BEAUTY TO TAME THE BEAST AT PIKES PEAK
CHICAGO (April 2, 2002) - Nineteen ninety-eight CIORA Off Road World
Champion and Golin/Harris executive, Molly Morter, will be at the wheel of
the No. 33 Sterling Hill Climb Special for the 2002 Pikes Peak Hill Climb,
the "80th Race to the Clouds." Morter will go down in the record books as
the first woman in history to race a big rig up the famed mountain.
"This is an opportunity of a lifetime for me, I can't wait to get behind the
wheel of that incredible machine," said Molly Morter, driver of the No. 33
Sterling Hill Climb Special. "I have always wanted to compete in the Pikes
Peak race, it is every off road racers' dream. And competing behind the
wheel of a big rig, well, you might as well do it right the first time."
Molly's No. 33 Sterling Hill Climb Special "Big Rig" is a 2000 Sterling
AT9500 powered by a 14-liter race-version of the Detroit Diesel Series 60.
The engine, built by Detroit Diesel, puts out 1000 horsepower and is geared
for a top speed of 102 mph. The Sterling Hill Climb Truck was designed and
built by the Freightliner and Sterling Truck Engineering and Test Center in
Portland, Oregon.
Mike Ryan, driver of the No. 77 Freightliner Unlimited SuperTruck and
four-time Pikes Peak Champion, views Morter's run up the mountain beneficial
for the sport of super truck racing.
"Molly has the potential to take the sport of super truck racing to another
level," said Ryan. "I believe she is a great competitor and a wonderful
spokesperson. I am confident that Molly will do very well at Pikes Peak."
The 2002 Pikes Peak Hill Climb, "80th Race to the Clouds," will be held June
29, 2002 in Colorado Springs, Colo. The event is a unique auto and
motorcycle race that combines a 12.4-mile gravel course with 130 mph plus
straight-aways, 156 gravel turns, and cliffs of 2,000 feet with no
guardrails. The Pikes Peak Hill Climb is the second oldest motorsports
event in the United States: The Indianapolis 500 being the oldest.
Morter, 26, has developed a vast knowledge of motorsports: both on the track
and off. A full-time senior account executive at Golin/Harris International
in Chicago, Molly's clients include Dodge Motorsports, Team Lowe's Racing,
and Sirius Satellite Racing.
"My professional career in public relations has opened many doors for me as
a driver," said Morter. "I am very fortunate to know what it feels like on
both sides of the fence. I have to thank Mike Ryan for recognizing the
potential in me and this program."
Molly's love for racing runs deep; her father and brother are both
accomplished off road racers. Part of the Morter Sports Racing Team, Molly
and her brother, Andy, continue to compete in the Championship Off Road
Racing (CORR) Series. Morter has been racing a 1600 cc Volkswagen Single
Buggy in the short course off road circuit for six years. Molly and Andy
also competed in the historical Tecate Baja 2000; the 2000-mile off road
race from Ensenada, Mexico to Cabo san Lucas.