DJ VanderLey

SHR Engineer, Auburn University Alum, Washed Up Racecar Driver

[DJ VanderLey @DJVanderLey]

@ripjetson9 Still lobbying for it to be called the VanderLey bar. Gotta get something cool out of all this 😂

[DJ VanderLey @DJVanderLey]

@AlanCavanna Underrated tweet of the year award

[DJ VanderLey @DJVanderLey]

@TheRestartCone I wish I knew what I was saying in the car after my injury. I don't remember anything until I was laying on the ER after getting off the helicopter and a nurse said "it's a shame this kid is a vegetable now" and you want to talk about being broken…

[DJ VanderLey @DJVanderLey]

@FloRacing @chriswilner26 Got the crew together for the @cbnationals tonight!

[DJ VanderLey @DJVanderLey]

@kifaru24 @ripjetson9 You're not wrong by any means, but I was in a little bit better shape when I could move 😆

[DJ VanderLey @DJVanderLey]

@MattLankford5 @ripjetson9

[Flea Ruzic @ripjetson9]

I got to meet DJ Vanderley this past week and study his crashed race car chassis. Ive been trying to figure out how to get my message across for the last few days. Generally i just post stuff on here exactly how i would say it to u in person

There are problems across the racing industry & there always will be. There are alot of moving variables which make it hard to find “fix all” solutions

Since DJ was injured in a micro race i want to cover that today. What i say here will cause industry ripples & im ok with that because i am posting this with the best intentions for u the racer. Some of u i know & some i don’t but i do care about the industry ive lived my whole life in

There are alot of theories running around about micro chassis construction and how to make drivers safer so i am going to tell you how i would build a car for the people i love and hopefully it helps you make a better decision for the people you love.

First off i want the top rail (downtube) made from 1.25”x.083 wall tubing. That is the main rail over your head and has alot of things attaching to it. I would use 1.25”x.083 wall on all 4 roll cage uprights minimum. I would put 1.25”x.083 wall tubing for the front and rear halos for the roll cage. The rear cage upright would go from the top of the cage to the bottom frame rail as 1 continuous tube. I also want to put my rear cage upright in front of the bend on the back of the cage. Behind the bend greatly reduces its ability to keep the cage up and above a drivers head. Remember a bend is nothing more than a controlled kink and that kink is already heading the wrong direction. And lastly i would use 1”x.065 wall minimum tube on the A pillar behind the driver. Anything smaller than that will try to pierce up thru the rear halo.

I do not like .065 wall tubing for any of the cage uprights or downtube, it just isn’t sufficient enough in my opinion.
Will it hold up? Yes
Can u race your whole career and not get hurt in it? Probably, but all it takes is that one time for everything to line up and that is the situation im preparing for.

I don’t necessarily care what the bottom frame rails are made out of. Nor do i care what tubing u use in front of the cage for radiator uprights and braces and such. From what i have seen it doesn’t affect the outcome of a driver in a crash. Thinner tube is probably better tho in these areas.

If you have ever had a micro and in a crash it rips the top wing spuds out or ur rear bumper spuds out of the downtube leaving a gaping hole that is not good. Adding cage gussets and braces to a .065 wall cage to help support it is not correct to me either. If the tubing or design is insufficient putting braces in is a half ass way to fix something.

I have been asked to sit in on some conference calls about chassis safety but for some reason i only get asked once, i have never been invited back for subsequent calls. There are emails floating around with all the chassis manufacturers but i have never been included in on any of them. I only can see them when people forward them to me.

If u have doubts on ur chassis tubing specs i would buy a sonic tester for about $140 & test the tubes for yourself

DJ asked me if i could help prevent this from happening to someone else and i said probably not, but i can try

I doubt there is another person on this planet that has had the volume and variety of crashed race car frames pass thru their hands as me. Simply put, i have seen it all

Once again this is how i would build a chassis for my loved ones. Im not pointing fingers or bashing anyone, thats not what this is about. If you think buying a new frame is too expensive, let me know how you would feel about never hugging your loved ones again. If you think buying a $140 sonic tester is too much, maybe run an extra night on that used tire. If you think it won’t happen to you, maybe call DJ Vanderley

Best wishes to all, racers and car builders alike. Flea Ruzic 🤘🏼❤️

[FOX: NASCAR @NASCARONFOX]

Tom Rinaldi tells the story of @StewartHaasRcng engineer Daren Vanderley. Daren continues to work in an industry he loves and support his family after a devastating racing injury.

[DJ VanderLey @DJVanderLey]

@hmiel_shane It's definitely easy to be angry with this injury that's for damn sure

[Rick Ware Racing @RickWareRacing]

For the All-Star Weekend at @NWBSpeedway, the No. 15 @FordPerformance Mustang will be driven by @jjyeley1 and carrying a #vdlstrong logo. This is to bring awareness and aid the family of @StewartHaasRcng Team Engineer @DJVanderLey, who was paralyzed in a Micro Sprint race last fall. Donations are being handled by @FollowMRO via www.go2mro/donate. #NASCAR75 #donate #helpingothers #AllStarRace

[Christopher Bell @CBellRacing]

In September of last year, one of my best buds @DJVanderLey suffered a life altering injury. I’m very proud and thankful @RickWareRacing is bringing awareness to the Vanderley family

[Rick Ware Racing @RickWareRacing]

The No. 15 @FordPerformance Mustang will be driven by @brennanpoole at @kansasspeedway this weekend. The car is carrying a “VDL Strong” logo on the hood and link to help injured @NASCAR team member @DJVanderLey, from @StewartHaasRcng. People can donate via https://t.co/igphhwNwj5.

[DJ VanderLey @DJVanderLey]

@OklahomaBuff The LR corner of the cage at the Smith bar collapsed, part of the left side on the cage broke out and my head hit the ground shattering my C4 through C7 vertebrae in my neck. When it was intact my head was about 5 to 6 inches below the top of the cage.

[DJ VanderLey @DJVanderLey]

Watching the @TulsaShootout on @FloRacing while recovering in Atlanta. Working hard to get back there as soon as possible. 👊🏼

[DJ VanderLey @DJVanderLey]

Picked up the W @MillbridgeRacin last night. Big thanks to Lineman Motorsports, Guhl Motors, and @HyperRacing44 for the great equipment. Check out the in car footage below. 👊🏼

https://t.co/1BqSWch2Oi

[DJ VanderLey @DJVanderLey]

Pumped to get back to PA and do some racing before the @NASCAR_Xfinity race at Pocono!

[Hyper Racing Speedweek @HSpeedweek]

DJ Vanderley will once again make the trek north from his Mooresville, NC home to compete in 600 Speedweek! While his NASCAR Work commitments will limit him to Wednesday-Friday, we welcome DJ back to the Northeast!

[DJ VanderLey @DJVanderLey]

@chriswilner26 @Casey_LaJoie @dirtvision @snowballderby Haha I’m sure after this thread every time you guys mention me it’s gonna somehow include that race. Gotta work in what all my guys at work tell me: “Could’ve been in the 9 car at Hendricks had you won that race.” 🤣

[DJ VanderLey @DJVanderLey]

Hey @Casey_LaJoie @chriswilner26, love you guys, love the @dirtvision broadcast… just watching last night’s broadcast back and I think it’s time to let the 2011 @snowballderby rest in peace. 😂

[DJ VanderLey @DJVanderLey]

@Casey_LaJoie @chriswilner26 @dirtvision @snowballderby 😂😂 what are friends for right!