Mike Ryan

To describe Mike Ryan's career with automobiles is to describe a passion for anything with wheels. From farm tractors to Ferraris, Ryan has driven, crashed, or raced them all. From learning to operate heavy equipment at a local nursery before he was old enough to drive, the teenage Ryan also enjoyed riding and repairing go-karts and motorcycles. This early interest led him to a career with automobiles.When he was just 18, his passion for automobiles brought him into stuntman Ronnie Ross' (Ronald C. Ross') shop in Southern California, where Ryan began working for free in exchange for stunt driving lessons. Within six months, Ryan performed his first paid stunt, although the modest Californian will tell you that it took seven years before he was well established as a stunt driver.Thousands have seen his work in feature films such as Herbie Fully Loaded (2005), After the Sunset (2004), The Italian Job (2003), Training Day (2001), and Swordfish (2001) just to mention a few. With over 500 feature films, television shows and commercials to his credit, Ryan is probably best known for his work with semi-trucks, where he can often be seen crashing, burning and getting blown up on screens across the United States.In addition, Ryan has hand built a Mercedes Benz powered Freightliner Century Class S/T Super Truck. In 1997, he started competing in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, held annually in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The race is the second oldest motor-sports event in the US after the Indianopolis 500. He set his 5th new record in 2005 with a time of 12:46.81. The race truck displays at trade shows across the US to include; "The Mid-America Trucking Show" in Louisville, KY; "The Great American Truck Show" in Dallas; and "The Truck Show Latino" in Pomona, California.Ryan's unique experience of precision and stunt driving with semi-trucks has also led him into several ways to share his knowledge with others in an effort to educate people about semi-trucks and safety. Ryan frequently reconstructs accidents, often serving as an expert witness in cases involving traffic collisions. In 1998, he began speaking to drivers in truck fleets on safety and accident avoidance maneuvers for semi-truck drivers.Ryan lives in Southern California with his wife, Maureen, and their fifteen-year old son, Kristofer. Show less «