plus 4, Bobsledding and danger _ bosom buddies - The Sun News

Bobsledding and danger _ bosom buddies - The Sun News
WERA Racer Trying To Raise Funds To Compete In 2010 Isle Of Man TT - RoadracingWorld.com
Bobsledding still a dangerous thrill - Bennington Banner
Series San Felip sponsor news - Motorsport.com
Bobsledding and danger—bosom buddies - Denver Post

Bobsledding and danger _ bosom buddies - The Sun News

Posted: 14 Jan 2010 10:50 PM PST

"You're made very, very aware," Hays said. "The first time you go down it's quite apparent that this is a very fast and violent sport, and if you hit something it's going to be bad."

That drivers steer with ropes and crew members never see what's going on during a run - they're tucked low and face-down behind the driver to minimize aerodynamic drag - only adds to the suspense.

"You're always aware that horrible things can happen," said Darrin Steele, CEO of the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation (USBSF) and a former bobsledder. "At this level, I think everyone has come to grips with it, but there's a certain fear factor every athlete has to overcome. Some don't even care."

American driver Mike Kohn fits that bill. The son of a former Green Beret, Kohn viewed old movies of bobsled crashes soon after he joined the team in 1990. He wasn't fazed then and isn't now.

"I've had some pretty bad crashes," said the 38-year-old Kohn, who has walked away from more than 20 crashes in his career. "I crashed four times once and kept wearing the same helmet. (Teammate) John Napier saw my helmet and said, 'What ... are you doing?' I said, 'Well, I've gotta go down.' He said, 'But your helmet's got a hole in it.'"

"I probably shouldn't have been doing that, but I didn't care," Kohn said. "I wanted to win. At the end of the day, you just roll the dice and take your chances."

Push athlete Nick Cunningham agrees.

"If you really let it get to you, you'll hinder your performance," said Cunningham, who suffered a concussion playing pickup football in college. "You have to go into it knowing that it's there but kind of not think about it."

The International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation (FIBT), the sport's governing body, has done much to regulate sleds and track design in the past two decades to increase safety. The FIBT is compiling data on all crashes of the past five years, according to Dr. Eugene Byrne, the USBSF's chief medical officer.

"There's no published bobsled crash data in the world," Byrne said. "There's a sense of how can we help to make this sport any safer, if possible."

Byrne said there is concern about head injuries, but he said concussions "are a small percentage of all the injuries."

"The majority of the injuries are back and neck and athletic-type injuries - hamstring strains and muscle strains," Byrne said.

The crash that ended Hays' 16-year career was an eye-opener. The CT scan he underwent was the first in Byrne's six years with the team to show any abnormality - and Hays was wearing the best helmet money can buy.

"I'm not sure how much better they (the helmets) can get," Steele said. "We use NASCAR or motorcycle racing helmets. These are as good as they get. If Todd had been in a lesser helmet, it probably would have been a very sad story. The helmet did its job."

In bygone days, bobsledders wore leather football helmets, and both the fronts and sides of the sleds were open. Even after hard-shelled helmets debuted in the 1950s, crashes often were gruesome.

Italian star Sergio Zardini was killed in 1966 at Mount Van Hoevenberg when his sled hit the superstructure of the track in the famed Zig Zag curves, crushing his head.

In 1981, U.S. driver Jimmy "Nitro" Morgan died in a crash at the world championships in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy on the track used for the 1956 Winter Olympics. Morgan's head slammed into a wall so violently that it broke his neck, leaving a pool of blood on the ice.

"We didn't know any better," said Tony Carlino, a teammate of Morgan and now track manager at Mount Van Hoevenberg. "You got your bell rung in those days, you just kept going or you quit. We didn't have the support they have these days."

Though safety has improved greatly, danger still lurks. Six years ago, 24-four-year-old German driver Yvonne Cernota was killed when her sled catapulted off course during a practice run in Konigssee, Germany.

Former NASCAR driver Geoff Bodine, the first to wear a full-face helmet in Cup competition, suffered several concussions during his long auto racing career. A supporter of the U.S. bobsled team for nearly two decades, Bodine understands the dangers of both sports.

"I'm telling you because I did it once, when you hit your head on this solid ice, it hurts more than any crash in NASCAR that I ever had," he said.

Drivers face the most danger because they sit up front, with only the cowl and frame to blunt the force of a crash. Steven Holcomb, the top American driver, says he has never had a concussion and that the possibility of a serious injury doesn't cross his mind.

It might at Vancouver, where speeds on the track at Whistler can approach 100 mph. Toss in the fact that Holcomb dubbed the 13th curve there "50-50" because there's a 50 percent chance of not making it through, and you have the makings of some tension-filled racing.

"Whistler is the fastest and most violent track in the world now, and it's not very forgiving," Hays said. "It's crashed almost every single No. 1 pilot in the world, so it's going to be very, very challenging."

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WERA Racer Trying To Raise Funds To Compete In 2010 Isle Of Man TT - RoadracingWorld.com

Posted: 14 Jan 2010 10:28 PM PST

From a press release issued by Brandon Bretu:
WERA racer and Top 10 Ulster GP bike week finisher Brandon Cretu has announced plans to compete in the 2010 Isle of Man TT.
For those unfamiliar with the Isle of Man TT it is considered by many to be the ultimate motorcycle race on Earth, requiring near perfection from man and machine. The TT runs on the mountain course that consist of public roads on the Isle of Man. Competitors circulate nearly the entire island on the 37-mile plus course. Riders must be prepared physically and most importantly mentally. Learning the long course takes time and dedication and even after racing there one can not truly "master" it for quite a few years with its endless bends, stone walls, telephone poles, jumps, and every other challenge a racer could comprehend. It is truly the ultimate test.
Those that know Brandon would remember that he traveled to the Isle of Man back in 2008 to work as a mechanic for John Richards Pro Superbikes. This was an experience that would forever change him and solidify the idea of his dream to race "between the hedges" as they say.
Coming off a top 10 finish at the Ulster GP bike week in the Dundrod National race and a great 2009 WERA season, Brandon is eager to head back to the Isle of Man this year to finally get his chance to race on the full mountain course. While racing at on the Dundrod circuit at the Ulster he went faster and gained more confidence in every lap he had on the course with the last lap of his last race being the fastest, 114.3 avg/mph. Brandon will be aboard a 2008 Suzuki GSXR600 provided again by Mark Hamilton under the Irish Bike Magazine banner after having a great experience riding for Mark at the Ulster GP.
Brandon Cretu Racing would like to announce the following partners and sponsors who have already joined the team to compete at the 2010 Isle of Man TT:
Mark Hamilton - Irish Bike Magazine
Chris Kruzel - Drippinwet.com decals
Spyder Leatherworks
Vortex Racing Components
Action Motorsports of York, PA
NESBA
WERA
Brandon is still in the process of accepting and reviewing all partnership proposals for his adventure to the Isle of Man, and encourages everyone to learn more about the TT by visiting www.iomtt.com.
Brandon especially needs financial assistance to help get 2 crew members to the Isle of Man to act as his pit crew for the 2 weeks of the TT races.
Interested partners/sponsors may visit www.brandoncreturacing.com to contact Brandon and learn more about him.
Donations are greatly appreciated and can be submitted via www.brandoncreturacing.com. As many know he funds his racing completely on his own, he even sold his personal bike to compete in the 2009 Ulster GP! Brandon couldn't be where he is today with his racing career if it wasn't for the help of others. Any donation from $5 to $500 is GREATLY appreciated and will all be used to directly fund his racing at the 2010 TT.
Keep posted for more updates on Brandon's trip to the 2010 Isle of Man TT!
www.brandoncreturacing.com

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Bobsledding still a dangerous thrill - Bennington Banner

Posted: 14 Jan 2010 07:58 PM PST

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. -- Todd Hays knows he's a lucky guy. He's still standing.

"I feel pretty grateful for still being here and being able to participate in life," said the 40-year-old Hays, who retired from the U.S. bobsled team in mid-December, just days after a crash caused bleeding on his brain. "The way I choose to look at it, it could have been a lot worse."

Despite significant advances in safety since bobsledding became an Olympic sport at Chamonix in 1924, there's no such thing as a safe bobsled run, and the athletes who compete on the serpentine layouts readily accept that. Every time they jump in the sled, they know they're aboard a low-tech rocket ship.

"You're made very, very aware," Hays said. "The first time you go down it's quite apparent that this is a very fast and violent sport, and if you hit something it's going to be bad."

That drivers steer with ropes and crew members never see what's going on during a run -- they're tucked low and face-down behind the driver to minimize aerodynamic drag -- only adds to the suspense.

A Stomach for the Sport

American

driver Mike Kohn fits that bill. The son of a former Green Beret, Kohn viewed old movies of bobsled crashes soon after he joined the team in 1990. He wasn't fazed then and isn't now.

"I probably shouldn't have been doing that, but I didn't care," Kohn said. "I wanted to win. At the end of the day, you just roll the dice and take your chances."

Push athlete Nick Cunningham agrees.

"There's no published bobsled crash data in the world," Byrne said. "There's a sense of how can we help to make this sport any safer, if possible."

Byrne said there is concern about head injuries, but he said concussions "are a small percentage of all the injuries."

"The majority of the injuries are back and neck and athletic-type injuries -- hamstring strains and muscle strains," Byrne said.

Progress in Safety

In bygone days, bobsledders wore leather football helmets, and both the fronts and sides of the sleds were open. Even after hard-shelled helmets debuted in the 1950s, crashes often were gruesome.

Italian star Sergio Zardini was killed in 1966 at Mount Van Hoevenberg when his sled hit the superstructure of the track in the famed Zig Zag curves, crushing his head.

Still Dangerous

"I'm telling you because I did it once, when you hit your head on this solid ice, it hurts more than any crash in NASCAR that I ever had," he said.

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Series San Felip sponsor news - Motorsport.com

Posted: 14 Jan 2010 06:25 PM PST

SCORE announces MasterCraft Safety as co-title sponsor For this year's 23rd Annual Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250

LOS ANGELES--On the eve of this weekend's 2010 SCORE Desert Series season opener in Laughlin, Nev., SCORE International has announced that prominent Southern California manufacturing company MasterCraft Safety has signed a three-year contract to be the co-title sponsor of the popular MasterCraft Safety Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 desert race.

The event will be held this year on March 12-14 in San Felipe, the picturesque fishing village located along the Sea of Cortez on the Northeastern side of Mexico's majestic Baja California peninsula.

With the World's Foremost Desert Racing Series launching its 37th season at this weekend's 16th Annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge in Laughlin, Nev., SCORE CEO/President Sal Fish in association with MasterCraft Safety owner and SCORE racer Robbie Pierce used the Southern Nevada race as the backdrop to make Thursday's announcement regarding the new SCORE sponsorship.

"It is a wonderful match to be able to have MasterCraft Safety join with SCORE to help enhance the dynamic experience that already surrounds this legendary SCORE Baja race," said Sal Fish, who has been at the helm of SCORE International since soon after it was founded in 1973. "Having Robbie Pierce as the owner of MasterCraft Safety and also a top racer in the marquee SCORE Trophy-Truck racing division, will bring a much greater insight and understanding to our relationship as together we strive to forge new marketing strategies for this SCORE desert racing spectacular. Another exciting dimension to this agreement is that it will bring us right to the threshold of the 40th anniversary season of the SCORE Desert Series in 2013."

The MasterCraft Safety Tecate SCORE San Felipe 250 is SCORE's annual 'spring break' desert race, the first of three SCORE Baja races held annually, and is once again expected to feature nearly 250 entries competing in 28 Pro and 6 Sportsman classes for cars, trucks, motorcycles and ATVs.

Based near San Diego in Santee, Calif., MasterCraft Safety is the leading manufacturer of performance off-road suspension seating, five-point restraints, window nets, and limit straps. In addition to its three-year agreement as co-title sponsor for this race with SCORE International, MasterCraft Safety will also be providing an added $10,000 cash contingency purse to the event.

"As with SCORE International, MasterCraft Safety has nearly four decades of history and heritage in the desert racing community," said Robbie Pierce, CEO of MasterCraft Safety and driver of the No. 30 Chevy Silverado SCORE Trophy-Truck. "SCORE Baja racing is the heart and soul of my company and it is a great honor to be able to support one of my favorite races in one of my favorite places. I have the unique perspective of participating in SCORE events as a manufacturer of off-road products and also test our products through my own racing efforts. Nothing can compare to SCORE Baja racing and it is important to me as a racer, and also for MasterCraft Safety, to continue to support SCORE and its efforts to ensure the continuation of our sport."

At this weekend's SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge, MasterCraft Racing has entered not only Pierce's No. 30 SCORE Trophy-Truck, but also the No. 21 Ford F-150 SCORE Trophy-Truck to be driven by eight-time SCORE season class point champion Rob MacCachren of Las Vegas. MacCachren, who is also racing in Class 1-2/1600 in Laughlin, has six career class wins in this season-opening race.

In San Felipe, the green flag will drop at 6 a.m. on Saturday, March 13, for the motorcycle and ATV classes, followed three hours later by the car and truck classes at approximately 10 a.m. The start line for the race will once again be the landmark San Felipe Arches on Highway 5 on the outskirts of San Felipe. The race will finish just south of the Arches, directly behind the Tecate building.

The computerized drawing for starting positions, by class, for Round 2 of the five-race 2010 SCORE Desert Series will be held at the SCORE headquarters in Los Angeles on Saturday, Feb. 13.

The pre-race Manufacturer's Midway and tech inspection of the vehicles in the race will be held on Friday, March 12 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the picturesque Malecon, flanked by the Sea of Cortez on one side and the popular restaurants and night clubs of San Felipe on the other.

-source: score

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Bobsledding and danger—bosom buddies - Denver Post

Posted: 14 Jan 2010 02:29 PM PST

LAKE PLACID, N.Y.—Todd Hays knows he's a lucky guy. He's still standing.

"You're made very, very aware," Hays said. "The first time you go down it's quite apparent that this is a very fast and violent sport, and if you hit something it's going to be bad."

That drivers steer with ropes and crew members never see what's going on during a run—they're tucked low and face-down behind the driver to minimize aerodynamic drag—only adds to the suspense.

American driver Mike Kohn fits that bill. The son of a former Green Beret, Kohn viewed old movies of bobsled crashes soon after he joined the team in 1990. He wasn't fazed then and isn't now.

"I probably shouldn't have been doing that, but I didn't care," Kohn said. "I wanted to win. At the end of the day, you just roll the dice and take your chances."

Push athlete Nick Cunningham agrees.

"There's no published bobsled crash data in the world," Byrne said. "There's a sense of how can we help to make this sport any safer, if possible."

Byrne said there is concern about head injuries, but he said concussions "are a small percentage of all the injuries."

"The majority of the injuries are back and neck and athletic-type injuries—hamstring strains and muscle strains," Byrne said.

The crash that ended Hays' 16-year career was an eye-opener. The CT scan he underwent was the first in Byrne's six years with the team to show any abnormality—and Hays was wearing the best helmet money can buy.

In bygone days, bobsledders wore leather football helmets, and both the fronts and sides of the sleds were open. Even after hard-shelled helmets debuted in the 1950s, crashes often were gruesome.

Italian star Sergio Zardini was killed in 1966 at Mount Van Hoevenberg when his sled hit the superstructure of the track in the famed Zig Zag curves, crushing his head.

"I'm telling you because I did it once, when you hit your head on this solid ice, it hurts more than any crash in NASCAR that I ever had," he said.

Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.