My buddy Mike Ryan and I have known each other for years. We race Pikes Peak, we both do stuntman work and we like to go try the unexpected. As I alluded to last week, Mike and I did a shoot which we will get to debut here on My Life at Speed. We are editing as we speak and it is awesome! In the meantime, check out some photos of the new color scheme for Mike’s Big Rig and hear directly from Mike, why the color scheme is important to him. GT.

Mike Ryan talks about the new paint scheme –

I was about 10 or 11 when I first saw the Ford GT-40’s in the Gulf Oil color scheme and it left quite an impression. The cars were what dreams were made of and in 1966, the Ford’s actually beat the Ferrari’s and won the World Manufacturers Championships, finishing 1st, four consecutive times in a row at LeMans, 1966-1969. It was also, the only American car to ever win LeMans at that time.
 
Gulf Livery went on the include the Porsche 917’s which won LeMans in 1970 & ’71. They would do 0-124 MPH (200 km/h) in 5.3 seconds and they topped out at 240 MPH. The Steve McQueen movie “LeMans” immortalized them and their beauty, power and performance have been stuck in my mind every since.
 
To this day, they are my two favorite cars, so it emulate my boyhood dreams with my own race car/ truck is a really fun thing to have done. We lost Shell as a sponsor in 2009 and have yet to garner another oil company, not even Gulf….YET. Their marketing lady unbelievably said that they do not support motorsports in the US. What are they thinking!!!! Oh well, everything is on the truck except their logo’s and I am enjoying the look and the response that we have received after only being on the truck for a week.
 
Gulf missed our very rockin’ video “Size Matters” and we are featured on Hot Rod TV under “Big Rig Drifting” on YouTube and in Hot Rod Magazine  (below) which is on the stands now. If anyone knows anyone at Gulf that would or could reconsider please let My Life at Speed know. So far, Chevron, Mobil and Lucas have turned us down, which amazes me as I am constantly told that we run the most recognized racing semi’s in the US and they have been for 15 years. Someone will jump on and join Freightliner, Michelin and our other great supporters for the ride of their life!
 
Mike Ryan

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