BOBSLED: Bikers for Bobsleds Fundraiser
by Amanda Bird - U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation (518-523-1842 ext. 106 )
LAKE PLACID, N.Y.— Knuckleheads Roadhouse, a restaurant for motorcycle enthusiasts, and Geoff Bodine Waxing Frenzy, a one-step cleaner wax for automobiles, will present the 1st Annual Bikers for Bobsleds Fundraiser on Sunday, May 6 in Virginia with NASCAR icon Geoff Bodine.
“This event is to help support the United States bobsled team and the Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project so that our athletes can continue using the best equipment possible,” Rob Amos from Geoff Bodine Waxing Frenzy said.
After watching the U.S. team compete in European-made sleds in the 1992 Winter Olympics on television, Daytona 500 winner Geoff Bodine became eager to make American-made sleds with race car technology. Bodine along with NASCAR legend Dick Trickle are revved up and ready to ride in the Bikers for Bobsled Fundraiser.
Riders will meet for registration at Bayside Harley-Davidson in Portsmouth, V.A. between 9-11 a.m. before departing at 11:45 a.m. with a police escort for an approximate 35-mile ride to Knuckleheads Roadhouse in Virginia Beach. The cost is $10 per bike, and $5 for each additional rider.
Items such as NASCAR sheet metal, autographed NASCAR clothing and collectables will be auctioned off after the completion of the ride at Knuckleheads Roadhouse.
If you are unable to participate but would still like to contribute, sponsorship packages are available for as little as $500. Some packages include a bobsled ride, bobsled gear, and accommodations at the next Bo-Dyn Bobsled Challenge, where NASCAR drives trade steering wheels for the D-rings of modified bobsleds. Proceeds will go towards the Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project, which creates the technologically advanced sleds that give the U.S. team an added push towards the podium.
“Our goal is to raise enough money to build a ‘Spirit of Virginia Beach’ bobsled to be used in international competition,” Amos said. “We’re helping the best athletes in the world compete for and represent this great country, so we’re proud to do our part to support them.”
The U.S. bobsled team completed its best season ever thanks to the sleds made from the Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project. Driver Steven Holcomb (Park City, Utah) claimed the overall World Cup two-man title, placed second overall in four-man standings, and won the overall combined World Cup crown. 2006 Olympic medallist Shauna Rohbock (Orem, Utah) added to the outstanding results by winning two gold, four silvers, and a bronze to finish the season ranked second in overall World Cup standings, just twenty points from the crown.
Two of the athletes that the project supports will be riding in the event. Bobsledders Mike Kohn (Chantilly, Va.), a 2002 bronze medallist and two-time Olympian, and Julie Childress (Advance, N.C.), who assisted driver Jamia Jackson to an America’s Cup title, will be trading gravity for engines at the Bikers for Bobsleds event.
“The next best thing to driving a bobsled is riding a motorcycle,” Kohn said. “The Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project is moving forward with so much energy this year because of the U.S. team’s success. We’re looking forward to the next three years, and thanks to all of the good people that supported us, we’ll be able put some more distance between us and the rest of the world.”
WHO: NASCAR icons Geoff Bodine and Dick Trickle alongside bobsled athletes Mike Kohn and Julie Childress.
WHAT: Bikers for Bobsleds Fundraiser
WHEN: Sunday, May 6, 2007
WHERE: Ride begins at Bayside Harley Davidson located at 2211 Frederick Blvd. (I-264, Exit 5), Portsmouth, V.A. Please call (757) 397-5550 or visit www.baysidehd.com for additional directions. Ride ends at Knuckleads Roadhouse located on 401 N. Witchduck Rd. (next to Southside Harley Davidson) inVirginia Beach, V.A. Please call (757) 644-6200 or visit www.knuckleheadsvb.com for additional information.
About the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation
The United States Bobsled and Skeleton Federation, based in Lake Placid, N.Y., is the national governing body for the sports of bobsled and skeleton in the United States. The USBSF would like to thank its sponsors, suppliers and contributors for their support: Allianz Life, Columbia Sportswear Company, CW-X, KBC Helmets, Schenker Logistics, Speedo and Whelen Engineering. For more information, please visit the USBSF Web site at www.usbsf.com.
Author:
Amanda Bird
Organization:
U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation
Phone:
518-523-1842 ext. 106