Years ago, I worked
as a mechanic when cars had carburetors. As anyone knows, turning wrenches can be a lesson in frustration, particularly for
self taught teenagers. A seasoned master mechanic, who owned a garage, served as a mentor, and used to have a certain saying
that he would repeat from time to time. He said, “You can do it if you just stick to it”.
Those words were a turning
point for me, both with repairing automobiles and in life. To this day, whether it is a funny noise or water in the oil, it
needs to be fixed, regardless of whether a part needs to be purchased, research done; a trip to the junkyard made, whatever,
until the job is completed. It is literally mind over (stamped, cast, and forged) matter.
And
so it is with Boris Said.
He
would seemingly be up against astronomical odds. After all, to be sought after for a seat in a Nextel Cup ride one has to
be young, attractive, politically correct, and, oh, by the way, be able to run with the best drivers in the world.
One
out of four ain’t bad! Said is not young, at least by NASCAR standards. But hey, there are many that would state that
Mark Martin and Dale Jarrett are still the best in the business. And, given equal equipment, Kenny Schrader and others are
still more than capable. Big money may very well entice a few veterans out of retirement in 2007. And big money is seldom
spent without expectations of a positive return on that investment.
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Born in 1962, Boris has literally
and figuratively been around the block a few times. Boris started driving sports cars in 1987, and drove for as many as three
teams in the Daytona 24 hours of Daytona, in a single race. He won the event in 1997 and 1998. He also ran Craftsman Trucks
during these years. Following that has been years of additional dues paying, both in Busch and Cup and in off the track politics.
As far as attractive, well
beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Thus far, no love struck soccer moms are running into poles for a glimpse of Boris in
a television commercial.
On the other hand, his afro
has become, shall we say, infamous. His supporters, otherwise known as “Said heads” are at every track he runs,
and instead of the red shirts of the Earnhardt Jr. Fans, they sport huge fake afros in the heat of the day, cheering on their
favorite (we can only hope that Michael Waltrip fans do not follow suit).
Politically correct? Well,
Mr. Said is certainly articulate. However, he can be counted on by the media for an honest quote, without openly slamming
his competition, up to and including indicating that he would be discussing some finer points of contact-sport-racing with
Mr. Stewart during the off week.
And drive, well, everyone from
Kenny Schrader to Ernie Ervan has stated that he needs to be in Cup, and those guys are also known for their straight shooting.
Said can wheel a car, and is anything but bashful when it comes to trading paint. He does not generally create a problem,
but neither will he move over for the handful of drivers that tend to intimidate their way to the front on a weekly basis.
There is no doubt that he has earned the respect of his competitors, and when they come upon Said they understand just what
might happen if they try to muscle him out of the way.
All this, and years of trying,
and yet… the big established teams are still hiring “driver x” types (and don’t get me wrong, more
power to them for surviving that pressure cooker) and not Said.
What keeps him going? A belief,
an inner strength, a drive--regardless of the odds, regardless of the setbacks, Boris will survive. In his words, “…it
gets frustrating. But I'm going to do it no matter how many people say no. I'm going to control my destiny”
As far as the rest of us, especially
those of us that are well out of training wheels, well, we can all learn from his example—regardless of setbacks, including
those brought on by ourselves, to follow that light unwaveringly that is at the end of the tunnel, to follow what we inherently
know is true and real in our hearts, to accept no compromise when it comes to the important things in life.
Said has not won on the Cup
circuit yet, but neither has he remotely given up. Victory is also to be had in the journey, and in that sense, Boris is already
a winner, and a role model to those interested in being right, not simply saying the “right” thing.
Said won the pole at Daytona
this year. Given the right circumstances, a victory is certainly within his grasp. Mr. Said, you CAN do it if you just
stick to it!
2006 StockCar Review.
