At a glance, the common ground between the motorsports realm of NASCAR and the winter sport of luge should seem small. Then again, after a season-opening exhibition race for the stock-car crowd that faced snow and ice this past week,

Germany is expected to once again dominate the medal count in luge, but the U.S. could pull off a surprise or two, especially in the women's events.

Athletes look to hit top speed in one of the Winter Olympics’ most exciting sports, as bobsleigh, luge and skeleton look to fascinate the crowds in Cortina.

Luge made its Olympic debut in 1964, where athletes race feet first on a sled at speeds exceeding 80 miles per hour. Competitors complete four runs over two days and their cumulative times determine their rankings, with gold awarded for the lowest total time.