Taking a Semi-Truck on a Midnight Touge Run Is Such a Bad Idea
Just don’t, y’know?
You and I are both liars if we say we've never driven too fast on public roads. Still, there's a big difference between carving up a two-lane highway in your Miata and barreling downhill in a 20,000-pound semi truck. That just sounds plain dangerous, because it is, though it didn't stop a few mountain-driving diehards from doing it and uploading the footage to the internet.
An Instagram reel posted by @ridgechaser shows an unloaded International C10 executing a downhill speed run... somewhere. The location isn't disclosed, which is probably a smart move on their part. It's racked up more than 250,000 views in the past few days, but it's actually a re-upload of a YouTube video that was first shared on July 15, 2022.
The guy behind the wheel goes by @backpain4 online. He uploads VR racing clips to his YouTube channel as well as vlog-style videos from his day job as a truck driver. That pretty well explains how they got their hands on the big International, which he says costs $163,000 according to the bill of sale. It's apparently the third most expensive vehicle he's driven on this stretch of road, which seems to indicate he's taken a couple of exotics on downhill blasts in the past.
These two are experienced, then, though that doesn't really make things better. It's still a hefty machine that makes around 500 horsepower and 1,500 pound-feet of torque from the 14.9-liter Cummins X15 under the hood. That's enough to make any rig scoot, though it is at least limited by its gearing. It also runs a 12-speed Allison automatic, so at least he's not shifting gears himself with every slowdown. In the video, they claim to have only used sixth through tenth gear, and they filmed a 60-mph fly-by which may or may not have been the top speed they hit.
You'll probably be surprised by how well the International handles the run. After all, it has the hardware to back it up—the brakes are 20-inch discs and there's a set of 10 tires maintaining traction. But it's the super-loose steering that breeds more cause for concern, along with the sheer momentum a truck like this carries. It would be a whole other story if it were loaded, of course.
They at least kept it confined to a single lane (most of the time).
This Touge style of driving is huge in Japan and, clearly, North America too. RidgeChaser's YouTube banner claims it's "Real Underground Motorsport," and there are plenty of other clips showing everything from a Hyundai Elantra chasing a Pontiac Firebird WS6 down the mountain to a Saturn SL2 hauling the mail. They aren't the only ones doing it, of course, and there's a certain element that makes it feel real and authentic, but let's leave it at this: A head-on collision with a semi-truck looks a lot different from one with a sports car.
Be smart, guys.
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