CONTACT: Sandy Caligiore, 518-637-3597, sandy@bodynbobsled.com 

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LAKE PLACID, N.Y. – Despite recent rules changes in bobsledding, the Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project, Inc., is moving forward with what project officials are terming "the bobsled of tomorrow" with less than three years to the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.

Led by Bo-Dyn Project founder and NASCAR legend Geoff Bodine, the winner of the 1986 Daytona 500, and long-time auto racing colleague and sled designer Bob Cuneo, of Chassis Dynamics, athletes such as 2010 Olympic four-man champion Steve Holcomb and teammate Bree Schaaf, who both tested new technology this spring in Lake Placid, will ride the world's fastest sleds in the run-up to Sochi.

"We are now on a mission to maintain our position as the Olympic gold medal winner," said Bodine. "In the world of car racing, we are accustomed to keep the technology evolving. Some recent rules changes will now force us to retro-fit our sleds. But we'll comply and have plans in place to get even faster."

The Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project has stepped up its fundraising efforts, and may re-invent the Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge to raise awareness for the initiative that benefits the men and women athletes from the United States national team. An announcement outlining the event and format will be forthcoming later in the year. Organizers will reach out to competitors in super cross, moto cross and other X Games-type action sports. In the past, NASCAR and NHRA competitors came together in challenge and head-to-head formats.

The NASCAR community continues to be a strong supporter of U.S. bobsled efforts. Joey Logano, 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year, is creating 6,000 square feet of work space for the Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project in his Charlotte, N.C. race shop.

Eddie Gossage, President of the Texas Motor Speedway, was in Lake Placid recently for the Kyle Petty Charity Ride and pledged his support for the bobsled project.

Petty had Bodine as a guest on NASCAR.com live from Lake Placid where the NASCAR greats chatted about the project and the national bobsled team's achievements. That kind of help will be needed as the 2010-2011 season saw men's and women's teams from Germany, Russia, Canada and a resurgent Italian squad claim the podium alongside the Americans.

"Our stance is that if you are standing still, you are actually losing ground," said Cuneo, Bo-Dyn sled designer and chief consultant, from his Chassis Dynamics location in Oxford, Conn. "That mentality pushes us ahead. The new rules that have gone into effect for 2011-2012, I believe, will actually work in our favor. In a sport of secrets, it's no secret that our sleds adjust quicker than other nations. The Germans have actually noted this to me personally. So we have now rolled up our sleeves and begun the process. And there is no stopping until we hit the track in Sochi."

At the next Winter Games, the U.S. will endeavor to add to its total of six Olympic medals – two of them gold – since 2002. All have come in Bo-Dyn equipment.

A summer of sled work will come to fruition when the teams return to on-ice training in October. The World Cup season begins in November.

That's when the rubber meets the road.


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