LAKE PLACID, N.Y. -- Boris Said has been bobsledding longer than any of the other drivers at the Third Annual Chevy Bodine Bobsled Challenge, but he's still learning new tricks. He utilized some of what he picked up Saturday morning to successfully defend his title.

In his second championship run, Said shaved more than 1.5 seconds off his time to beat L.W. Miller and three other finalists. Said's two runs were 52.12 and 50.53 seconds, for a total time of 1:42.65. Miller, the 2007 Whelen Southern Modified Tour champion, posted the fastest first run time at 52.11 and finished second overall at 1:43.37.

Three-time NHRA Powerade Pro Stock champion Jeg Coughlin was third with an overall time of 1:43.99, followed by former NASCAR driver Larry Gunselman at 1:44.90 and 2007 Whelen Modified Tour champion Donny Lia at 1:45.46.

"I changed my line a little bit," Said said, "and I made a lot fewer mistakes. Like in racing, I'm always learning -- every turn, every lap."

Each of the 15 NASCAR and NHRA drivers took one championship run. The top five times advanced to take a second championship run, and the finish was decided by the best aggregate time.

"I didn't expect to win this year," said Said, who won three of the four races in the first two years. "I thought [NHRA driver] Morgan Lucas would. But he made a mistake and it cost him."

Lucas was consistently one of the fastest Thursday and Friday, and was just .23 seconds behind Said in Friday's qualifying. But a bobble during Saturday's first championship run left him 11th at 54.21 and out of the hunt. Ron Hornaday, the 2007 Craftsman Truck Series champion, finished sixth with an initial run of 53.06 -- just .01 seconds out of qualifying for the second run.

Said got a chance to face-off against Lucas in the finals of the NASCAR-NHRA Challenge on Saturday afternoon. Said recorded a time of 50.99 in the finals to best Lucas' 52.06.

In the Challenge, five NASCAR drivers (Said, Randy LaJoie, Todd Bodine, Hornaday and Johnny Benson) and NHRA drivers (Phil Burkhart, Lucas, Todd, Bob Vandergriff and Coughlin) competed against each other in elimination rounds, to determine the finalist from the two sides.

Said beat Bodine in the NASCAR finals, while Lucas defeated Vandergriff in the NHRA finals.

Many of the drivers like Miller were experiencing bobsledding for the first time this week.

"The first couple practice runs, I learned everything not to do," said Miller, who was optimistic after running fifth quickest in the final run Friday. He was the sixth sled down the hill in Saturday morning's first championship run and posted a top time which held up through the remainder of the runs.

"When I got down there, it was the first run since I got here where I felt I did everything right and I just had one bobble," Miller said. "I knew I had a shot at a podium finish, but I needed Boris to really mess up to have a shot to win it."

Instead, Said put together a nearly flawless run.

"I wish I knew how I did it, but I'm not the smartest guy in the world," Said joked. "To me, it's just a blast. This sport is just so awesome. It's like when you were a kid on your flexible flyer -- times 10."

The Bodine Bobsled Challenge will air on SPEED Jan. 20 and 27.

NASCAR vs. NHRA Challenge

First Round

NASCAR -- 1. Boris Said, 51.12 seconds; 2. Todd Bodine, 51.79; 3. Ron Hornaday Jr., 51.82; 4. Randy LaJoie, 52.71; 5. Johnny Benson, 52.77.

NHRA -- 1. Morgan Lucas, 51.85; 2. Jeg Coughlin, 52.22; 3. Bob Vandergriff, 52.53; 4. Phil Burkhart, 52.68; 5. J.R. Todd, 53.74.

Second Round

NASCAR -- Bodine def. Hornaday, 51.94-52.12.

NHRA -- Vandergriff def. Coughlin, 52.69-52.82.

Finals

NASCAR -- Said def. Bodine, 51.53-51.64.

NHRA -- Lucas def. Coughlin, 51.76-52.03.

Championship

Said def. Lucas, 50.99-52.06.