Recently, we had a chance to catch up with Ricky Chu. Ricky was formerly an editor for national magazine, Super Street, as well as a writer and talent for Rice Boy TV. Ricky has always been a help here around Rspeed, checking in here and there when he's not busy!
Name: Ricky "Rikdaddy" Chu
Location: Lakewood, CA
Rspeed: What was your reason for becoming involved in motorsports? Rikdaddy: I just love cars and working on them. Even racing them, though I don’t get much track time. I had a bunch of them at one point, but was fortunate enough to be able to sell a few of them since I’m short on cash right now.
Rspeed: Tell us a little bit about working for a national magazine.
Rikdaddy: It was great. I’d say for a car guy it was a dream come true. Like a college ball player going pro, only getting paid a lot less. I lucked out because I was friends with Johnny “JDM” Wong and Rich Chang so they helped me get a job at Super Street. Starting off, I’d say everything was a bit overwhelming. But getting to travel and meet a bunch of readers flat out kicked ass. I also managed to make a lot of good friends along the way…some enemies too. LOL.
Rspeed: If you weren't a motorsports personality, what would you do? What did you want to do when you were growing up?
Rikdaddy: I always wanted to be a pro skateboarder. At one point I was really good, but I’m not nearly as agile or susceptible to pain anymore. I always said if I could take a year off of work, like if I made it big, I’d just go skate.
Rspeed: What do you do for fun other than motorsports?
Rikdaddy: I play basketball with my homies, go work out at the gym, play NBA Live, watch my Los Angeles Clippers, snowboard, skate, drink Crown Royal, and eat steak.
Rspeed: What are you going to do with all that junk, all that junk inside your trunk?
Rikdaddy: How’d you know my car was messy? I can’t help it, it’s a wagon.
Rspeed: How long have you been into cars?
Rikdaddy: As long as I can remember. I used to watch my dad fix our piece of crap Audi in the driveway. Then in high school I used to read all the car magazines like Super Street, Car and Driver, Import Tuner, Turbo, and Sport Compact Car even before I had my license (R.I.P to the last two). Once I got my 1995 Nissan 240SX, it was all over. All my friends would start fixing cars up and at the time there weren’t many parts for Nissan's so I had to make due with what was available. It was a big Honda crowd at the time.
Rspeed: What is something no one knows about you?
Rikdaddy: I don’t go out that much and I’m pretty shy. Everyone thinks I’m this dude that’s out partying all the time, but that’s not really my style. I’m not really a home body since I don’t like being at home. I just don’t like clubs because they’re all crowded and have overpriced drinks.
Rspeed: What are favorite movies?
Rikdaddy: The Family Man, Walking Tall, Dumb and Dumber, Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind, Man On Fire, Batman Begins, Dark Knight, Bad Boys 1 and 2.
Rspeed: What is your favorite food?
Rikdaddy: Steak (medium rare), charbroiled chicken, mac and cheese, and Mexican food. You can find a full list of my favorites on
RikDaddy.com - Home.
Rspeed: What was the first car you owned/drove?
Rikdaddy: A 1984 Mazda 626 diesel. Yeah, diesel. Back in the day, it wasn’t nearly as cool. It used to stall at the first stop sign by my house no matter how long I let it warm up for.
Rspeed: Miracle whip or Mayo?
Rikdaddy: Mayo, but not too much. Gotta watch my diet to maintain my workout routine. Do you know how much fat and calories are in mayo? It’s insane.
Rspeed: Yeah Miracle whip sucks.
Rspeed: Do you play any video games? If so, what ones?
Rikdaddy: I do, but not too often. I love NBA Live from EA Sports so that’s usually what’s in my PS2. I gotta thank Shirley Chu for always letting me harass and bug her for the newest versions. I also have a Wii and DS that my boy Tyrone hooked me up with and there are tons of dope games for both of those. I also like the Fast and the Furious game because Ty got my NSX in there.
Rspeed: If we could buy you one thing, what would it be?
Rikdaddy: A pyramid. How much do you think that would cost? Like a legit one.
Rspeed: How many fingers am I holding up?
Rikdaddy: Twelve. Wait, that can’t be right. I’d say eight. That’s good luck for Chinese people.
Rspeed: What's next for you?
Rikdaddy: Who knows? I mean shit happens (can I say shit?) and I can just dust myself off and move forward. After going through so much nonsense I go with the saying, fall down seven times, stand up eight. I know the automotive industry isn’t doing so hot right now and neither is the aftermarket, but I feel like I have enough to contribute and make things happen anywhere I end up. I might also go over to my parents’ company Chu’s Packaging Supplies since I know they want to retire soon.
Rspeed: Thanks for taking the time to chat with us, Ricky!
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