JEFF VERDI
to people I saw who were affected by tornado damage where I
wasn’t in the position to do that
before,” says Verdi. “I just won
this money so I’m going to give
away five hundred here, a thousand there to help people who
might need it. If I didn’t win, I
couldn’t do that. Even when I
drove back home I stopped back
in Vega, Texas, to give some money to that guy who let me borrow those tools. I felt like I owed
him for allowing me to do that,”
Verdi says.
Aside from those donations,
Verdi doesn’t really have any big
plans for how he’s going to spend
the Spring Fling Million winnings. He does, however, know
what he’s not going to spend it on.
“I’m not looking at any more
trucks or trailers,” he says, defiantly. “Everyone asks
me if I’m going to get
a new enclosed trailer and I’m like, ‘Uh,
no.’ I’ve had them before. I’ve been there
and done that, and I
didn’t win any more
money then than I do
Longtime friend and
engine builder Jerry
now. I like my open
Loan (top left) joined
trailer.”
Verdi on his memoLooking back at
rable trip to Sin City.
the whole ordeal, VerFrom changing fuel
di thinks it’s almost
filters in the dually
inevitable that he
to capturing video of
won the Spring Fling
the final round, Loan
Million. Things could
was Verdi’s righthave gone very difhand man. Spring
ferently. Parts could
Fling co-promotor
have, and did, break.
Kyle Seipel (bottom
In the end, everything
right) went from
came together to form
convincing Verd i
the perfect underto make the trip to
dog story.
cutting him a check
“It was funny befor over $100,000.
cause Kyle [Seipel]
asked me months
before what car I was
after he and Susan pulled into the driveway. The
going to bring out to Vegas. I was going to bring
lawn needed to be mowed. There was nearly two
my Firebird or the GTO and he asked me, ‘Well,
weeks of laundry that needed to be washed. Work
what car do you picture yourself winning the
was piling up at the family cabinet and counter- Million in?’ I told him the Firebird, and he told
top business. And, of course, there were plenty
me that’s what I should bring then. I made more
of questions from friends and family to answer.
runs in the Firebird, so, like he said, why bring
“Some people think I won a million,” he says. anything else?
“Some people will ask, your split was $270,000
“It’s funny how that stuff works,” ponders Verdi,
of a million? A lot of people that I talk to I just
in conclusion. “Everything seemed like it was
leave it at $270,000 without even mentioning
meant to be. Even now I can’t picture in my mind
the split deals because some people don’t get it.” – all of the winner’s circle stuff, staying in a Las
Verdi might not have walked away with a mil- Vegas hotel suite, and all of that. Of the 13 guys
lion dollars, or even a quarter-million, but the
who were left, I can’t picture any of them doing
large payday still allowed him to pay it forward.
that but me. Of all days for it to be my day, I’m
“I was fortunate enough to donate some money
glad that was my day.”
DI DI DI
PHOTOS: JOHN DIBARTOLOMEO
Support
System
or eight in the evening.”
When the Verdis returned to Virginia, Jeff
pulled right off the interstate and headed directly
for the studios of WTVR, Richmond’s CBS affiliate, where Verdi’s buddy, Wayne Covil, was ready
to film a piece on the big win for the evening news.
“Wayne, he’s a CBS news anchor who used to
do some announcing at Virginia Motorsports
Park. He said he wanted to do a story when I
came home. He interviewed my wife and put
her on the news at five o’clock then interviewed
me and put me on the news at six o’clock. They
used some cool videos that Kyle [Seipel] sent
them from the race.”
Verdi was already back to reality the morning
DI DI DI DI
DI DI DI
June 2016
DragIllustrated.com
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