March Volunteer Spotlight – Dave Myers
Position(s): Sim Operator
Volunteering since: April 2016
Q: When and how did you become a motorsports enthusiast?
I would say that my interest in motorsports began as a child when my Dad would take me and my brothers to destruction derby events held at the local fairgrounds. As I watched the derby I was intrigued with the idea of taking an old car, getting it running, and entering it into a derby. This interest evolved into an interest in taking things apart to see how they worked and putting them back together again. From the time when I first figured out how to use a screwdriver I loved trying to fix broken things seeing whether I could find and fix the problem. This of course led to an interest in learning about small engines and auto mechanics. As a young teen I bought a go-cart and got it running and successfully rebuilt the engine of a Honda 90 motorcycle, which became my primary means of transportation while in high school. So when it came to motorsports, although I had an interest in cars, racing, and drivers I was particularly interested in the mechanics and engineering inside the vehicle.
Q: What kind of influence has that had on your life?
My very first job was working at a radiator repair shop at the age of sixteen. My responsibility was preparing heaters and radiators for the guys that did all the soldering repairs. I had to learn how to remove heaters and radiators from various types of cars then reinstall them once the repairs were made. Also during my college years I got a job at a local Sears Automotive center. While there I learned how to repair the front end mechanisms under the cars as well as perform alignments. I would say that the greatest influence was learning to work on cars and actually make money doing it.
Q: What makes volunteering at World of Speed meaningful to you?
The most meaningful part of volunteering at World of Speed is working with both staff and volunteers. Their interest and knowledge about cars and racing provides for me a tremendous learning environment that increases my knowledge and curiosity about the history of motorsports and the vehicles that are displayed.
Q: What is the most memorable experience of your time volunteering?
My most memorable experience was the afternoon that both Al Unser Senior and Junior came to visit the museum. In my younger years the Unser name was synonymous with racing and it was a privilege to meet them.
Q: What do you wish other people knew about World of Speed?
I love how the exhibits are put together. The quality of the displays and exhibits are superb and I would like those who haven’t visited the museum to know that this car museum is anything but your average run of the mill restored car museum. When I speak with others about the museum I make sure that they know that the focus is motorsports unlike many of the car museums one can visit today.
Q: If you could choose any vehicle to be displayed in the museum, what would it be?
For nostalgia reasons I would love to have the mid 60’s era “Green Monster” displayed at the museum, if it still exists. When it was breaking land speed records, I was just entering my teen years and I knew about it from all the attention it was getting from the press. I was amazed that a car could actually travel at 546 mph!
Q: What is your dream car?
I’ve always loved the 1956 T-bird and have always wanted to own one. While I was working at Sears Automotive as a front end mechanic a customer of ours had several mid 50’s T-birds and when he brought one of these cars into the shop to be aligned he would always request that I do the alignments. This gave me several opportunities to drive one and I loved sitting behind the wheel when I took them out for test drives.