LAYNE SCHRANZ TO TAKE GEICO TO THE TOP AT PIKES PEAK

Player Management International Media Release

Colorado Springs, CO (June 3, 2010) – On June 27, 2010, Layne Schranz will take the GEICO Racing program to new heights when the pair arrive in Colorado Springs, CO, for the 88th running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
 
The GEICO gecko will escort Schranz 12.42-miles up a mountainside that presents 156 twisting turns and culminates 14,110-feet above the earth.
 
A year removed from a second place finish at the second oldest race in America (behind only the Indianapolis 500), GEICO will once again serve as primary sponsor of the #7 racecar of Schranz, one of the top competitors at the Hill Climb.  The 1997 Pikes Peak Hill Climb Rookie of the Year, Schranz will be making his 17th 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 five of the last six years and is looking to give the gecko a fast ride to the clouds.
 
The son of famed Hill Climb driver, Randy Schranz, Layne has spent every summer for the last 38 years on Pikes Peak. This year he is looking to improve upon his second place finish a year ago and put GEICO at the top of the podium.
 
“It’s very exciting to have GEICO back on our #7 car and we’ve been working really hard in the shop to have another great race for them this year,” Schranz said.  “We finished second last year, but that’s not what we come here for; we come here to win and that’s the only reason we’re here.”  He continued, “In January, I had a great opportunity to sign autographs at the GEICO corporate office in Washington, DC, and it was so motivating to see how well-run the company is and how excited the people are to work there.  The executives are first class people that genuinely care about GEICO and it’s employees, which brings me great pride to be able to have them as a sponsor.”
 
For the Schranz family, racing Pikes Peak is a family affair.  When Schranz’s father, Randy, takes the green flag on June 27th, he will be tying Louie Unser’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb record for the most years of competition at 36.
 
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. First competed in 1916 and this year marks the 88th running of the "Race to the Clouds."  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.
 
For more information about the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, please visit www.ppihc.com