When Chocolate Myers gifted Dale Jr. an iconic souvenir from Dale Earnhardt Sr. - “Your dad would leave them hanging on the mirror”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. once received a souvenir from one of his father's pit crew members, Danny "Chocolate" Myers. The souvenir was a pair of goggles Dale Sr. left hanging on the mirror while the pit crew worked on his car.

Earnhardt Jr. is a former NASCAR Cup Series driver who won 26 races in the premier series. As 2024 is coming to an end, his podcast, Dale Jr. Download, recalled some of its best moments of the year and chose Myers' souvenir story.

Speaking with Dale Jr., Chocolate Myers said he took Dale Sr.'s goggles after the driver hung them on the mirror.

"I got ready to come down here and I looked around and I'm going like... I've got a couple of things, right? And remember, I was the guy that when we came back from the racetrack, went out, put the car on the lift, started to get it clean, and your dad would always take these off and leave them hanging on the mirror," he said.

Myers pulled out the goggles and told Earnhardt Jr. that he wrote 'Winner Daytona 125' (known today as Bluegreen Vacations Duel). His fellow Richard Childress Racing pit crew member, Kirk Shelmerdine, chimed in and said he also got a pair.

"I would always reach in and grab them. These are a pair of your dad's goggles. But I wrote on the strap when I took them out of the car, 'Winner Daytona 125,'" Myers stated.

However, Myers didn't write which year the team won. He cannot recall which year considering they constantly won the Daytona 500 qualifying race.

Regardless, the former RCR pit crew member wanted to give the goggles to Dale Jr.

"Now, unfortunately, when I wrote that on there, I didn't put what year. So these could be... 'cause we won it ten years straight, man, and nobody's ever going to do that. So I wanted to give you those to hang on the wall," he added. [via @DirtyMoMedia on X]

Chocolate Myers and Kirk Shelmerdine were part of the legendary pit crew 'The Flying Aces' for Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s No. 3 Chevrolet at Richard Childress Racing. The team won the NASCAR pit crew of the year award from 1985 to 1988.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s father may have won the most Duel races at 12 but he only scored one Daytona 500 victory. Dale Sr. bagged his first and only win in "The Great American Race" in 1998 after 19 previous attempts.

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Chocolate Myers told Dale Earnhardt Jr. about Dale Sr.'s never-give-up attitude

Dale Earnhardt celebrates his 4th NASCAR Winston Cup Championship with son Dale Earnhardt Jr - Source: Getty

On the same podcast, Chocolate Myers shared how Dale Earnhardt Sr. never gave up on anything. Myers attributed Dale Sr.'s never-give-up attitude to making Richard Childress Racing a solid championship contender.

The former pit crew member told Dale Earnhardt Jr.:

"He never gave up on anything. We went to a lot of races where it was just his desire and determination, all those things that got us to where we were at." [51:18 onwards]

Myers recalled the story when team owner Richard Childress told Dale Sr. to stay out at Charlotte but the No. 3 driver insisted on pitting for tires. In turn, the team got a better result.

"Here, I think we finished second that day you know he never ever gave up. It was unbelievable," Chocolate Myers added.

Dale Earnhardt Sr. ended his career with seven NASCAR Cup Series championships, tying Richard Petty and Jimmie Johnson on the all-time record. He also secured the eighth most race wins at 76 career victories.