Friday's Xfinity Series practice at Sonoma did not go as planned for Boris Said and Josh Bilicki, who dealt with separate serious issues.
Said crashed hard while driving the No. 17 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro. He went off the track in Turn 1 and slammed into the concrete barrier. This significantly damaged the right side of the car.
Said was able to climb from the No. 17 under his own power. He underwent evaluation at the infield care center and was released.
Oh no! Not Boris! pic.twitter.com/EjbMkV2UoB
— NASCAR Xfinity (@NASCAR_Xfinity) June 7, 2024
Said will have to go to a backup car ahead of Saturday's qualifying session, which takes place at 3:30 p.m. ET (FS2). There are 39 cars on the Xfinity entry list, meaning that one driver will miss the race.
Bilicki's practice session came to an end after he completed three laps in the No. 92 DGM Racing Chevrolet Camaro. He suddenly spun across the O'Reilly Auto Parts logo. The team's spotters said that it appeared something had broken in the left rear of the car before Bilicki spun.
As the tow truck removed the car from the track -- Bilicki could not drive away -- part of the drivetrain fell out of the car. Bilicki later noted on Twitter that he had broken a truck arm, which caused significant damage to the underside of the car.
Like Said, Bilicki will have to go to a backup car ahead of Saturday's qualifying session at the California road course.
The Wisconsin native competed in last season's Xfinity race at Sonoma, the first time the series competed there. He drove the No. 36 DGM Racing Chevrolet and finished 19th. Bilicki has also made four starts at Sonoma in Cup while driving for Rick Ware Racing, Spire Motorsports, and Live Fast Motorsports.
Said, for comparison, made three starts at Sonoma in the Craftsman Truck Series. He won the 1998 race after leading 47 laps. Said also made 17 Cup starts at Sonoma. He posted five top-10 finishes while driving for a variety of teams.