Qualifying: Said storms to pole

Sportscar ace Boris Said knocked Robby Gordon from the top spot for Sunday's Dodge/Save Mart 350 at Infineon Raceway (aka Sears Point) by 0.294sec with a late-session run

Jun 21, 2003, 9:43 AM

Said, making a one-shot run in the US Army car normally driven by injured Jerry Nadeau, blasted around the 1.99-mile course in 1m16.522sec to set a record for the track and capture his first NASCAR Winston Cup pole position in eight tries.

Points leader Matt Kenseth, not noted for his road-racing ability, put up the best lap early on (1m17.133), which lasted at the top for half the session. International road-racing star Ron Fellows, subbing for Jeff Green in the Pennzoil DEI car for the road race, then beat Kenseth by 0.161s.

Gordon followed quickly, driving a near-perfect lap in the Cingular machine to take the top spot from Fellows by 0.156s. Said, who had been fastest in practice until a brief gear problem intervened, then went one better.

Fellows ended up third, Kenseth fourth, and Kurt Busch, who damaged his car in an off-course run in practice, came back for fifth.