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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 28, 1998)
AftOUND TH< TRACK B O U N C IN G BACK: Felix Giles, recuperating in San Jose, Calif, from a nasty accident earlier this year, is staging a comeback. Giles, a.k.a. “ The Night Hawk, was injured in January in a NASCAR truck series race in Homestead, Fla. when another driver got on the in side of his car while he was going into a turn. The two made contact and Giles hit a wall at 135 mph. “It was a rookie mistake (letting the other driver get in side)," says Giles, 46, who suffered cracked ribs, a cracked neck bone, and bruised in testines and kidneys. Now the racer is back behind the wheel, brushing up on his driving, and looking for a new sponsor. He has a short-term, tempo rary deal with Panasonic. “After my injury, nobody would touch me,” says Giles. The Night Hawk is now assembling a new outfit, and may be close to signing with a new sponsor. Details are sketchy, but Giles insists that he will compete in the last five races of the NASCAR truck series starting in Xlesa Marin, Calif, on Oct. 12, and ending in Las Vegas o n _____ Nov. 9, 1997. After the NASCAR series, he will drive in the Baja 1000, Nov. 12 in Baja, Mexico, competing for Panasonic. Giles says his new outfit will include the “best crew chief’ in NASCAR, adding that the chief has worked with everybody from “Labonte to Petty.” His new agent is Dwight McGee of American Express Sports Marketing. 56 AFRICAN AMERICANS O N W HEELS LO O KING FOR GOO D DRIVERS: O n the East Coast. Len Miller, owner of Miller Racing Group, is look ing for aspiring black drivers. To advance to the next level of NASCAR. Miller says his team needs a driver with a “Jackie Robinson de meanor.” Over the years. Miller has trained nine black drivers. Currently, Miller is checking out two pros pects. The most promising is David W hite of Sumnter, S.C. Miller says W hite caught his eye because “he could compete in the worst NASCAR starter stock equipment and still display a good deal of ability.” But, Miller warns. W hite needs practice. Another candidate: Troy Adams, of Riv erside, Calif. His father, Tim, owns one of the largest and best go-kart tracks in the country. The younger Adams grew up around racing which. Miller says, is a plus, if not a must. Besides experience Adams, too, has talent. Miller says when Adams was tested against Chris Woods, Miller’s former driver, Adams performed better around the track. TH E RACING CIRCUIT: Back in California, Dave Mills, 32, of Mills Sport Racing, is rounding out the National Auto Sport Association’s (NASA) Camaro Mustang Challenge (CMC) series sixth in the point standings for his division. Mills, who drives a late model Camaro, was scheduled to race in the Valvoline Runoffs at Mid-Ohio in Lexington, Ohio in October.