The rain falling on Jimmy Wilson added to his tension as he ran across the parking lot. It was a gloomy late afternoon.
EDITOR’S NOTE: For 188 chapters, we have been proud to bring you the adventures of a small town boy named Jimmy Wilson.
With the support of a car owner named Sonny Ellison, rough-and-tumble crew chief Jack Harvey, and faithful crewman Slim, we have enjoyed the ups-and-downs, triumphs and tragedies of the driver of the legendary pearl-white No. 49 Ellison Special.
Through Jimmy and a supporting cast of enjoyable and memorable characters, we have been blessed to again experience a very special time in sprint car racing … some might say, the best of times.
Thank you for taking us on this journey, Dave. We will miss you, Jimmy!
The rain falling on Jimmy Wilson added to his tension as he ran across the parking lot. It was a gloomy late afternoon, with thunder rumbling in the distance, and he was prepared for a difficult conversation with Sonny Ellison.
It felt like a very low moment, coming in the midst of a soaring high.
A couple of days ago Jimmy had signed a contract with the high-profile Meteor Foods Indy car team, punching his ticket to big-time championship racing.
It was a dream come true for him or any other racer, and he was so excited about the future he wished next season was starting tomorrow.
But the opportunity also meant a major change; his new team firmly nixed the idea of continuing to race sprint cars.
So, after several great seasons together, his tenure in the Ellison Special sprint car was coming to a close. Right here, and right now.
The news had to be delivered to Sonny, face-to-face.
Jimmy entered the office of Ellison Paving, and Sonny‘s secretary smiled and waved. He was quickly ushered to Sonny‘s office, and a couple of moments later Sonny came in from outside.
“Damn the rain!” Sonny called out. “We‘re trying to get a couple of big street projects finished, and we need the weather to cooperate!”
He shook Jimmy‘s hand and slid behind his desk. He leaned forward and grinned.
“I‘ll bet I know why you‘re here,” he said.
“Aw … you do?”
“Sure,” Sonny said easily. “I‘m guessing you‘ve signed a deal with one of the Indy car teams. Am I right?”
Jimmy nodded. Jimmy‘s recent tests with Meteor and another team were common knowledge, so Jimmy wasn‘t surprised that Sonny drew the right conclusion.
“Hey, that‘s great!” Sonny praised. “Congratulations, Jimmy! How about giving me the scoop? Which team?”
Jimmy took a moment to share the details. It was the Meteor Team, he‘d have a nice salary, and he got a two-year deal. He would be working with Lou Warren.
“But Sonny, there‘s one part I don‘t like,” Jimmy said slowly. “Lou says I can‘t run sprint cars.”
Sonny stared intently at Jimmy, but he still smiled.
“I figured that was coming,” Sonny said.
They were both quiet for a minute, and Sonny rose from his chair and came around the desk. He grabbed another chair and sat down facing Jimmy.
“Well, it was fun while it lasted!” he laughed.
Jimmy still wore a glum expression.