Case Of The Mondays: SBC And Propane-Fueled Cobra Climbs Pikes Peak

Every summer auto and motorcycle enthusiasts from around the country, and the world, gather at the Pikes Peak annual Race to the Clouds for the 12.4 mile race up the treacherous mountain road. There are a number of classes for every car imaginable, and with the recent interest in renewable fuels, more and more vehicles powered by something other than gasoline have been making the trip. These included a stock Nissan Leaf EV and a purpose-built electric race car.

But neither of these vehicles are as cool as the propane-powered Shelby Cobra with a Chevy engine, owned by Ricky Schranz, who recently made his 37^th trip to the top of Pikes Peak. That gives him the record for most Pikes Peak finishes, making him the new “King of the Mountain.”

The Shelby Cobra is Blue Oval through and through…so what could be more American than dropping a highly-modified Chevy 350 under the hood? Powering it by propane, of course! Americans love propane, whether it is for heating, cooking, or racing. And Ricky Schranz loves Pikes Peak, having made the Race to the Clouds 36 times before this last run in June. The engine is fed by mechanical fuel injection, though there are plans for a direct-injection engine next year.

The video above is 12 minutes of green Cobra glory, taken from the roll bar of the Cobra, and the 11-minute 55-second run was good enough for Schranz to take 1^st place in the Open Class. He also set a new record for propane-powered vehicles at Pikes Peak. We’d like to see more alt-fuel vehicles of this Cobra’s caliber hitting up all sorts of racing events, especially the Race to the Clouds. The run was also special for Schranz, as he has now beaten “King of the Mountain” Louis Unser’s record for most Pikes Peak finishes. What alternative-fuel racer would you want to take to the top of this mountain?