Every time a road course race pops up on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule, a few unfamiliar names appear on the entry list. TheyÂre the Âroad course ringers, and oftentimes they threaten to steal a victory. Usually, they fall short in that endeavor. The last time a Âroad course ringer won a NASCAR Sprint Cup race was in 1973 when Mark Donohue won at Riverside International Raceway.
Ringers to watch this weekend: Boris Said, Ron Fellows, P.J. Jones and Andrew Ranger.
• Boris Said: With wild hair and a notebook-filling personality, Said has notched seven top 10s at road courses, including a third-place run at Watkins Glen in 2005. He finished 28th at Infineon Raceway in June. Said will be driving the #51 Phoenix Racing Chevrolet this weekend.
• Ron Fellows: If only Fellows NASCAR Nationwide Series road-course success could translate to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Fellows has four road-course wins in NASCAR Nationwide competition, including three at Watkins Glen. In the NASCAR Sprint Cup series, heÂs winless with two runner-up finishes at The Glen (1999, 2004). Fellows will run the #36 Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet this weekend.
• P.J. Jones: His boss  Robby Gordon  could teach him a thing or two at Watkins Glen. Gordon won at The Glen in 2003, and has 10 road-course top 10s overall. Jones numbers: two road-course top 10s in 18 starts. HeÂll run the #77 Robby Gordon Motorsports Dodge on Sunday.
• Andrew Ranger: The two-time NASCAR Canadian Tire Series champion (2007, Â09) will make his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut in the #32 FAS Lane Racing Ford. He has two road-course top 10s in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, at Road America and Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.(NASCAR)(8-12-2011)
