Geoff Bodine is a retired NASCAR driver with more than memories and trophies. The racing family of Bodines, Geoff, Brett and Todd are from upstate New York and perhaps it was his familiarity with snow and fast cars that caused him to look to the U.S. Bobsled team with a helpful eye. He pondered the technology of old, used sleds from European teams after watching U.S. teams struggle in them.
In 1992 he conceived the Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project and contracted race car designer Bob Cuneo of Chassis Dynamics in Oxford, Conn., to create “Made-in-America” bobsleds for U.S. men’s and women’s teams. Since switching to Bo-Dyn sleds, U.S. athletes have excelled, winning multiple Olympic and World Cup medals in both two-man and four-man competition. During the recent Winter Olympics in British Columbia, the men’s team raced for the gold.
USA-1 driver Steve Holcomb, pushers Justin Olsen and Steve Mesler,and brakeman Curt Tomasevicz took the tallest stage to receive their gold medals.
Just like NASCAR and NHRA in the US, the team needed sponsors to compete. The Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge presented by Whelen Engineering and sponsored by Lucas Oil Products and JEGS Mail Order helps raise funds through a charity event held every January in Lake Placid, N.Y. The bobsled race is comprised of motorsports drivers, this year: NASCAR’s Joey Logano, Boris Said, Todd Bodine and NHRA’s Jeg Coughlin Jr., Morgan Lucas, Shawn Langdon, and Melanie Troxel competing for bragging rights and a medal too. It may be the only fast thing they do without engines.
NASCAR drivers could not accept the offer to be a guest of the U.S. team as they had a race to run in Las Vegas, but NHRA drivers, Lucas, Coughlin, Langdon, and Troxel had an off week and joined NASCAR sponsor Phil Kurrs with Whelen Industries for the Olympic competition.