Bob Said facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bob Said |
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Bob Said at Zandvoort in 1954
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| Born | May 5, 1932 New York City, United States |
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| Died | March 24, 2002 (aged 69) Seattle, Washington, United States |
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| Related to | Boris Said (son) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Boris Said Jr. (born May 5, 1932, in New York City) was an American racing driver and bobsled competitor. He was better known as Bob Said. Bob grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut, and attended Princeton University. It was at Princeton that he first discovered his passion for sports car racing. He passed away on March 24, 2002, in Seattle.
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Bob Said's Racing Adventures
Bob Said had an exciting career, not just in car racing but also in bobsledding! He was a true all-around athlete.
Starting His Engines
In 1951, Bob decided to follow his dream of becoming a racing driver. He left Princeton University to focus on his racing career. His first race cars were an MG TD and a Jaguar XK120. These were popular sports cars of their time.
First Big Races
In March 1953, Bob made his debut at the famous Sebring 12 Hours race. He finished in 14th place, which was a great start. Later, he became the first American to win a road race in Europe after World War II. This happened at Rouen-Les-Essarts in France, where he drove an OSCA MT4 car. He also won another race, the Anerley Trophy, at the Crystal Palace circuit that same year.
Speed Records and New Challenges
In 1954, Bob switched to a Ferrari 500 Mondial car. He continued to achieve good results, including a 3rd place finish at Circuito di Senigallia.
Setting a New Speed Record
On February 21, 1955, Bob Said set an amazing speed record. He drove a Ferrari Formula One car on the Daytona Beach and Road Course. He reached an average speed of 170.538 miles per hour! This was the fastest speed recorded there after World War II.
Formula One and NASCAR Debut
Bob also competed in some of the biggest car races. He made one start in NASCAR, which is a popular stock car racing series in the United States. This was the 1959 Daytona 500, where he drove a Chevrolet. He also participated in the very first Formula One United States Grand Prix in 1959. Formula One is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel cars.
Beyond Car Racing: The Olympics!
Bob Said was not just a talented car racer; he was also an Olympic bobsled athlete!
Competing in the Winter Olympics
He competed in the Winter Olympics twice for the United States. His first Olympic appearance was in 1968 in Grenoble, France. He then competed again in 1972 in Sapporo, Japan. His best result in bobsledding was a tenth-place finish. It's interesting to note that in the 1968 games, he even competed against another racing driver who also became a bobsledder, Robin Widdows.
Life After Sports
After his exciting sports career, Bob Said became an executive producer. He worked on a documentary called The Mystery of the Sphinx.
His son, Boris Said III, also became a well-known NASCAR driver.
