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There’s sadness in Said-head land: Boris Said says today’s Road America event may be his last NASCAR race

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In a surprise announcement that is sure to sadden his legendary Said-head followers, Boris Said said Saturday’s Xfinity Series race at Road America may be the last NASCAR event he’ll ever run.

Said spoke before the 180 Road America Fired Up By Johnsonville to Brad Gillie and Doug Rice on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio’s “Press Pass” show.

“This could be my last NASCAR race and I am going to enjoy it,” Said said. “I’ve had so much fun in the five races I’ve done this year with Joe Gibbs and Monster and Toyota and it’s just been a blast.

“I can’t believe I’m getting to do this at my age and running with these kids. Man, I’m just smiling from ear to ear all day long.”

LISTEN: Click here to hear Boris Said’s interview.

If Saturday truly is his final NASCAR race, Said he was going to make the most of it.

“I’m going to have fun racing today,” he said. “And you never know, if I ever get another opportunity to drive for Joe Gibbs again, I’d do it even if I was 100 years old.”

Here are more of Said’s comments:

“The last four, five years – I’m going to be 53 in a couple weeks – and I just haven’t gotten competitive rides. Rightly so, there’s all these young fast kids coming up and it’s a young man’s market.

“But I still love competing, I love driving, I feel fortunate for all I’ve gotten to do in NASCAR and all my sports car racing over the last 30 years, but sooner or later, you’ve kinda gotta retire.

“And right now, after driving a car like this for Joe Gibbs and Monster and being this competitive and working with these guys, it’s going to be hard to go back to an underdog, underfunded team.

“I haven’t really decided if I’m going to quit, but I might. I don’t know. I’m not going to make a big deal of it.”

Said will likely continue his road racing career, but just not in NASCAR. That means he wouldn’t be a NASCAR ringer any more.

“I don’t think I could ever quit (road course racing),” he said. “Paul Newman did it until he was pretty old and he was pretty darn fast. So hopefully I’ll still be driving stuff for a long time.”

If Saturday is his last NASCAR race, Said has no regrets.

“I’ve always been a part-time guy and I’ve had a lot of highlights, won a couple races, a Truck race and a Nationwide race, had a couple poles in Cup and led some laps in Cup and been in contention a lot,” he said.

“Yeah, I’m happy. It’s something I never thought I could do in my racing career. Only 43 people get to do it every weekend, so I feel pretty fortunate. All the people I’ve met and all the fun I’ve had, I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. This sport is such an awesome sport and I love every part of it.”

Follow @JerryBonkowski