Road-Course Pro Said Looks to New Team

NASCAR driver Boris Said watches qualifying rounds Friday, June 30, 2006, for the Pepsi 400 auto race in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Brian Myrick) (Brian Myrick - AP)

Said linked up with Mark and Brian Simo after the twin brothers launched the No Fear sports lifestyle line. He drove a Cup car for Mark Simo in 1999, and Brian Simo drives a car that Said owns.

In addition to his own driving in both the Cup and the Busch Series, Said works with drivers for other teams to teach them road-course skills, including Cup drivers Jamie McMurray, Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle and Matt Kenseth and Busch drivers Todd Kleuver and Danny O'Quinn Jr., all with Roush Racing.

"Basically, that was my ticket into Roush," Said said. "It's helped these guys a lot, so to kind of repay me he said, `Hey, if you find a sponsor, I'll help you start a team.'"

Said bought a Chevrolet he ran last year with MB2 that was built to accommodate his lanky frame. It went into Roush's shop with a Chevy body and a Hendrick Chevy engine, and came out with a Ford body and a Roush-Yates Ford engine for Infineon and Watkins Glen.

Roush also sells or leases cars and engines to Said, who raced at Daytona in Greg Biffle's 2005 Bud Shootout car and plans to run another 2 1/2-mile oval at Indianapolis next month in a Roush car. In addition to cars and motors, Roush is sharing engineers and helping with setups.

"His black book is the biggest value he's got and now since I've been helping those guys, I can go and lean on him and say, `How you gonna do this at Daytona or how you do this at Indy?' I think it's a good trade-off," Said said. "We're both getting something out of it. I think I'm getting the better end of the stick."

Edwards finished 38th last year at Infineon. He spent two days at the track working with Said in a special two-seat car, watching Said's footwork, before coming in sixth in last month's Dodge/Save Mart 350.

"I'm not gonna talk about the details, but Boris just helped me a lot," Edwards said after the race. "He's a heck of a guy, a sure motivator and he's an inspiration to a lot of us, so it's pretty cool to have him on our side."

Along with the Roush arrangement, Said has a similar deal with Evernham for his limited Busch Series effort.

Unfortunately for Said, the car he got from Evernham was driven by Kasey Kahne, which means Said _ who is well over six feet _ is driving a car built for somebody significantly shorter.

"I reconfigure," he said. "I probably have 8 inches or 10 inches less legroom than in my road race car. I'm crunched up pretty good."

If there's money available, Said hopes to add at least one more race this season _ possibly Atlanta or Homestead _ then take on 10 or 15 next season.

Said is optimistic his sponsor, SoBe No Fear, will remain on line, particularly in light of the decision by rival energy drink Red Bull to sponsor next year's startup Toyota team. Mark Simo, CEO of No Fear, said he's delighted with the team and with Said.

"I've never seen Boris this physically and mentally prepared," he said. "I feel really good about where he's at now."

Said finds the prospect of running more oval races exciting, if a bit daunting.

"When I get on a road course, I know the limits and I feel like I can drive on the edge right away. On the ovals ... I don't have that same feeling," he said. "Every time I run one, I get better and better.

"I think I have a great car. I got a great crew chief. I got a good team. I have all the tools I need to win. It's a long shot, but we definitely have a good chance."