A Personal Note Of Thanks From SB Nation’s Jeff Gluck

Dear Readers,

When I lost my job, the first person I texted was my mom. The next people I informed were all of you.

After three years at NASCAR Scene magazine and its website, I suddenly became unemployed (along with 17 co-workers) on Jan. 5 of this year.

I collected my belongings, said my goodbyes and walked outside the building. Still stunned, and figuring it was perhaps the end of my NASCAR writing career, I wanted to let my Twitter followers know what happened.

So I tweeted:

“Dear Friends...I am sorry to inform you I just lost my job! Not sure of the next step right now. Let me know if you hear of any openings!”

I figured with around 3,000 followers at the time, perhaps someone would know of a job. But as I drove home that day, I tried to be more realistic.

Due to both the economy and the current state of journalism, I was fairly certain there were no NASCAR writing jobs available. And probably not very many sportswriting jobs, either.

Would I have to leave Charlotte and move home with my parents? Would I have to give up writing and go back to school for something else?

Luckily, I didn’t. Less than 24 hours later, SB Nation called me. And I am so, so thankful they did.

It’s likely they wouldn’t have been interested in hiring me if not for all of you. SB Nation wanted to start building its NASCAR content and needed someone who had enough of a following that people would become aware of the site.

And because of the people who followed me on Twitter, I was able to offer that. I started at SB Nation in late January, and what a year it’s been.

I want you all to know I’m very thankful and appreciative that so many of you have read my stories and offered your feedback – good and bad. And I’m even more thankful to those who continue to follow after I make you mad, take a shot at your favorite driver or don’t respond as much as I used to.

Professionally, this has been both a rewarding and challenging year. To be blunt, going from an established magazine that covered NASCAR for decades to a website that had never covered the sport has meant a lower spot on the totem pole of NASCAR media – and thus fewer opportunities at times.

In addition, the opinion-based style and relative newness of blogging has been difficult for some people to accept.

But good things are happening at SB Nation, and I plan to stick with the people who gave me an opportunity and a second chance at being a NASCAR writer. I hope you’ll stick around, too.

With your continued support, I feel confident we can keep building SB Nation’s NASCAR content into something special. Just by reading my stories, leaving comments, following on Twitter and attending tweetups, you have helped me keep doing what I love to do.

I wish I could show my appreciation to each and every one of you, but this will have to do:

Thanks.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Jeff Gluck