo, altitude compensating, forced air induction and control system. Mike Ryan's Banks Super-Turbo Pikes Peak Freightliner is unlike any other truck in the universe. The truck is equipped with a 14.0L Detroit Diesel 60 series engine with a compression ratio of 15-1 and a fuel redline of 2700 RPM. The body is constructed entirely of fiberglass and carbon fiber, even still weighing in at just over 5 tons. Like any well balanced race vehicle, it is a mid-engine design. This truck truly tests the merit of each and every one of its systems. Good acceleration requires a responsive engine, high speed requires massive horsepower and cornering and handling requires extreme braking capability. The Freightliner is an ideal platform to validate the Super-Turbo concept as well as to test the varied uses of the Banks Straight-Shot, Double-Shot and Triple Shot WaterMethanol Injection System. The potential benefits include not only increased power, but also improved fuel economy and reduced emissions. For more on Ryan’s vehicle and his attempt to out run his previous record of 12:39.9 set in 2012, visit: www.bankspower.com/pikespeak
JASPER Expands Manufacturing Operations JASPER Engines & Transmissions CEO Doug Bawel recently joined state and local officials in announcing the company’s plans to expand its footprint to create additional jobs and reinvest in the former Kimball Plastics manufacturing facility located at 1220 Power Drive in Jasper, IN. “JASPER Engines and Transmissions is a great Indiana economic success story. The company that has prospered and provided thousands of jobs for Hoosiers for over 70 years is expanding again,” said Lt. Gov. Ellspermann. “We continue to see how our business-friendly tax and regulatory policies plus our dedicated workforce make Indiana a place where companies want to expand and locate.” The homegrown-Hoosier company, which remanufactures drivetrain components, plans to invest $6.9 million to renovate and equip a 220,000 sq. foot facility presently vacant within ½ mile of its current 367,000 square-foot facility at 815 Wernsing Road in Jasper. The additional facility will become the new home of Jasper's Transmission Division which includes disassembly, machining, assembly, testing and warehousing of automotive drivetrain components. Bawel said they plan to be fully operational this fall. Jasper currently employs more than 2,600 associates throughout the United States, including more than 1,445 in Indiana. The company has
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