Colorado Springs——Randy Schranz is enjoying his summer in a way that he won’t forget anytime soon.
The motorsport legend has been selected for induction into the Colorado Motorsports Hall of Fame, with the official ceremony set for Friday, October 5th at Wings Over the Rockies in Denver. He will be honored for his amazing 40-year motorsport career.
The honor follows on the heels of his induction into the Pikes Peak Hill Climb Museum Hall of Fame on June 21 in Colorado Springs.
As a competitor, Schranz captured ten class wins and 17 additional top 10 finishes during his Pikes Peak racing career, setting his fastest time of 10:35.225 in 2013 in the Pikes Peak Open Class, driving a 1966 Shelby Cobra. He greatly advanced the use of propane as a racing fuel, quickly adapting the latest technology to modify his racing machine.
Schranz owns the propane record on Pikes Peak, set in 2012 and he inspired and supported his son, Layne, as a fellow competitor on Pikes Peak. As the long-time owner of Randy’s High Country Towing, he provided towing and vehicle recovery for the race for nearly 15 years. Randy’s 40-year competition history on Pikes Peak is a testament to his love of the mountain, his competitive spirit and his generosity.
He will be a star in a superb class of 2018:
Jeff Walters amassed over 300 victories and eight track championships over a 36-year career racing on asphalt and dirt tracks in five states.
Jim Opperman’s racing career included competing in Supermodified and Late Model divisions at Englewood Speedway, as well ownership of Colorado National Speedway.
John Metcalf completed in ARCA, NASCAR Southwest, and Winston West Series in a career that included 204 victories and two championships as either a driver or crew chief.
Ricky Orlando began his racing career in 1975, and in motorcycle competition across the country won approximately 75 class championships in MRA events, along with five state championships.
Rob Williams raced Top Fuel Funny Cars while drag racing from 1967 to 1983. He compiled a long list of wins and five Division 5 NHRA championships while competing in events across the country.
Rod Guilford competed as a driver in NHRA drag racing in Colorado and many other states. He has also been a successful car owner/engine builder and crew chief for numerous drag racing and circle track racing teams, winning at the local, regional and national level from 1961 through 1991.
Ron Berry was active in both oval track and drag racing on the western slope of Colorado during his racing career, driving to 99 main event wins, as well as track championships at Cactus Park Speedway in Grand Junction in 1969 and 1970.
Tony Rossi’s racing career with the Rocky Mountain Midget Racing Association includes four season championships and numerous main event, heat, and quick time wins, as well as a Colorado Mini Sprint Association championship, in more than two decades of competition.
Walt Pickard’s motorsports career involved racing at all southern Colorado tracks, as he compiled 112 main event wins over 17 years. He was also track owner of Beacon Hill Speedway, and played a key role in forming the Oly Challenge Cup Late Model racing series.
The Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb Honored
The Colorado Motorsports Hall of Fame has selected the world famous Hill Climb as the winner of its 2018 J. C. Agajanian Award for its contribution to Colorado motorsports.
The PPIHC staged its 96th running of the Race to the Clouds on June 24, with French driver Romain Dumas establishing a new course record of 7:57.148 in an all-electric Volkswagen I.D. R Pikes Peak auto.
Drivers and riders from 14 nations competed in the race to the summit of Pikes Peak-America’s Mountain, with fans on hand from 25 countries and 45 states.
The award is named for Agajanian, who was an influential figure in American motorsports history. He was a promoter and race car owner who was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2009.
For information on the Colorado Motorsports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, visit: www.coloradomotorsportshalloffame.com.
Mike Moran, mike@thesportscorp.org
Senior Media Consultant
1631 Mesa Avenue, Suite E
Colorado Springs, CO 80906
(719) 338-9161
