Layne Schranz Is Coming Back To Pikes Peak Inspired By His Effort To Help Tornado Victims In Alabama And With His Sights Set On Victory

Layne Schranz Is Coming Back To Pikes Peak Inspired By His Effort To Help Tornado Victims In Alabama And With His Sights Set On Victory
 
Colorado Springs -GEICO driver Layne Schranz has had a long year to think about the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
 
There is probably no worse fate for a racecar driver than to lose a race by the smallest of margins, but that is exactly the outcome that bedeviled Schranz and his #7 GEICO Chevrolet Monte Carlo a year ago. 
 
Schranz navigated the Gecko up the 12.42-mile course, which features 156 twisting turns, in what he thought to be a winning effort in the Super Stock Division.  But when the #7 GEICO Chevrolet arrived at the 14,110-foot Summit, he learned that he fell short by just .075-seconds, an almost incalculable difference, and finished 2nd. 
 
Even the news that his run broke the 16-year old course record by six seconds was not enough to console Schranz.  What he took away from the mountain that day was that he had lost the race by the closest margin in race history to the veteran Clint Vahsholtz.. 
 
The pain on Schranz’s face told the story and he quickly vowed to return with his GEICO car in 2011 and capture the title that so narrowly eluded him.  And now, here he sits, just over a month away from his run at redemption in Colorado Springs.  This year, however, Schranz’s life itself has seen some twists and turns thanks to Mother Nature. 
 
April 27th is a day that most Alabamians, including Schranz, will never forget, as tornadoes ravaged the state, causing a frightening death toll and catastrophic amounts of damage that has victims still assessing their losses weeks later. 
 
Rather than turning his attention to the mountain he would be facing on June 26th in Colorado Springs, Schranz instead chose to battle the mountain in front of him.  He quickly organized relief teams and the same passion that drives Schranz up Pikes Peak manifested itself in his efforts to assist victims in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.  He managed to coordinate over 500 volunteers over a ten day period and moved over 200,000 pounds of supplies.  The GEICO driver and his crew worked around the clock for the first five days after the storms, garnering the attention of ABC’s Good Morning America, which featured Schranz during a segment highlighting the devastation in the Heart of Dixie.
 
As June 26th rapidly approaches, Schranz has his sights set on returning to Pikes Peak to take what was ripped from his grasp a year ago.  But along with his plight to win the race, he will be celebrating a milestone with his father, Pikes Peak legend, Randy Schranz.  When the elder Schranz makes his trek up the mountainside in a few weeks in the Pikes Peak Open Division, he will break the record of Louis Unser and record his 37th trip to the clouds. 
 
Schranz fits well in the GEICO Racing family and maintains personal relationships with each of GEICO’s NASCAR drivers and is known to show up and support his teammates.  His friendship with NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver, Max Papis, drew the Italian to Pikes Peak in 2009 to pilot the pace car and watch Schranz participate in one of the most dangerous races in the world.  Casey Mears, who is the wheelman of GEICO’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series entry, knows well the danger of Pikes Peak, as his father Roger is a five-time winner at the famed mountain, and even served as the teammate of Schranz’s father Randy in the 1990’s.

Commonly referred to as one of the top competitors at Pikes Peak, Schranz was the 1997 Pikes Peak Hill Climb Rookie of the Year and will be making his 18th trek up the mountain.  Aside from winning the 2000 Pikes Peak Hill Climb ASA division as a driver for GM Racing, Schranz has visited the podium in six of the last seven years and is looking to give the Gecko a fast ride to the clouds.
 
“I am excited to get back to Pikes Peak with GEICO and take a shot at bringing home the first place trophy,” Schranz said.  “I was proud to send second place trophies up to the executives at the GEICO corporate office last year, but this year we need the ‘winner’ trophy on their mantles.  I’m not sure there is a more special race in the world than Pikes Peak.  I mean, you have the Indy 500 and the Daytona 500, but when you consider the necessary skills required to climb the mountain without error and combine that with the lurking danger, I just don’t know if there is a more exciting race.  I appreciate GEICO’s continued support and we will continue to do a great job for them.”
 
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is the second oldest motorsports race in America and a long-standing tradition in Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak Region.  The race is run on a 12.42 mile course with 156 turns that begins at 9,390 feet and finishes at the 14,110 foot summit of America’s Mountain; Pikes Peak! As the drivers climb toward the summit, the thin air slows reflexes and saps muscle strength. The thin air also robs engines of 30% of their power at the summit. Competitors and vehicles must be in top shape simply to finish...let alone win!
 
There is no other race course in the world like the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. That is why it attracts race crews that are willing to spend several hundred thousand dollars and months of preparation to compete for the right to be the King of the Mountain.
A featured event along with the race, is the popular “Fan Fest,” which takes place on Friday evening, June 24, in downtown Colorado Springs, with more than 30,000 fans on hand to meet the competitors, see the autos and motorcycles, and enjoy music, food and entertainment.
Ticket prices begin at $40.00, with a Family Four-Pack available at $125.00 and VIP admission priced at $80.00. Tickets, limited camping permits and all other race information is available at www.ppihc.com