American Honda has become a key Olympic sponsor and, as part of that tie-up, it’s lending expertise to the U.S. Bobsled/Skeleton team. The automaker’s wind tunnel has helped boost the range and its EVs – and could now give a boost to the team’s performance during the upcoming Winter Olympics. Headlight.News has more.
A Honda engineer tests the aerodynamic efficiency of a U.S. Olympic bobsled.
Reaching speeds of as much as 97 mph, bobsledding is one of the fastest sports in the Winter Olympics. But American teams have been also-rans in recent years, something USA Bobsled/Skeleton (USABS) is determined to change.
They’re about to get a helping hand from American Honda which has signed on as a key sponsor of the overall U.S. Olympics program, taking over in the automotive category from Toyota.
As part of Honda’s partnership, it will take the USABS team into its HALO aeroacoustic wind tunnel in East Liberty, Ohio, hoping to give an aerodynamic boost to both bobsled and skeleton design.
Fractions of a second
“In sports where sleds can reach speeds of over 90 miles per hour and the difference between first and last can be measured in fractions of a second, our Honda engineers are eager to apply their engineering skills and racing background to the USABS programs,” said Larry Geise, executive vice president of Honda Development & Manufacturing of America,
At the speeds which bobsledders and skeleton riders operate, improving aerodynamics can give them the fractional boost that could land American athletes on the podium when the Winter Olympics get underway in Italy next February, team officials are hoping.
“Honda is a known leader in the racing world,” said Chris Fogt, head coach of the USA Bobsled Team. “We are already seeing how Honda will apply its resources and technologies to advance the training and performance of USABS and can’t wait to see the results.”
The skeleton crew
Winning times can be measured in hundredths, even thousandths of a seconds – and aerodynamics can play a crucial role.
Bobsled and skeleton have some important similarities, both driving down specially designed, ice-covered tracks. Both reach similar speeds, winning teams topping 90 mph in recent Olympics. But they have decidedly different designs.
First introduced into the Olympics in 1924, bobsleds are run with both two- and four-member teams. They’ve been part of every game since, but for 1960 games in Squaw Valley. The U.S. has been a consistent competitor but hasn’t taken a gold medal in the sport since 1932.
The less familiar skeleton can be one of the riskier sports in Winter Olympics as a single driver races down the track head first and face down.
“In skeleton, an athlete’s head, shoulders, arms, and leg positions are all imperative to aero and performance. Time at Honda’s HALO wind tunnel will provide valuable feedback to our athletes about their sliding positions to allow them to optimize their results,” shared Matt Antoine, Head Coach of the USA Skeleton Team.
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Testing begins
Honda has signed on as sponsor of USABS through at least 2030, which will see it play a role in the 2026 Olympics in Milan Cortina and, four years later, in the French Alps. The carmaker has also become a founding partner for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
Officially, Honda’s upscale Acura brand will serve as the USABS sponsor and its logo will be emblazoned n the team’s sleds.
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