NASCAR's Said Joins Buffum In X Games 13

By Anthony Fontanelle

NASCAR icon Boris Said joins the legendary rally veteran John Buffum to Challenge Sunday’s X Games 13. The drivers received an “at-large” slot for their BFGoodrich Tires-sponsored Subaru Impreza WRX STI and thus will compete beginning this weekend in the action sports competition.

Said, who will come to this Sunday’s Los Angeles event directly from Saturday’s NASCAR BUSCH Series race in Montreal, will drive and Buffum will be his co-driver/coach, reported PR Newswire.

"I've been watching rally my whole life, and I think it's one of the most exciting sports in the world,” noted Said. “I'm really excited to see the track and even more excited to see the 70-foot jump I've been told about. My only regret is that I'll be doing the NASCAR Busch race in Montreal on Saturday and will miss practice, but I guess that’s why rally has the bravest co-drivers. I can't wait to get there and race.”

Said earned his X Games bid via an “at large” invitation due to his numerous racing accomplishments, which include winning the 1997 and 1998 24 Hours of Daytona and the 1991 12 Hours of Sebring, the report continued. During 2002 which was Said’s first full season of competition, he won the SCCA Trans-Am Championship. In 2005, he became the first American to win the esteemed 24 Hours of Nurburgring in Germany. Said also has four American Le Mans Series and a number of SPEED World Challenge wins to his credit.

“Having Boris drive one of our Subaru Impreza WRX STI rally cars in the X Games should attract more overall racing fans to rallying,” said Tim Mahoney, the senior vice president and chief marketing officer, Subaru of America, Inc. “And since ESPN is a NASCAR broadcaster, the network’s interest in highlighting Boris’s participation - and that of Subaru – can only be stronger.” “Boris’s accomplishments in a variety of other forms of racing provides a familiar face to fans outside rallying and can demonstrate to them, as well as the rally faithful, the performance of a rally-spec Subaru Impreza WRX STI,” added James Han, the SOA Motorsports manager, who pointed out that, different from the typical stock cars Said has been driving, the Subaru rally car incorporates symmetrical all-wheel drive and a boxer engine.

Said has etched a good name even beyond international sports car racing. He has performed in several NASCAR disciplines and series including Craftsman Truck, BUSCH and Nextel Cup. In 1998, he won a Truck series at Infineon Sears Point Raceway.

Said will drive a 2007 Subaru Impreza WRX STI prepared by Vermont SportsCar, which also fields entries for Subaru Rally Team USA drivers Travis Pastrana and Ken Block. Like his NASCAR entry, Said’s rally car will be No. 60.

The Impreza WRX STI is the highest standard-edition trim in the Impreza compact car line. It features Subaru OEM parts mated to performance car accessories.

Rally action at X Games 13 begins with practice on August 2 and 3 and ends with the Super Special final competition on August 5. The final will be broadcast live on ABC.

The X Games features over 150 of the world’s best athletes competing in BMX Freestyle, Skateboard, Moto X, Surfing and Rally Car Racing. L.A.-based venues include STAPLES Center and The Home Depot Center.

As of August 2, X Games 13 rally car racing entry list consist of drivers and co-drivers includes Travis Pastrana/Christian Edstrom, Boris Said/John Buffum, Ken Block/Alex Gelsomino, Colin McRae/Carolyn Bosley, Tanner Foust/Christine Beavis, Andrew Pinker/Robbie Durant, Matt Iorio/Ole Holter, Paul Choiniere/Jeffrey Becker, Ramana Lagemann/Mark Williams, Andrew Comrie-Picard/Marc Goldfarb, Antoine L’Estage/Nathalie Richard, Boris Said/John Buffum, and Pat Moro/Mike Rossey.