Said will step into Petty's No. 45 for race at Watkins Glen
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. - With approval from Ford, Boris Said will step into the Petty Enterprises No. 45 Dodge to replace Kyle Petty in the Centurion Boats at The Glen this weekend.
With qualifying rained out, Said failed to make the field in his No Fear Racing entry. He said prior to qualifying being postponed Friday that he had another ride lined up as long as he could get Ford approval. Late Friday, he said he had gotten that.
Petty confirmed that the plan is for Said to drive his car. The race was going to be Petty’s first since the Coca-Cola 600 in May. Petty has missed the last nine races for his TNT commentary obligations, his daughter’s wedding and for the team to continue evaluate its program with drivers Terry Labonte and Chad McCumbee.
Petty said the team has discussed all week the possibility of putting Said in the No. 45 car if qualifying was rained out.
“If you can learn, learn,” Petty said. “I’m not expecting him to win, but I’m expecting him to come out of here with a solid enough run where he can step back and say, ‘This is where I think your shortcoming is. I think your cars need this, your brake package [this] or maybe your engine or whatever.’
“He’s driven enough of these cars in testing and stuff that hopefully he can give some constructive feedback. It doesn’t have to be positive. It just needs to be constructive.”
Once it was announced qualifying was canceled, the team began putting Said’s seat in the car and adjusting the pedals. Soon after qualifying was postponed, Said had to drive his Nationwide Series car for practice and had not yet had time to confirm that he had gotten permission from Ford and would drive for the Pettys.
Said raced for the Wood Brothers last year in a similar situation.
"If somebody would have told me 10 years ago that, 'Some day you will drive for Eddie Wood and now Richard Petty,' I would have told them, 'You are crazy. I might as well land on the moon,' " Said said. "It was something that was far out there."
Said indicated he will take a different approach to the race because he is in the Petty car rather than in his own car.
"In my car, it's go all out and try to win it, but when you're doing it for the Wood Brothers last year or the Pettys, you're points racing," Said said. "I need to be smart and not take any unnecessary chances."
Said had previously stated that a rainout would cost his team about $250,000 as he failed to make the show with his No Fear Racing group.
Said needed to get in Sunday’s race via qualifying and spoke of his situation prior to NASCAR's decision to cancel the session.
That’s the risk part-time teams like Said’s take when trying to make Sprint Cup races.
“It’s disappointing,” Said said. “I hope in the future NASCAR could tweak the rules where if they cancel qualifying and they know Saturday might be better weather, maybe they could lock the top 35 in but keep a half-hour to go qualify the go-or-go-homers.
“We put so much money into coming up here and not even to get a chance to qualify is a little disappointing."
