WHELEN SIGNS ON AS TITLE SPONSOR
FOR BODINE BOBSLED CHALLENGE
NASCAR Whelen Series Champions to Compete
Whelen Engineering has signed on as the title sponsor for the Fourth
Annual Whelen Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge, slated for January
2-4, 2009 at the Olympic Sports Complex.
“We take great pride in being a longtime sponsor of the Bo-Dyn
Bobsled Project, Inc.,” said Phil Kurze, Vice President of
Motorsports for Whelen Engineering and President of the Bo-Dyn
Bobsled Project. “When the title sponsorship of this event became
available, we were very excited about the opportunity to support
such a wonderful event.”
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.
“Having Whelen Engineering sign on as the title sponsor is a great
honor,” said Bodine. “We are very proud to create “Made in America”
bobsleds for our nation’s athletes, and Whelen’s motto of “All
Products Made in America” is a perfect match to our company’s way of
thinking.”
This year’s champions from the three NASCAR Whelen racing series
received automatic berths into the field of drivers for the Bodine
Bobsled Challenge. Philip Morris, a 2007 Bodine Bobsled Challenge
participant, is returning again this year after winning the 2008
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Championship.
“My wife and I are looking forward to returning to Lake Placid,”
Morris said. “She is most excited.”
Brian Loftin clinched the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Series
for his first career NASCAR championship. Loftin edged out fellow
driver Tim Brown by a mere 30 points to claim the title and earn the
chance to drive a bobsled.
Ted Christopher won the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Championship to
claim his place in the field. Christopher had previously won the
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series in 2001, and has twice been
runner-up for the Modified Tour Championship.
These three champions have a lot to live up to. Former NASCAR
Whelen champions Mike Stefanik, Donny Lia and L.W. Miller have all
competed in past Bodine Bobsled Challenges. Stefanik is a nine-time
NASCAR Champion, with seven NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour
championships and two NASCAR Camping World Series championships, who
took the bronze medal in both bobsled races in 2007. Miller, the
2007 NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified champ, won a silver medal in
his one and only bobsled race last January. 2007 NASCAR Whelen
Modified Tour Champion Donny Lia also had a strong showing, placing
fifth in his only bobsled race to date.
Morris, Loftin and Christopher will join NASCAR Sprint Cup rookie
Joey Logano on the iced bobsled run. The remaining NASCAR field of
drivers will be announced November 15 prior NASCAR’s last race of
the season at Homestead-Miami. The NHRA drivers selected to compete
in the Bodine Bobsled Challenge will be announced October 31 during
the Las Vegas NHRA Nationals.
SPEED channel will again televise four hours of the Whelen 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 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 1956, 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 Whelen Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge include
Columbia Sportswear Company, MAC Tools, Racing Electronics, PPG,
Lucas Oil and JEGS Automotive.
THE END