RELATED: Boris Said has a blast with fans

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – For years, the loyal “Said Heads” have robustly crowded the turns and grandstands at Watkins Glen International to cheer on their favorite driver, Boris Said, a champion road racer often hired to race stock cars on the NASCAR road courses.

But in a much more understated presence Sunday morning at the famous track, Said confirmed the I LOVE NEW YORK 355 at The Glen (3 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio) Monster Energy NASCAR Cup race will be his final NASCAR start.

Thanking the crowd during a race morning gathering, the gasps from his fans were audible as one of NASCAR’s most beloved competitors shared his news.

The historic track honored Said, presenting the 54-year-old with a lovely glass bowl designed for him from the nearby Corning Glass factory. Raising the glass above his head, Said received a loud standing ovation hours before he went out to qualify the No. 33 Genesee Beer Chevrolet.

“It was important to me [to make Watkins Glen his final NASCAR start] because this was where I did my first NASCAR race in 1998 and got to race Jimmy Spencer’s car,” Said said. “My crew chief that day, Donny Wingo, is here and some of the crew guys. This seems like my home track, the memories, the fans.

“That’s why I wanted to do it here.”

The appreciation is fully reciprocal.

His fandom – in particular at Watkins Glen – is legendary and enthusiastic.

“Growing up, all the road course ringers, I was so enamored by them,’” said Justin Rector, 26, of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, who made a special poster board sign to cheer on Said at The Glen. “I just love watching him show the guys how to wheel these things. He can even take a junk car and make the best. It’s beautiful. How can you not appreciate that?

“I’m going to miss him so much. I’m glad I got to see his last one.’”

RELATED: Career stats for Boris Said

Said conceded the decision to call it a career became easier in recent years. He is an owner of the popular K1 Speed Indoor Go Karting tracks franchise, just started a vodka brand and owns a successful BMW dealership with NASCAR Hall of Famer Rick Hendrick.

“You know how I came to it. … I’m really competitive and I love to drive and be a part of it and it’s not as much fun not being as competitive, so I told my wife, ‘I still love driving, but this year – even in just the last three weeks – I find myself thinking more about going dirt bike riding with my son and the new house we’re building in Utah,'” Said recalled.

“I love those things. This Wednesday we’re going to Utah where we’re building a house. And we’re right in the middle of building a jet engine because that’s my [13-year old] son’s thing.”

However, as his fans surrounded him in Watkins Glen victory circle, Said fully admits it will be an adjustment with no NASCAR races circled on his calendar.

“I still love racing and it’s going to be hard to replace that,” he said. “That’s 31 years on the road, the dinner, the people, the fans. … Even without the racing it’s just that lifestyle and all your friends — like a family.”

Said’s resume – even in limited starts – is impressive. He has long been a sort of road racing “guru” for NASCAR drivers eager to improve their road course racing skills. He worked with the late Dale Earnhardt and similarly has been a professor of sorts for the sport’s up-and-coming greats. His talent will be evident for years to come in the young racers he guides and tutors.

“I love just driving,” Said said. “Driving a Cup car out of control just trying to muscle it around is just so much fun, getting a little scared and feeling the power.

“NASCAR still has it where the driver makes a big difference and I will miss that.”

His accomplishments on track in NASCAR are especially impressive considering his part-time involvement.

Said won a pair of Monster Energy Series pole positions – one at Sonoma, California, road course but also in the 2006 July summer race on the Daytona International Speedway high banks, where he finished an impressive fourth place. A third-place finish here in Watkins Glen in 2005 is a career best, and he has eight top-10 career finishes.

He won the 2010 XFINITY Series race at Montreal and claimed two poles and nine top-10s in that series. He also won the 1998 Camping World Truck Series race on the Sonoma, California, road course, won three pole positions and had nine top-10s in that series as well.

Beyond NASCAR, Said was the 2002 Trans Am Champion and won the Rolex Sports Car Series GT-Class title in 2004. He claimed class victories in the 1997 and 1998 Rolex 24 at Daytona and in 1998 in the 12 Hours of Sebring.

He is the first American to win the 24 Hours of Nurburgring. And he even competed in the X Games twice.

“Back home where my friends don’t know anything about racing, they’d ask, ‘When are you going to retire?’ And I’d say, ‘When the phone doesn’t ring anymore.” Said said, smiling. “But it kept ringing and ringing. And it’s still ringing.

“But at 55 (he turns that on Sept. 18), it can’t keep ringing. If I could write a script I’d say I’d like to do [sports cars at] Daytona [Rolex 24] and Sebring and Watkins Glen and Petit LeMans.

“NASCAR for sure it’s over,” he said breaking into a grin. “Unless Chase Elliott gets sick and needs an old 55-year old to fill in. I’d do it just to help out.

“I’m good like that.”