Personal profile: Chocolate Myers

What do you do these days for RCR?

"My job at the shop is Safety Director. What I do is go through the shop and make sure we are in compliance with the rules and regulations that we have to follow with all of the state and federal guidelines in order to be in operation.

"I make sure everyone wears the proper safety gear and that the buildings and equipment are in safe working order."

How did you get started in this business?

	Richard Childress

"I got started in racing because my dad was one of the early racing pioneers. My dad lost his life at Darlington in 1957. I grew up in and around this sport. I became good friends with Richard Childress back in the mid-60's and we've been friends ever since.

"I helped Richard back in 1969 and then in 1983 I decided I wanted to do this for a job, so I went to Richard and asked him if he could help out. He didn't really have anything full time but he offered me something part time and I took it. That was 20 years ago and I'm still here."

First job in racing?

"Actually I have been involved in racing all of my life as a hobby. I had my own car and helped my cousin with a lot of different things but when I went to work for Richard in 1983 that was my first real job in racing as far as drawing a paycheck."

What did you do?

"Well, and I tell everyone this, if you want to get involved in racing you just have to be willing to do whatever. And that is what I did. 'Whatever it took' was our motto. That could have been working on the car or sweeping the floor or cleaning the car or changing an engine, whatever it took is what happened.

"I did whatever I could to help the race team. From the very beginning I was on the road traveling to the races every weekend. I did different things in the pits -- sign board, catch can, second gas can and finally gasman."

What is your favorite part of your job?

	Dale Earnhardt

"I think my favorite part is being a guy that everyone can talk to and talk about the good old times with. Being associated with Richard Childress and Dale Earnhardt for all these years has given me that opportunity. I feel like an ambassador of sorts."

Least favorite part?

"My least favorite part was being away from family and being away from home. But I don't really have to deal with that anymore. Now I don't really have any least favorite part. I love it all. I want to be doing this for the rest of my life."

What accomplishment or contribution are you most proud of?

"I think that what I am most proud of is being a part of what, I think, was the most successful race team that has ever been. We got to do just about everything you could possibly do with a race team.

"We won Indy, we won The Winston and we finally won the Daytona 500. I am most proud to be able to say I belong to the No. 3 team and Richard Childress Racing."

What event or contribution would you most like to forget?

"What I would like to forget about or wish had never happened was Dale Earnhardt's death. There is no question that it has been the darkest part of my racing career."

Most Memorable moment with Dale Earnhardt?

"After my dad lost his life at Darlington and as a kid growing up, I always dreamed of being a race car driver and winning the Southern 500 at Darlington. Back then there were not too many superspeedways and Darlington was the place to win.

"Being part of a Winston Cup race team that won the Southern 500 was very special to me even though winning Daytona and the championships were more notable."

Craziest, most embarrassing or most impressive thing you witnessed Dale do?

"We were at Richmond one year and it had been raining for several days. We were running really good and then there was a big wreck. Dale got off the track and when he came on the radio he said, 'I can't see, I can't see, I've got mud on the windshield.'

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"Then Richard said, 'Well Dale, I hate to pit and lose all that track position.' Dale came back and said 'I'm going to be off the radio for a few minutes.' None of us really knew what that meant and then we saw everyone stand up and start pointing.

"When Dale came around the front stretch, he had unhooked his radio and his seat belt and had crawled out of the window and was sitting on the side of the window driving the car with one hand and reaching across cleaning the windshield with the other."

What is a great off-track story about Dale?

"We all flew together on the plane and just had a great time. Lots of male bonding and jokes were played. Dale was always playing jokes on Richard. He would hide his shoes and stuff like that.

"We just all had a great time. We were buddies, we were friends, we knew when someone's wife was sick or if someone had a birthday coming up."

Did you are Dale every play a practical joke on each other? What was it?

"Dale could play a practical joke on you but you could not play one on him. He could dish it out but he couldn't take it. I can't think of anything we did to him. He was the guy, he was the driver, he was our hero and we didn't mess with him a lot."

What person in this industry or sport do you most admire, past or present, and why?

"Richard Childress is a guy that has done it all on his own. He has been so very successful. There wasn't anything given to him; he has earned everything he has. He has worked hard for it. Still to this day you can catch him in the office. He shows up early and he stays late. When he decides to do something, he makes it happen."

What change or idea do you wish your industry or sport would consider?

"I'd like to see more of the folks behind the scenes get more credit. The drivers do a great job but it's the guys at the shop and behind the scenes that tend to not get the credit they deserve."

What are you proud that your industry has done in general or for the sport?

"I am most proud that NASCAR has moved from the sports page to the front page. We are more than just a good old boy sport; we are a national icon."