When rain washed out Sprint Cup qualifying at Watkins Glen International this month, a frustrated Boris Said had to park his No Fear Racing Ford for the second straight year at his favorite track.
In May 2006, Said, veteran crew chief Frank Stoddard, and Mark Simo announced the creation of No Fear Racing, which receives technical support, engines and Ford Fusion bodies from Roush Fenway Racing and has SoBe No Fear, an energy drink, as its sponsor. Less than two months later, in only the team’s second race, Said stunned the NASCAR world by winning the pole for the Pepsi 400 on the high-speed banks of Daytona. He led nine laps during the race and finished fourth, losing the lead to eventual winner Tony Stewart with two laps to go.
“I think he’s awesome,” four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon said. “I think he brings a lot of entertainment to the series. We’d love to see him out there. All the different types of cars that he’s driven and he’s had success in proves what kind of race car driver he is.”
“He’s all about giving and just a huge asset to our sport,” said Elliott Sadler, driver of the No. 19 Dodge for Gillett Evernham Motorsports and one of many Cup drivers tutored by Said on the fine points of road racing. “His personality is second to none—larger than life. I’d love to see him full-time, and I think if he ever got the right chance with the right people he could make it work.”
As Said’s racing career has blossomed, so, too, has his unique fan base, most of whom don Afro wigs made to look exactly like Said’s head of curly brown hair.
Said’s take the first time he saw a group of “Saidheads” at Watkins Glen?
“Frightened! I see guys like Jeff Gordon and Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. and Kasey Kahne, in all their fan clubs there are cute little girls yelling their name,” he said. “Me? I’ve got a bunch of 35-year-old guys (and gals) wearing wigs yelling my name.
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