Daytona Beach, Florida. Thirteen years after NASCAR lost a legend, the number 3 is back with a young buck, Austin Dillon. Most of you may remember Dale Earnhart’s gas man Chocolate Myers, who now hosts a show called Trading Paint on Sirius XM NASCAR Radio, immediately following the Morning Drive with Jim Noble from ESPN. Myers is part of Richard Childress Racing, where he runs a museum and shows folks around and tells people about the company. Austin Dillon is Richard Childress’ grandson. It will be interesting to see if Chocolate Myers is a part of the pit crew that sets the car up on pit road on Sunday. I think it would be a nice tribute, since Myers was so helpful when Earnhart won the Daytona 500 in 1998. It will be interesting to hear the emotion in Myers in the week leading up to the 56th running of the 500, now that the Dillon has the pole. It couldn’t have happened to a nicer gentleman, because RC is one of the classiest gentlemen in NASCAR. He is like NASCAR’s Reggie Miller, if you want to compare him to the NBA’s Reggie Miller. This was a surprise. No one in their wildest dream, not even this reporter, thought that Austin Dillon could capture the pole. I thought it was going to be Brad Keselowski or Jeff Gordon. And how about this for a surprise. The six-time champ is going to have to fight from 14th if he wants another Harley Earl trophy in his name.
