He told me my Cancer was in stage three headed for stage four.

Those are words absolutely nobody ever wants to hear, not you, not me, and not anyone who will ever read this story. Not even a race car driver who braves 200 mph on a regular basis.

Birmingham, Alabama is rich in motorsports history and has provided a home for many a racer. Allison, Bonnett, and Farmer are some of stock car racings legendary names that helped put the area on the map. However not every area racer is a household name.

Some racers toil for years in grassroots and support classes. Allow me to introduce you to Birmingham native, racer, and cancer battler, Ricky Byers.

Byers story begins like many racing families. He had a father involved in the sport and developed a racing love at a young age. This 40-year-olds driving tenure began as a boy with motocross and go-carts before moving into entry level stock cars. Byers rose through the ranks while collecting wins and championships along the way. His career was stopped in its tracks with his throat cancer diagnosis at age 33. I quit racing when I found out I had cancer and concentrated on staying alive said Byers.

I was diagnosed with less than stage one Squamous Cell Carcinoma. I was told it would be a cake walk and would be no big deal. I thought I could trust my doctors Byers said. He went through seven weeks of grueling radiation treatment. His throat was expected to become irritated and affect his ability to swallow. It didnt.

Byers questioned his doctor about the radiation. He assured me it was working and everything would be fine. During his treatments he had no problem until the week after the treatments and then I was sick for almost two weeks.

My doctors examined me and told me everything looked great and that I was cancer free said Byers. I started to physically feel bad and had no energy at all. For five months I saw my doctor once a week and had a tube shoved up my nose and down my throat.

Byers was told to go home. His doctor said, you are cancer free. Stop worrying about all this. But everyday his energy level decreased and he felt he was getting worse.

Byers was repeatedly told you do not have cancer. You are 100% cancer free. You are making yourself sick.

I left his office and went straight to my primary care doctor. Byers said the next day he called me to come to his office. When I arrived he said you need to sit down. We need to talk. I found your problem. This was the point his stage three Carcinoma was revealed. Byers needed a Laryngectomy to survive.

I called my cancer doctor and he said sorry. I guess I missed it.

Through research he found a cancer specialist in Philadelphia. A vocal cord was removed and his larynx was reconstructed. I didnt want to spend the rest of my life with a tube in my throat and talk through a hand held machine. I was cut from ear to ear and had a feeding tube stuck in my side.

I had to relearn to swallow and talk again. I had a trach in my throat for two months and a feeding tube for three months. If I had waited like I was told by my cancer doctor in Alabama, I would have probably been dead in two months or less, Byers said.

I now spend my days working and trying to help everyone else find the best cancer doctors and treatments so no one has to endure what I went through. I have a list of the best cancer doctors in the U.S. with the best treatments and outcomes. I have helped a lot of people survive cancer and will continue to do so.

Through racing we are able to get the word out to anyone needing help with finding the best cancer treatment. I have done my research and found the best doctors in all fields of cancer treatment.

A budding ARCA driver, Byers donates 100% of his race winnings to fight cancer. His basic goal is to help everyone else survive cancer and hopefully find a cure. He cant talk very loud because of his vocal cord removal and uses racing as his voice to help others find the best cancer treatments. Byers has contact information and can match cancer patents to a specific specialist in the country.

Byers was unsuccessful in raising money to compete in the recent Talladega ARCA event. His next goal is the upcoming Pocono ARCA race in early June and his fundraising efforts are at full throttle. Anyone can help the Racing For A Cure car at www.rickybyersracing.com . He can also help anyone suffering from cancer be matched up with the best doctor for their type of illness.

The people who suffer directly from cancer are in the minority. But those who know anybody hurt by cancer are in the majority. It seems like most of us do know someone who has suffered from some variation of the disease.

Ricky Byers battles against the toughest a speedway has to offer and as tough of a sickness anyone can face. Races are won in the garage and cancer can be beat in laboratories. Byers is up to taking the fight to both.