Danny “Chocolate” Myers, the longtime gas man for the legendary Dale Earnhardt, has been diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer. WFMY News 2 first reported Myers’ official diagnosis of mantle cell lymphoma in a story published on Thursday.
According to the story from WFMY News 2, Myers began to suffer from stomach pain at the end of the 2022 calendar year. The pain eventually led to Myers going into the emergency room.
While in the emergency room, doctors discovered that Myers suffers from mantle cell lymphoma (MCL).
MCL, according to the Lymphoma Research Foundation’s website, is a rare form of non-Hodgkin Lymphoma that arises from cells originating in the “mantle zone.” MCL is typically diagnosed at a later stage of the disease and in most cases involves the gastrointestinal tract and bone marrow.
Myers, in addition to being one of the most iconic gasmen in the history of the sport, comes from one of the most influential racing families in the United States. Myers is the son of the late Bobby Myers.
As a pit crew member, Myers became a member of the heralded Flying Aces team that serviced Dale Earnhardt’s No. 3 Chevrolet through the 1980s and 1990s.
Myers was part of a team that amassed six NASCAR Cup Series championships over a nine-year stretch in the NASCAR Cup Series from 1986 to 1994.
While Myers retired from his pit crew duties at Richard Childress Racing at the conclusion of the 2002 NASCAR Cup Series season, the 74-year-old has remained busy within the sport in the 21 years since.
Myers, who joined Richard Childress Racing as an employee in 1969, is now a curator of the Richard Childress Racing team museum, and he also serves as the host of Sirius XM NASCAR Radio’s Tradin’ Paint.
Myers will continue working at the Richard Childress Racing Museum and making appearances on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio despite his battle with cancer.
