Driver Profile

Although he may be a relative newcomer to the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, Boris Said is no stranger to the international motorsports world. In fact, it is quite an understatement to say that he has had a diverse - and successful - racing career.

"I opened a motorcycle store in 1983," he said. "I was totally into motorcycles, but in 1985 a friend gave me some tickets to the Detroit Grand Prix. At that race I saw (SCCA club-racing champion) Bob Sharp, whose car dealership was about six miles from my motorcycle shop, and asked him how to get into racing. He gave me some very good advice when I asked some really stupid questions."

Since then, racing has been Said's passion. Said was soon driving a 1987 Showroom Stock GT Mustang in SCCA amateur races. A self-crewed Corvette Challenge effort won Said the 1998 Rookie of the Year award. He continued to race Corvettes for the next few years and won the SCCA Showroom Stock GT National Championship in 1989, 1990 and 1991. The 1992 IMSA Endurance Challenge Sports driver's championship gave Said four titles in as many years.

Reeves Callaway tabbed Said to drive his Callaway Corvette in Europe in 1993 and 1994. After finishing eighth in the ADAC German Cup in 1993, Said got his first start at Le Mans - from the GT2 pole - the next year, as well as another pole and a win at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium. Back in the United States, Said joined the SCCA Trans-Am Series, winning the Rising Star of the Year Award.

Off the track Said continued to push his career by talking to every team owner who would listen. Ten years after going to his first race as a spectator, Team PTG owner Tom Milner hired Said to drive in his BMW M3 IMSA program. Said won 15 races, including the Rolex 24 at Daytona in 1997 and 1998 and the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1998.

Said soon became interested in the top level of American motorsports -- NASCAR. A full-time Craftsman Truck Series ride in 1997 and 1998 brought only one win, but the experience was invaluable as he was sought out by top Cup teams to school drivers in the art of road racing. In his first Cup start in 1998 at Watkins Glen, Said qualified fifth and went on to be a front-row starter and race leader in 1999. Some of Said's best performances in Cup races include sixth-place finishes the past two years at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma. He also captured the pole in MB2 Motorsports' No. 01 U.S. Army car at the 2003 Sonoma race and drove it to 10th place in the 2004 Bud Shootout at Daytona International Speedway.

From team release