Team USA bobsled coach Brian Shimer (front) and his team came to Mooresville to work with local companies A2 Wind Tunnel and deBotech, Inc.

May 23. Members of the USA Bobsled National Team worked recently with local companies A2 Wind Tunnel and deBotech, Inc. Coaches, team engineers, ride designers and builders are testing athlete positions, equipment designs and positioning in the sleds.

A2 Wind Tunnel and deBotech worked with the teams leading up to the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, where Team USA won two silver and four bronze medals in the bobsled and skeleton events.

Gary Eaker, owner of A2 and AeroDyn Wind Tunnel, is one of the biggest names in racing aerodynamics. A2 Wind Tunnel is a premier wind-testing facility and provides a consistent environment with air speeds ranging from 30 to 85 mph.

“The team members are looking for the best aero configuration to help cut even tenths of a second off of their sled times,” said Eaker.

deBotech, Inc. is a carbon fiber and advanced composite parts manufacturer with a vast understanding of lightweight materials in the composite field. The company, owned by Hans and Jamye deBot, manufactures products for automotive OEMs, after-market performance parts, military applications and sports and leisure components.

“Mooresville is known as Race City USA and because of our motorsports industry cluster there [are] numerous resources available,” said Hans deBot. “Our community’s knowledge base can give other sports a competitive edge.”

“Facilities like the wind tunnel help us find every hundredth of a second, which in a sport where gold medals are won and lost by hundredths is very important,” said two-time bobsled Olympic medalist Elana Meyers Taylor. “Mooresville is always so welcoming, it’s nice to feel like you’re at the bobsled capital of the South.”