The USA team had the coaching, the athletes and the drivers to be contenders. All they needed was sled technology.

An idea was born.

Geoff partnered with Chassis Dynamics and Whelen Engineering to build a bobsled for USA athletes. This partnership became the Bo-Dyn Bobsled Project.

LaJoie started racing go-karts when he was 12 years old. In 1980 he began racing in full-bodied racecars. He was the 1981 track champion in the Modified Sportsman division at the Danbury Fair Racearena.

In 1983 he moved to the NASCAR Busch North Series, and he was the series Rookie of the Year. In 1985 he had 15 victories on his way to the series championship.

Randy owns The Joie of Seating, a racing seat company for race cars. In addition to his racing seat business, Randy is also a part time co-host of The Driver's Seat with John Kernan on Sirius Satellite Radio's NASCAR channel 128. He also did Television Commentary for the ORP and Montreal Busch Series Races.

Growing up in Southern California, the birthplace of Top Fuel racing, Bob Vandergriff, Jr. was surrounded by racing since he was a baby. His father, Bob Vandergriff, Sr. was the Advertising Director for the NHRA's National Dragster publication before purchasing industry legend Hedman Hedders® in 1978.

Vandergriff attended the University of Utah, where he majored in business. After graduation, began his career in the business world, first serving as the National Advertising Director for Super Chevy Magazine and then relocating to Georgia, where he served as Vice President of the Atlanta Dragway. Here, Vandergriff got his first taste of racing down the quarter mile, entering his 15-second, 80 mph company car in one of the track's bracket races. Vandergriff lasted five rounds, eventually losing in the semifinals. He was hooked.

With the need for speed firmly in place, Vandergriff began working toward his goal of one day driving a Top Fuel dragster. His search eventually lead to signing a major sponsorship agreement with Fruit of the Loom® four weeks before the season-opening Winternationals in 1994.

With a contract in hand, Vandergriff decided it was time to see if he could actually drive one of the 7000 hp beasts. The month-long odyssey began with a trip through Frank Hawley's drag race school, followed immediately by licensing runs in a borrowed Top Fuel dragster. When asked about his first time in the car, Vandergriff admitted, "It scared me to death. But, I was so far along in the process, I had to continue." Vandergriff completed his licensing requirements in his own dragster, just three days before the season began.

The 1994 season proved to be a valuable learning experience, and the up-and-down season culminated in Vandergriff being named the NHRA Rookie of the Year. The next few seasons provided many firsts for Vandergriff, including: first final round appearance in 1995, first number one qualifying position in 1996, and in 1997, starting a string of NHRA Top Ten finishes which continued through the 2000 season.

Read more about Bob at www.bobvandergriff.com.

Hornaday is a three-time Truck Series champion and two-time most popular driver award winner. He has been racing for 28 years, competing in regional NASCAR tours, Busch Series, Cup Series and the Truck Series. Hornaday won his first truck title in 1996, followed by one in '98. He currently drives the No. 33 truck for Kevin Harvick Inc.

Learn more about Ron at his website.

Little did he know, however, that the second set of car keys his father would give him would come complete with its own championship-caliber pit crew. 

His first drag racing experience came at the young age of ten when his father, Forrest Lucas, took him to the NHRA World Finals at Pomona Raceway.  As Lucas was wandering through the pits, his first interaction was with an up-and-coming drag racer, Darrell Russell, who at the time piloted a Top Alcohol Dragster.  When Lucas asked Russell if he had any worn or damaged parts to give away, Darrell generously gave young Morgan an autographed front wheel off his race car and it was then that Morgan knew what he wanted to do when he grew up.

Morgan made his professional Top Fuel debut at the Lucas Oil Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway on August 15, 2004, piloting the Joe Amato-owned Lucas Oil-sponsored dragster.  He qualified fifth with an impressive elapsed time of 4.596-seconds at 320.43 mph.  Morgan pulled double driving duty in Brainerd by also competing in the Top Alcohol Dragster class, which he won from the pole position.

Donny Lia is an racing driver from New York. This year, Donny won his first Whelen Modified Tour championship for car owner Bob Garbarino, who has been an owner since the early 1960s, but had no title until Lia's.

In 1999, Lia began racing a Legends car at Wall Township Raceway (Wall, New Jersey). He won several times including the track's biggest event, the prestigious Turkey Derby. In 2000, Lia continued racing his Legends car with success all over the eastern United States.

In 2001, Lia competed in the NASCAR Modified division at Riverhead Raceway (Riverhead, New York) and he won Rookie of the Year honors. He also made his NASCAR Modified Tour debut at Martinsville Speedway. The 2002 season was spent gaining seat time for a full-time move to the NASCAR Modified Tour in 2003.

In 2003, Lia placed in the top ten in NASCAR Featherlite Modified Series (previous name of the Whelen Modified Tour) points on his way to another Rookie of the Year award. He claimed five poles in 2004, more than any other competitor, which earned him the Bud Pole Award. He also competed on the Race of Champions Modified Tour, taking a big victory in the second-annual North-South Shootout at Concord Motorsport Park in North Carolina. Lia continued racing his Modifieds in 2005, winning two Whelen Modified Tour races and finishing sixth in WMT season points.

Before he began his racing career, Donny competed in computer racing games online against competitors all over the world. He credits gaming for helping develop his interest in motorsports and for improving his reflexes and his hand-eye coordination.

Learn more about Donny at www.donnylia.net.