Mike moved to Colorado from San Luis Obispo, Ca in 1969 where he started playing with go-karts and mini-bikes before he started his drag racing career in 1972. He worked together with his dad, Bill Ranney, on several racecars before getting his feet wet in a friend's B/E Dragster. Not willing to stop there, he quickly moved up in class when his father gave him the chance to driver their "High Plains Drifter" Fuel Funny Car. It was a difficult car to drive, but that experience taught Mike the respect he needed to be a good competitor in the fuel ranks.

In 1985, with a new Top Fuel Car they built themselves, the team setout on the match-race tour, setting several track records throughout the U.S. and Canada. Their popular "Colorado Raider" car still holds both ends of the track record at Race City in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

In 1999, with a new car, they just starting to get the results they were looking for when Mike lost his father to a brain aneurysm. From the beginning, Mike always felt that his dad was the key to all of his success in a racecar. And although it was a hard decision to make, he decided to stop driving, simply because it just wasn't the same without his dad to guide him.

After being away from the sport as a driver, Mike now enjoys working along side the Muldowney team and admits that he's happy to be back in drag racing. "This team is the only race team I would even consider working with in whatever way I could as Rahn Tobler has always inspired me to be the best I can be," said Ranney. "I'm very excited to be a part of their 5th World Championship chase.