DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — All Boris Said wants is a NASCAR career, the chance to prove he can be good in races not run on a road course.

He'll get his chance Saturday night in the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway, where he'll start from the pole after a surprising qualifying run for his brand new team.

"It feels damn good," Said said. "I've been trying to do this for so long — break into NASCAR from road racing. I was getting a lot of, 'You're too old, you're too tall, you're too old,' a lot of those things."

Said posted a lap at 186.143 mph to claim the top qualifying spot and the second pole of his career. The other came at Infineon Raceway's road course in 2003.

Said is driving in the second of four scheduled races for No Fear Racing, a team that receives technical support, engines and Ford Fusion bodies from Roush Racing. He credited all the help for his strong run.

"I don't feel like it had a lot to do with driving on the pole today, but it had to do with putting a deal together with Jack Roush three months ago, making a deal to buy cars from him and engines," he said. "It's like the American Express commercial. Jack said cars: $150,000. Motors: $75,000. But the fact that he offered me his little black book with all the setups in it: That's priceless."

Tony Stewart, the defending race winner, qualified second and will start right next to Said on the front row. The two tangled during last week's road course race in Sonoma, Calif., — Stewart even made an obscene gesture at Said — and the drivers were critical of each other after the race.

"Maybe we'll start bumping each other on the pace lap," Said joked. "We're good. We made up. It was all good fun, I don't mind a little bumping and banging, but it hurt both our chances."

David Stremme, a rookie who is having a rough first season, qualified third. He was replaced in the No. 40 Dodge last week for road racer Scott Pruett to ensure the car would make the field.

"I was probably a little upset that I was out last week, but on the other hand, our team put ourselves in that hole," he said. "But I really think our team has kind of turned our program around and I'm looking forward to tomorrow."