Elsewhere in this issue you’ll find the final monthly installment of the Best of Times series.
Elsewhere in this issue you‘ll find the final monthly installment of the Best of Times series. After 188 episodes spanning more than 15 years, the Jimmy Wilson saga has come to a close.
I wanted to take a minute to share the reasoning behind the decision to end the series. This is solely a personal decision on my part; SC&M Editor Doug Auld was an enthusiastic supporter of the series from the beginning and that has never changed.
Although writing The Best of Times has been one of the most rewarding experiences I‘ve ever known, it hasn‘t been easy. Each month, it‘s been a challenge to come up with a fresh and new perspective in Jimmy‘s world.
The writer goes to the creative well over and over again, looking for the angle or spark that carries another chapter. It‘s an exhilarating exercise — but daunting.
From the beginning, way back in 2005, our goal was to make Jimmy‘s story the best it could be. Even though it was fiction, it had to seem real. It had to have some pop. It had to capture the intense emotion and powerful characters that continue to drive our sport.
I‘m proud to say that reader feedback has never waned, and the widespread support never wavered. From the series debut I couldn‘t visit a race track without someone calling out, “What‘s Jimmy doing tonight?” or “That damned Harvey is my hero!”
Those comments were more important than people realize, because they inspired me and kept me going. I‘m proud to say that through 188 consecutive monthly deadlines, Jimmy and Harvey and Slim never once failed to make it to the lineup chute.
Look around today, and just about everybody is impossibly busy. I‘m no exception; my workload has grown to the point where the best way I can describe it is borderline chaos.
My schedule with MAVTV is busier than ever, and I‘m struggling to keep pace with some book projects. There are also some new projects on the horizon, projects that fill me with excitement and enthusiasm.
With this much on my plate, it‘s become difficult to meet the monthly Best of Times deadline. Jimmy‘s story is unlike other types of writing; you can‘t just sit down and knock it out in a few minutes. Each chapter takes a significant amount of time, and it became impossible to find that time.
So, after a lot of soul-searching, I realized that the time had come to step away from The Best of Times. I will, however, continue to write this column and feature stories in Sprint Car & Midget.
Is this the end of Jimmy‘s story? I don‘t know. We‘ve taken the series pretty far in terms of plot and character development, and I honestly don‘t know where we‘d go from here.
We are currently introducing the sixth book adapted from the series, Sprint Car Courage. Will there be more Best of Times books in the future? That remains to be seen.
Am I sad to see the series end? Most definitely. But if we were to continue, the story would suffer — and that‘s no good. I want people to remember Jimmy — and The Best of Times — as a first-class winner. I can‘t stress that enough.
When we began the series all those years ago, it was an experiment. The concept of a monthly fictional series in a contemporary magazine is ridiculous on its face, and we had no idea how you, the reader, would respond.
We figured we‘d give it a shot and gauge our readers to see if they wanted us to continue.
From that very first episode, we immediately had our answer. The Best of Times not only survived; it thrived. That is 100 percent a testament to you, the readers. It could never have worked without your interest.
Jimmy‘s fans were loyal and vocal, and that‘s what carried it across 188 episodes. For that, I say thank you. Sincerely and from the heart.
I also want to thank Doug Auld, who wasn‘t afraid to try an absolutely crazy idea.
Through the years we consistently heard three comments, over and over again. These comments gave me a powerful sense of satisfaction, because it felt like we might be doing a halfway decent job of it.
One: “I never read fiction … in fact I hate it. But that Jimmy guy, he‘s great. I‘m hooked!”
Two: “I raced back in the ‘70s, and reading about Jimmy is exactly how it happened. It seems totally real!”
Three: “My wife isn‘t a race fan in any way, but she reads Jimmy‘s story every month!”
I‘m proud of what we created; it‘s fun to try something totally unique and make it work. But more important — far more important — is the fact that Jimmy gave some enjoyment to tens of thousands of readers through the years.
Across 188 issues, you and I met each month, here on these pages. I told Jimmy‘s story, and you listened. The fact that you stayed with us all the way to the finish is something for which I will be eternally grateful.
Jimmy‘s story made us feel good, and that matters. I will always smile when I think about Jimmy, and Harvey, and the entire story. I hope you will, too.
Thank you for reading.