Bodine Bobsled Challenge canceled

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NASCAR driver Johnny Benson (center) talks with Geoff Bodine prior to a practice run for the 2008 Bodine Bobsled Challenge in Lake Placid. On the brakes is National Guardsman John Woodliff from Chazy. The Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge won't be staged next month. AP Photo/Todd Bissonette/Todd Bissonette

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December 22, 2010

Bodine Bobsled Challenge canceled

Anonymous Press-Republican The Press Republican Wed Dec 22, 2010, 02:23 AM EST

CHESTER, Conn. — After five years, event organizers announced Tuesday that the 2011 Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge has been canceled as its organizer, the Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project, Inc., currently addresses other initiatives.

Normally held the first weekend after New Year's, the event brought NASCAR and NHRA drivers together in Lake Placid to race modified bobsleds and raise funds to further research and development for the Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project, Inc.

The Project's principals are NASCAR icon Geoff Bodine, winner of the 1986 Daytona 500, and Bob Cuneo, race car designer and owner of Chassis Dynamics in Oxford, Conn.

Bodine began the Project after watching United States athletes produce desultory results at the 1992 Winter Olympics using European cast-off sleds.

Over the past 18 years, the Project built American-made bobsleds for the U. S. men's and women's teams. The initiative caught fire at the 2002 Winter Games. Starting at those Games in Salt Lake City, U.S. men and women athletes have captured six Olympic medals, two of them gold, including Steve Holcomb's victory 10 months ago in Vancouver. It was the first U.S. Olympic gold medal in four-man racing in 62 years.

"The Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge was a five-year plan. We are in the process of developing a different event format incorporating the stars of NASCAR and the NHRA for the future," said Phil Kurze, President of the Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project, Inc. "We will have more information about this later in the winter."

Kurze also alluded to other Bo-Dyn developments that have his organization's attention at this time.

"We are involved in many long-range projects in support of our athletes and the national team," Kurze continued.

One of those is the creation of what Kurze termed the B-O-T.

"Bo-Dyn is initiating plans to design the bobsled of tomorrow for use in the 2014 Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia. After winning the gold medal in four-man in Vancouver, the pressure is on to remain competitive."

In the midst of this juggling, the Project is transitioning to a new race shop near Charlotte, N.C.

Over the five year existence of the Challenge, Logano was joined by the likes of NASCAR stars Boris Said, Todd Bodine, Randy Lajoie, Dick Trickle, Kevin Lepage, George Brunnhoelzl III, Ron Hornaday, Jr., Johnny Benson and Steve Park.

Off-road racer Carl Renezeder raced the three-quarter mile ice sheet on Mt. Van Hoevenberg in the 2010 edition. Among those entered by NHRA were Morgan Lucas, J.R. Todd and Jeg Coughlin, Jr.

The event broke the gender barrier last year when NHRA's Melanie Troxel not only competed, but emerged victorious in a race.

Whelen Engineering invited its Modified Tour and All-American Series champions.

Over the first five years, the Challenge has drawn corporate support from Lucas Oil, Whelen Engineering, Chevrolet, Columbia Sportswear, Lumber Liquidators, JEGS, Summit Building Solutions, ServiceMASTER Clean, Racing Electronics, PPG, MAC Tools and Exa.

The U.S. Army National Guard has contributed with brakemen for the race car drivers enabling the Challenge to form a bond with the American military.

The event has benefited Lake Placid by attracting a new audience — the racy crowd and its followers — who witnessed the fun-filled action on site and through four hours of yearly coverage on SPEED Channel.

-What Daytona is to auto racing, Lake Placid is to bobsledding-