Elliott moves over to give Said wheel at The Glen

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. -- Bill Elliott proved his commitment to getting the No. 21 Wood Brothers/JTG Racing Ford back into the Nextel Cup Series' top 35 in the owner standings Saturday morning at Watkins Glen International when he gave up his ride to Boris Said.

About 17 hours after failing to make the Centurion Boats at The Glen, Said went from the dumps to exhilaration after a visit from Wood/JTG crew chief Michael McSwain proved that Elliott's offer to "drive my car" in Sunday's race was not a joke.

Team owners Eddie and Len Wood made the change after consulting with sponsor Little Debbie and NASCAR, and Said replaced Elliott for Saturday morning's first practice.

Elliott made the lineup in the 39th position after qualifying was rained out Friday, as a former Cup champion. Said will drop to the rear of the grid on the pace laps due to the driver change.

"I met Boris coming into the garage this morning, and I guess I had my car owner hat on," Elliott said. "The thing about it is, with where this team is in the points, it's the most logical thing to do."

The Wood Brothers/JTG car is unofficially 36th in the owner standings, 26 points behind Bill Davis Racing's No. 22 Toyota and 124 points behind Joe Custer's No. 70 Chevrolet.

"Boris is fresh off road racing last week [in Montreal] and he's going to run [Saturday's Busch race]," Elliott said. "I love road racing, don't get me wrong, but I haven't road raced since Sonoma [in June], and I feel like where we are, so close to the next two teams in points, it's just the thing to do."

Said was beside himself with relief in the Watkins Glen garage after Saturday morning's first practice as he recounted the Wood Brothers and their driver, Elliott Sadler, being the first Cup team he'd been contracted to help more than half a decade ago.

"They were the first people I really ever met in NASCAR, so I've known them ever since then, and they're great guys," Said said. "To be driving for them is just shocking to me. If anyone had ever told me I'd be driving a Wood Brothers car, I'd have told them they were crazy.

"For Bill Elliott to just step aside like that, [Saturday], is amazing. In my 44 years of living, no one's ever done anything like this for me."

"We didn't know Boris at all and made a blind phone call to him ... in 1999, and we asked Boris to go help test with Elliott [Sadler] at Sonoma," Len Wood said. "Like I say, without knowing each other, he did anything we asked, he bent over backwards for us -- and when we got done we asked him how much we owed, and he said, basically, pay me what you think I was worth -- and we've remained friends ever since.

"He doesn't want to be known as a teacher, he wants to be known as a race driver, but he's excellent at both, I think."

When qualifying was rained out for the third time this season, Said's No. 60 No Fear Racing Ford was sent home when it did not meet the rule book parameters for making a rainout lineup.

"It was a disappointing night," Said said of eating dinner late Friday afternoon under clear skies. "But this morning was like a Christmas present."

It took Said more than seven minutes into the morning practice to make it on the track, and with his first laps he was 26th on the time sheet. Within five minutes he was fifth on the rundown, though he ended up 19th while conservatively dealing with the car's somewhat tight confines.

Said was asked if he was going to wear the similar-sized Elliott's Little Debbie uniform on Sunday.

"I'd fit in anything, I don't care -- I'd fit in Kasey Kahne's driver's suit to drive here Sunday -- it doesn't matter to me," Said said with a grin. "The car's real tight, but I'll adapt. It's a long race."

Elliott said he would wait until after Happy Hour to decide, but "if everything goes well, I'm outta here," he said.