2013 Snowball Derby Q&A: DJ VanderLey will race after losing car in practice accident

Snowball Derby week doesn’t officially begin until Thursday but 2011 race runner-up DJ VanderLey has already scored the most eventful lead-up status leading into the race.

VanderLey was behind the wheel of one of eight Super Late Models testing on Saturday night at the Snowball Derby Preview. In fact, he was fastest up until his 4 p.m. crash at the entrance of Turn 3 where the Team VDL No. 2 Ford violently spun and destroyed the entire rear end of the car.

Immediately, VanderLey was concerned that the damage from the accident may force him to withdraw from the event. But VanderLey, a college senior at Auburn University spent all of last week at his family’s Theodore, Ala. shop from dawn until the Midnight hours rebuilding his prized piece.

And with only six days until cars hit the track, VanderLey can only hope that the hard work will pay off.

SB Nation conducted an interview with VanderLey on Friday afternoon where the 21-year-old driver discussed his 2011 near triumph, the upcoming Iron Bowl and what earning the Tom Dawson Memorial Trophy would mean to him.

SB Nation: You are primarily remembered for the 2011 Snowball Derby and that great battle with Chase Elliott. Do you ever think about what you could have done differently?

DJ VanderLey: Every night before I go to sleep it crosses my mind. That was the best driving I knew how to do -- and it was the most Chase had. We got together off Two and again into Turn 3 and Chase did what he had to do.

I knew from the restart -- and on the outside -- that I was in a bad spot and Chase used it to his advantage. It’s also what I would have done. But that was everything that I had and I think I’ve gotten better and now so we just have to go and get in that position again.

SBN: The accident last weekend set you behind a good bit, didn’t it?

DJV: Our main issue -- on Sunday night -- was that the rear end of the car was just trashed. It has to be straight and that was a hard hit. So we didn’t have a spare sitting there and we didn’t think we could get it to Augie (Grill, car builder) in time to get it back to us. And needless to say, we don’t have a spare car either.

So I got to calling people and (Mike) Garvey offered us one and Augie had one as well. So Mom ran up to Augie’s and got us a rear-end piece with a center-section fixed. Jamey, Aaron, Dad and I worked 18 hours a day, until 3 a.m. and we thought we had the car fixed.

But I was under the car, looking at the motor mounts and one looked crooked so I looked closer and it was halfway ripped off. I just looked at dad and said, ‘we’re done.’ We were looking at all four motor mounts and they were ripped from the frame. But the fabricator -- Laverne Ferroulliat -- is one of the best and came in and helped out.

It’s been a long week trying to get it back to the way it was before. And hopefully it will be the same. I’ve been getting calls all week from people who were offering their backup cars or spare parts and it’s been amazing to see the camaraderie between the guys that we’re trying to beat every week. So I can’t thank those guys, especially Eddie Mercer and the Grills who have done so much for us over the past few years.

SBN: You’ve had a lot of misfortune this season -- is it a case of bad luck or was there something that you’ve been able to zero-in on?

DJV: We haven’t found one specific thing. To win at this level, every detail has to be right. So over the past few months, we’ve gone over every detail of this car and we’ve worked on it. We’ve had some bad breaks and we’ve created some of our own. We’re just hoping that it is behind us now.

SBN: Is it fair to say that you guys are putting all your eggs into the Snowball Derby basket?

DJV: Yeah, it really is. We didn’t race the All-American 400 because we needed to get right for the Derby. We’ve canceled some other races too because it just made more sense to focus on the Derby with our success, knowledge and experience at this track.

And we’ve seen it before, that if you run well in the Snowball Derby, you get noticed. Just look at Erik Jones and what he’s been able to accomplish after winning last year’s race. So it’s a mixture of that and what the Derby means to us. Tim Bryant and everyone at Pensacola Five Flags Speedway have really done a fantastic job of making this race a real special event.

SBN: Could we see you compete full-time in the Southern Super Series next season?

DJV: We would like to but we just can’t as things stand now. We are spread so thin just trying to make it to the track. So to make a full season, we need to find some funding. We need find that extra little bit of sponsorship.

SBN: What would a win in the Snowball Derby mean to you?

DJV: It’s everything. A lot of times in racing, you get so beat down and it makes you feel like all the work has been for nothing. It’s hard to verbalize -- you just get beat down. If we can ever win the Derby, with all the blood, sweat and tears that we have put into it -- it will all be worth it.

SBN: Lastly, you’re making your way up to the Iron Bowl. Predictions?

DJV: I don’t think we’re going to win but I do think it’s going to be a good fight. I would love to be able to win it but I just don’t think it will happen.