DURHAM, N.C. — A resilient and unrelenting attitude pushed Danny "Chocolate" Myers to excel as a championship-winning NASCAR crew member for nearly three decades.
That same persistence is helping Myers in his toughest challenge: a battle with stage four mantle cell lymphoma, a rare form of cancer.
Myers hit a milestone on Thursday at the Duke Cancer Center in Durham when he rang the cancer bell to mark his last round of chemotherapy treatment. Joining him for the celebration were cheering medical professionals and Caron Myers, his wife.
Myers said ringing the bell was something he looked forward to ever since he began his treatment.
"When we started this cancer treatment, I was in the waiting room and I heard someone ring the bell and it was pretty emotional that somebody had made it and they were going to be OK," Myers told WCNC Charlotte. "It motivated me. I wanted to ring that bell."
Myers gave an emotional speech after ringing the bell, thanking the medical staff for their work. He was brought to tears during the celebration and joked it was ruining his reputation.
"I said, 'You guys are ruining my reputation of being a bad guy,'" Myers quipped. "It was very emotional."
Myers announced that he was diagnosed with mantle cell lymphoma in February. The disease has no cure. Despite the diagnosis, Myers remained confident about his fight.
"When I was diagnosed, people would come up to me and they would say, 'My cousin had the same thing that you had he only made it two months,' and I'd say, 'Don't tell me any negative stories. I don't want to hear them,'" Myers said. "I keep that positive attitude. I've never for one moment thought that I wouldn't ring that bell."
With the last round of chemotherapy out of the way, Myers' lymphoma is now in remission. He will return for maintenance chemo in three months but for now, he's excited to continue his show Tradin' Paint on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and keep working as a curator at the Richard Childress Racing Museum.
Myers credits his positive attitude, the excellent medical staff, and the support of his wife and others as getting him through the early stages of his battle.
He said the bell-ringing celebration was made even more special due to Thursday being Caron's birthday. Caron noted that Friday is World Chocolate Day, making Thursday's event all the more remarkable.
Myers worked as a crew member for RCR from 1976 to 2002, including over 15 seasons with Dale Earnhardt. Myers helped RCR teams win 84 races and six NASCAR Cup Series championships.