Bobsleds at the Olympic Park in Utah

[gitano]

When Sue and I were last in Utah we stayed a couple of nights in Park City. Of course we had to visit Olympic Village. We went into the Ski Museum and the person behind the counter told us that the US bobsled team was having their tryouts for the World Cup team right then, and if we hurried, we could still see some of them at curve 12. We hustled over there, (I really like bobsled), and were able to catch the last half dozen of the men's 4-man tryouts, and all of the women's 2-man sleds. (I think there were only four of the women's.) The men's 4s were doing 80+mph, and the women's 2s were doing 70+. It was VERY cool. We later walked up to the finish line and got to stand around with the athletes for a bit. (Most of the race officials were pretty bundled up, and no one appreciated my short-sleeved shirt until I told them we were visiting from Alaska.) Listen to the rumble of the sled coming.

Just click on the image below to see the video.



Paul

[JaDub]

OOOOF DA...   looks like my kinda fun!

[gitano]

I figured you'd like it, JaDub. My kind of fun too. The only kind of car racing I've ever really 'taken to' is drag-racing, and Top Fuelers are the  'the bomb'! But... "run what ya brung" night at Orange County was always cool too!

Paul

[gitano]

I meant to put this in this subsite anyway.

Got to thinking about drag racing and found this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VF0JwxQqcA

Lotsa stuff in that video that I didn't know: welded clutch plates, burned out spark plugs, 120mph in half a second!...

What I remember most is the SOUND. Have the guys without muffs just given up on hearing?

Paul

[j0e_bl0ggs (deceased)]

It ain't racing unless it goes around corners...

As to bobsleigh, I have been down this track, intense fun!

https://www.inyourpocket.com/sigulda/Bobsleighing_71027f

[gitano]

I went down the last 1/4 of the Olympic bobsled track at Berchtesgaden when I was going to school in Germany. Since it was '66, we were only allowed to use the old wooden, German luges. Still very cool! I'd love to be able to go down the one in Park City, even if only at 1/2 speed!

Paul

[j0e_bl0ggs (deceased)]

Much fun!

[jaeger88]

Its aint racing unless you go round left AND right hand corners !.

[gitano]

The one I've heard, is:

"It ain't racin' if you ain't rubbin'!"

Paul

[JaDub]

Yeah.......... Todays serious `fuelers` are downright scary. I`m not a real hard core drag racer but I do appreciate the physics involved. A 2 .5 " I.D  fuel delivery line......... are you kidding me !!! ?????

I can honestly tell you from experience that when a `fueler` like that passes you down the strip the low frequency vibrations literally make your kidneys want to swap sides. :D

My ride today, I`m sure, could do 10s in the quarter mile but..........

we slow down a tad to go around corners........... both left AND right.

Life is GOOD !