KOENIGSSEE, Germany --- The second half of the luge World Cup series begins Friday and Saturday, Jan. 6-7, in Koenigssee, Germany. This weekend’s race marks the 25th time that the oldest artificially refrigerated track, in the Bavarian Alps, has played host to World Cup racing.

Russia’s Albert Demtschenko is looking forward to Saturday’s men’s singles event after establishing a 66-point lead over Italy’s Armin Zoeggeler through five races. Demtschenko has gathered 410 points, while Zoeggeler sits in second place with 344.

USA Luge’s Tony Benshoof (White Bear Lake, Minn.) is excited about getting back to racing following the three-week holiday break. The 30-year-old raced to four podiums and sits in third place with 325 points.

Three Germans lead the overall women’s singles standings heading into Friday’s race. Silke Kraushaar stands atop the overall rankings with 455 points, 100 in front of Sylke Otto, who’s second with 355. Tatjana Huefner has picked up 309 points and sits in third place.

Courtney Zablocki (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) tops all U.S. sliders, and is eighth overall. The 24-year-old Zablocki has opened the season with three top-10 finishes, including a season-best fifth place result, in November, on the 2006 Olympic course in Cesana Pariol, Italy.

Absent from this weekend’s race will be the U.S. doubles team of Mark Grimmette (Muskegon, Mich.) and Brian Martin (Palo Alto, Calif.). During the holiday break, Grimmette developed back spasms and has been undergoing medical treatment. Grimmette says that he will travel to Europe on Friday and re-join the team in time to begin training for the Jan. 13-15 World Cup series stop in Igls, Austria.

“I’m confident that I can come back and slide as strong as I was before,” noted Grimmette. “Other than missing this weekend’s race, the spasms have not and will not affect my preparation for February’s Games.”

Grimmette and Martin and the rest of the international doubles field are chasing after Italy’s Christian Oberstolz and Patrick Gruber. The reigning overall World Cup champions carry a 19-point lead over Germany’s Patrick Leitner and Alexander Resch heading into Friday’s doubles race. Austria’s tandem of Tobias Schiegl and Markus Schiegl round out the top three pairs, in third place overall with 335 points.

The final team competition of the season is also slated for Saturday. Austria and Italy share first place with 230 points, just 10 ahead of Team USA. Team Germany sits in fourth place with 190 points.