Fans at the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway ROVAL this weekend, shouldn’t be surprised to see a familiar middle-aged racer sporting a brown-haired afro.
There may even be a random person in the stands who yells, ‘Who Said?’ during Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race.
The reason? Longtime road course ace Boris Said is returning to the series, driving the No. 17 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports.
It’ll be Said’s first Xfinity Series event since 2021, and his first shot in top-tier equipment since 2015 when he drove five races for Joe Gibbs Racing.
While it may have been a shock to see Said’s name pop up as the driver of the No. 17, the story begins well before this season.
“Well, Rick and I have been partners in a car dealership for 12, almost 13 years now,” Said told SPEED SPORT. “He’s pretty much my mentor and one of my best friends now. I asked him for a motor to use for somebody else and he turned me down.
“It was a real uncompetitive ride. I was just thinking it’d be fun to do it. He said, ‘Why don’t you just run my car?’ He said, ‘It’s an early Christmas present,’ is what he said, exact words.”
That’s quite the Christmas present.
“I don’t know what I’m gonna get him now,” Said joked. “He’s a hard guy to shop for.”
Said, who’s competed for countless race teams across NASCAR’s top three series since 1995, was blown away by the opportunity.
“I mean, it’s crazy. I would have given my right leg for one of those cars, 15 years ago, when I was in my prime and raced a lot,” Said began.
“If somebody would have told me 20 years ago I’d even know Rick Hendrick, I would have told them they were crazy. And now, 13 years as partners and two car dealerships.”
Said isn’t your typical car dealer. He’ll be the oldest driver in the field on Saturday at the age of 61. Despite his age, Said feels confident in his ability.
“There’s a reason why 61-year-olds aren’t out there in NASCAR,” Said admitted. “I know that, but I think it’s still gonna be fun. I still feel good.”
As Said reflected on his age, he remembered a time when one of the Xfinity Series’ top talents was a youngster.
“It’s funny, I was thinking about some of my first races in NASCAR when Joe Nemechek was racing and John Hunter Nemechek would be walking around, his six or seven-year-old kid with a U.S. Army driving suit on that matched his dad’s,” Said recalled.
“Now that kid is one of the top drivers in the country. That’s what I think about, it’s been a long time.”
Ironically, Said was teammates with Joe Nemechek at MBM Motorsports for a handful of races in 2005.
Reflecting On The Opportunity
It’s only been a few weeks of preparation for Said and the No. 17 crew, though, things came together quickly.
“I mean, it’s unusual, because it’s a track I’ve never run before, which I’ve run almost every track in the world,” Said recalled. “But I mean, just to see the inner workings from a driver’s side, I don’t see how anybody has a chance against an organization like that. It’s just amazing.”
While Said has competed and won some of motorsports crown jewel events over the years, including the Rolex 24 At Daytona, 24 Hours of Nurburgring and 12 Hours of Sebring, the 2.28-mile ROVAL in Charlotte presents a new challenge.
“It’s funny, I always used to be able to judge pretty good, what ride I had, how I was going to do, where I thought I could run. I really don’t have any idea,” Said admitted.
“It’s so much different now than when I used to race. When I used to race, it was hard for a road racer to come off the couch twice a year and get in a Cup car. But at least you had two or three hours of practice over the weekend before you actually raced.
“So here, it’s just a lot different with only 20 minutes of practice and qualifying and getting in the race. I don’t know what to expect,” Said continued. “My hope is I can be competitive and maybe be in the top 10, that’s my hope.”
With his expectations set, the question remains — is this his last race in NASCAR?
“I still like driving,” Said firmly stated. “My son’s driving now in the Trans Am Series in TA2. I still run an occasional TA1 race when somebody asks me to.
“I still love driving. I love it. So, I’m not saying no. I mean if Chase Elliott or anybody ever felt sick and had food poisoning and they need somebody, I would jump right into it in a second,” Said continued. “But, I’m not really planning on it.
“If this is the last one, what a way to end it.”
As for his unique fanbase, the “Said Heads,” who brought plenty of noise to Watkins Glen (N.Y.) Int’l where Said competed in Cup Series races on an annual basis from 1999-2017, he had a humorous reason if they didn’t appear on Saturday.
“It depends if they let them out of the old age home, I’m not sure,” Said chuckled. “I’m not expecting too many.”