Boris Said has accomplished a significant amount in a racing career that spans the globe but an upcoming Xfinity race provides him with an opportunity to close out his NASCAR career with a trip to Victory Lane.
Said will join Hendrick Motorsports for the first time in his career this weekend. He will drive the No. 17 Hendrick Chevrolet at the Charlotte Roval (3 p.m. ET Saturday on NBC and Peacock) while making his first Xfinity start since 2021.
The opportunity stems from a conversation between Said and team owner Rick Hendrick, with whom he has a business partnership through two car dealerships. Said simply wanted to use an engine for a different opportunity, but Hendrick asked if he wanted to take over the No. 17 for a one-off start.
“Who wouldn’t want to drive the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro for Hendrick Motorsports,” Said asked NBC Sports ahead of the Roval weekend. “Having raced him for almost 37 years, and then this past Monday going into Hendrick Motorsports and getting fitted for the car and seeing the inside of the operation as a driver … it was an unbelievable experience.
“For every driver, it’s like going to Disneyland. It’s the Disneyland of motorsports. I mean, to see how they do everything and how they treated me and (crew chief) Greg Ives and how detailed they are and just everything is so mint in that place.”
At 61 years old, Said is the 15th-oldest driver to make a start in the Xfinity Series. He ranks behind such names as Bill Elliott (62), Brad Teague (67), Mark Thompson (65) and Mike Harmon (64). Morgan Shepherd made multiple starts in the Xfinity Series at the age of 77.
The No. 17 team has worked with multiple drivers this season. Alex Bowman, Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott and William Byron have all driven the Xfinity entry. Now Said takes over the entry while representing the heyday of road course ringers.
Said has success in a variety of racing series. He is a sports car champion (2004), a two-time 24 Hours of Daytona winner (1997, 1998) and the 1998 12 Hours of Sebring winner. Said also made history in 2005 as the first American to win the 24 Hours of Nürburgring.
Said has proven capable of winning in multiple cars. That doesn’t mean that he expects to walk in and tell Hendrick Motorsports how to prepare for a race weekend.
“If I was to put myself in (Ives’) shoes, he must be thinking, ‘Rick sent us some 61-year-old has-been for us to race. This is going to be a pain in the neck,’” Said said. “’My son’s racing go karts this week, and I’d rather be there.’
“And I thought I was going to feel that, but it was the total opposite … They treated me like Kyle Larson, which I was shocked. Because I don’t think I would treat myself like that.”
Saturday will mark Said’s 150th national series start, his 30th in Xfinity. In his 29 previous starts, he scored nine top-10 finishes, seven top fives and one win (Montreal).
Said doesn’t know how he will perform in his return to the Xfinity Series, especially after scaling his driving schedule back. He went from roughly 50 races each year to only about six while shifting his priorities.
There will be some hurdles to overcome as Said gets comfortable in a heavy stock car once again. He will only have about 20 minutes of practice as opposed to the three hours he was used to early in his NASCAR career. He also has no experience at the Charlotte Roval.
Said has done some simulator work in preparation for his first start at the “quirky” 2.280-mile road course. He has identified some potential trouble spots and has learned the layout of the track.
This just isn’t the same as completing laps. Said prefers to go off of the feel in his seat rather than what his eyes see when figuring out exactly what he needs in the car. This is something that he will have to do during practice and qualifying as he focuses on making the race.
Despite the unknowns, Said continues to embrace his opportunity with NASCAR’s winningest organization. He knows that he will have the best equipment of his career and will work with a team focused on getting Hendrick’s first Xfinity win since Daytona in 2009. It will be up to him to capitalize.
“They’re going at it like it’s a race to win,” Said added. “And I just hope somehow I can pull one last blast of talent and give them a good finish. … This might be the last race of my life and the best ride I’ve ever had. So I’m going to have fun with it.”
Regardless of what happens this weekend, Said isn’t setting out to fill his schedule with more NASCAR starts. He is far more content helping other racers while making up for lost time.
“Right now, it’s really my son is my focus and just getting to spend all this time going to the races, traveling and eating, laughing, being stupid together,” Said explained, referencing Boris Said Jr, who competes in the Trans Am Series.
“It’s been, I feel like, a blessing because I missed a lot of his life when he was young when I was racing 50 races a year all over the world. And now that he has the same passion I do, and we get to share that together, I mean, I feel like the luckiest guy in the world.”
