NASCAR Sprint Cup rookie Joey Logano is this year’s first official participant in the fourth annual Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge, presented by Whelen Engineering. The event returns to the two-time Winter Olympic village January 2-5, 2009 at the Olympic Sports Complex.
The Bodine Bobsled Challenge features NASCAR, NHRA, and celebrity drivers piloting specially-made bobsleds down Lake Placid’s infamous track in fun races geared to raise money for the Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project.
The Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project, Inc., was started in 1992 by NASCAR driver Geoff Bodine, and has built American-made bobsleds for United States athletes competing in the World Cup, World Championships and Olympic Winter Games. Monies raised from the Bodine Bobsled Challenge go directly to this project.
"I am really excited to be returning to such an awesome event at Lake Placid,” stated Logano. "Phil (Kurze) at Whelen and the Bo-Dyn bobsled folks make it a really fun weekend."
Logano, the 2007 NASCAR Camping World East Champion, competed in his first Bodine Bobsled Challenge last year, qualifying sixth overall and finishing eighth in Race 1. He will be joined by this year’s champions from the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, NASCAR Whelen Modified Series, and the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Series, all of whom receive automatic berths into the Bodine Bobsled Challenge field. Philip Morris, a 2007 Bodine Bobsled Challenge participant, is returning again this year after winning the 2008 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Championship. The other two series’ winners will be decided in the next two weeks. The remaining NASCAR field of drivers will be announced at a later date.
“For us to reward our NASCAR Whelen Champions with slots in the Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge has been a great asset to our sponsorship, “ said Phil Kurze, Vice President of Motorsports for Whelen Engineering and President of the Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project. “The drivers love it and word has spread in the last three years that driving a bobsled is something they all want to add to their SPEED resume.”
The NHRA drivers selected to compete in the Bodine Bobsled Challenge will be announced October 31 during the Las Vegas NHRA Nationals.
Logano is an 18-year-old driving sensation who will replace two-time NASCAR Sprint Series Champion Tony Stewart in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 20 car next season in the NASCAR Sprint Series. “Sliced Bread,” the nickname given Logano by fellow drivers, is now racing in both the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the NASCAR Sprint Series. Logano has won one race, claimed three top five finishes and has 10 top 10 finishes in the Nationwide Series. He finished 32nd in his first Sprint Cup Race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in September.
Logano has been racing for 13 years. The teenager was hired by Joe Gibbs Racing and has moved up quickly through the ranks. Logano has already racked up numerous wins as well as regional and national championships, including national titles in the Bandolero Bandits series and Pro-Legend divisions. Logano also holds age records for the youngest driver to win a feature race in the INEX Legends Series (age 10), compete in the Allison Legacy series (age 10), and at age 12 turned pro, making him the youngest ever to compete in the Pro Legends Series.
SPEED channel will again televise four hours of the Bodine Bobsled Challenge, on Jan. 18 at noon and Jan. 25 at 2 pm. MRN Radio has signed on to provide live coverage of the Bodine Bobsled Challenge all three days.
“The event is really picking up momentum with media like MRN coming to cover the Challenge,” said Bodine, founder and winner of the 1986 Daytona 500. “The best thing we ever did was create an NHRA versus NASCAR challenge. It has created quite a buzz throughout the motorsport world.”
The Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project concept paid dividends with gold, silver and bronze medals in the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Game, the first time that the USA Bobsled Team won Olympic medals since 1956s, and scored again with silver in Torino. New sled designs are being created by Bodine and sled builder Bob Cuneo of Chassis Dynamics in Connecticut. It will be tested during national and international competitions leading up to the next Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver in 2010.
Other sponsors of the Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge, presented by Whelen Engineering include Columbia Sportswear Company, MAC Tools, Racing Electronics, PPG, Lucas Oil and JEGS Automotive.
Fan packages, interactive offerings and event merchandise for the 4th Annual Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge may be purchased online at www.bodynbobsled.com. The television shows of the 2006, 2007 and 2008 Bodine events are also available for purchase on DVD at www.bodynbobsled.com .
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