With 35 years of racing experience, Boris Said has been a staple on road courses in the United States and around the world. The 2002 Trans Am Series TA champion is competing in his fourth Trans Am event of 2022 this weekend at Virginia International Raceway, pulling double duty in both TA and TA2, but one thing makes this event so different for him: he is racing alongside his son, Boris. Said jr.
Young Said has spent the last two years in SCCA Spec Miata, competing in 17 events, and this weekend the 18-year-old will make his Trans Am Series debut in TA2, driving the Group’s No. 89 Ford Mustang. Three-Dimensional Services. . Said Jr. has only been behind the wheel of a TA2 car once before this weekend, testing last week with his team at Carolina Motorsports Park.
His father won’t be far behind to offer advice, as he’ll be driving the No. 86 3-Dimensional Services Group Mustang under the same Peterson Racing banner. However, Said Jr. may not need it, as he has already set faster lap times than his father over the weekend’s two test sessions, running 13th and 14th respectively, compared to 20th. and 15 from his father. Younger Said was also quicker than his father in the only practice session of the weekend, finishing 16th, just ahead of Said Sr.’s 17th.
When Said Jr. reported that his first session went “good” and “chaotic,” his father was quick to chime in.
“I mean, it was 13, so that was really good,” said Said Sr. “He beat me. It’s the first time I’ve run hoping someone will beat me.”
Your son seems to be on the same page. Conveying his thoughts on his race against his father, Said Jr. stated, “This is pretty exciting. It’s the first time I hope someone wins [my dad] in a race. It’s great, I never thought that would happen.”
“The best advice my father has ever given me is to appreciate things like this,” Said Jr. continued. “It’s once in a lifetime, so you really have to enjoy it.”
Said Sr. had a lot to say about what it’s like to watch his son run.
“I’m as nervous as a bag of marbles, it’s crazy,” he said. “I never realized what I put my mother through all those years, running around and hurting myself. Watching him, it’s not so much that I worry about her getting hurt, because I trust what she can do, but I know all the bad luck that can happen: flat tire, running engine, someone spinning you. It’s stressful to watch. But it’s also very special to see him get to do something I’ve loved for 35 years; to see how passionate he is and how hard he’s working, how much he’s prepared and how far he’s come after 17 races. It’s incredible, and today it proves it; he did very, very well out there.”
Young Said mentioned that he has modest goals in mind for this weekend.
“I’d like to be in the top 15, maybe top 10 if there’s a miracle,” said Said Jr. thoughtfully. “My main goal is to keep improving, be constant, not get into trouble and keep getting better and better.”
Pointing to his immaculate Ford Mustang, his father added: “I’d like the car to look like this at the end of the race.”
The Saids will take the green flag in tomorrow’s TA2 race at 11:40 am ET. The race will be streamed live on YouTube.com/TheTransAmSeries and will air on CBS Sports Network on Wednesday, October 12 at 7:00 pm ET, with an additional showing on Thursday, October 13 at 12:30 am ET.