In the Pits- MB2

Boris Said visits San Quentin before Infinion road race

A visit to San Quentin State Prison would hardly be considered a good luck charm, unless you’re Boris Said, the free-spirited racer who is competing in the Nextel Cup series this year for MB/Sutton Motorsports.

Said, who posted sixth-place finishes in two of his last three races at Infineon Raceway, planned the same prerace schedule this year, which in-cludes a trip with his crew to Califor-nia’s infamous penitentiary.

“When something goes well, I like to follow the same routine—I’m a little superstitious,” noted Said. “I will make all of the arrangements for the San Quentin visit. It’s a cool experience and a neat way to unwind and bond with the crew guys before the big race.

“To stay loose, some other teams will sip wine at the local vineyards or take in the sights of San Francisco. Our visit to San Quentin might seem strange or weird to a lot of people, but it doesn’t to me. I like the feeling of being a little scared. Maybe that’s why I’ve always enjoyed haunted houses and racing fast cars.”

Said’s non-traditional approach, likeable personality and unique look with a bushy hairdo and trademark goatee, have had a positive impact with his No. 36 Centrix Financial Team.

“We’re going to take Frankie Stoddard (crew chief) this year,” offered Said. “I don’t know if he’s tall enough for the height line, but we’ll try to sneak him in. They don’t allow kids. But it’s pretty interesting to go to San Quentin and see the inner workings of a prison with inmates walking around, so we’ll do what we can.”

“With Boris you have the best of two worlds—he’s a ton of fun to be around and is one heck of a competitor on the racetrack,” commented Stoddard. “He definitely has his own beat.

“I did tell Boris the only reason I joined him on the San Quentin visit was to make sure he didn’t get mistaken as an inmate. I needed him back at the track because we had a pretty good shot at doing something special that weekend.”

While the trip to San Quentin may have helped the Centrix Financial team qualify and run well, a late-race penalty cost the team a top-five finish.

“Hopefully next year we will be able to get in there to see the death chamber,” commented Said. “That’s a hard place to get in. But hopefully, that would really be good luck.”