GAWDA Member Helps U.S. Bobsled Team Win Gold
1948 was the last time it happened. Since those games in St. Moritz, Switzerland it had been 62 years without a United States squad winning bobsled gold. Last Saturday, the USA1 team changed all of that. With run times ranging from 50.89 to 51.52 seconds over four heats, the United States walked away with a gold medal.
If you’ve read this month’s issue of GAWDA Edge, you know that a GAWDA member helped make it happen. Lincoln Electric Company (Cleveland, OH) supplied the welding equipment that was used on the U.S. Sleds. It was part of an effort by NASCAR driver Geoff Bodine and stock car manufacturer Chassis Dynamics.
The two parties formed an alliance, calling it “Bo-Dyn,” and set out to build a better sled. A big part of building a bobsled is the welding that goes into the chassis. Bo-Dyn realized that it needed a partner that could provide it with quality equipment that would get the job done right. The Lincoln Electric Company had worked with Bodine in the past, so he gave his old partner a call. “We worked with Jeff Bodine on his NASCAR truck team for a period of time,” says Lincoln Sports Marketing Manager Mickey Holmes. “So when it came time for this project, he gave us a call.”
To help the cause, Lincoln supplied Bo-Dyn with several different welders. “They have a Precision TIG-275, a Power MIG 255xt and a portable Power MIG 180c that they take to the track with them,” says Holmes. Bo-Dyn engineers use the machines to perform intricate welds on the sleds’ chassis, suspension, steering, brakes and other internal components.
It looks like all the hard work paid off. Congrats to Bo-Dyn, Lincoln and of course the team! To find out more details about Lincoln’s involvement, check out the latest issue of GAWDA Edge at www.gawdaedge.org.
