Wikipedia

Scott Bloomquist

Scott Dean Bloomquist (November 14, 1963 – August 16, 2024) was a nationally touring Dirt Super Late Model race car driver in the United States. Bloomquist was born in Fort Dodge, Iowa.[1] He was inducted in the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame in its second class in 2002 and was the owner of Dirt Late Model chassis manufacturer Team Zero Race Cars.

Scott Bloomquist
Bloomquist in 2008
BornScott Dean Bloomquist
(1963-11-14)November 14, 1963
Fort Dodge, Iowa, U.S.
DiedAugust 16, 2024(2024-08-16) (aged 60)
Mooresburg, Tennessee, U.S.
AchievementsAll-Time Wins Leader in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series (94)
2004 World of Outlaws Late Model Series Champion
2009, 2010, 2016 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Champion
1994, 1995, 1998, 2000 Hav-A-Tampa Dirt Late Model Series Champion
1995, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018 Dirt Late Model Dream Winner
1988, 1990, 2001, 2014 World 100 Winner
1992, 1994, 1996, 2014 Blue-Gray 100 Winner
Awards2002 National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame
2006 RPM Racing News Driver of the Year
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career
1 race run over 1 year
2013 position69th
Best finish69th (2013)
First race2013 Mudsummer Classic (Eldora)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 0 0
ARCA Menards Series career
3 races run over 1 year
Best finish69th (1991)
First race1991 Michigan ARCA 200 (Michigan)
Last race1991 Motorcraft Fast Lube ARCA 500K (Atlanta)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 0 0
Statistics current as of November 26, 2023
Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series career
Debut season2004
Current teamTeam Zero Race Cars
Car number0
Starts497
Wins94
Poles65
Best finish1st in 2009, 2010, 2016
World of Outlaws Late Model Series career
Debut season1989
Current teamTeam Zero Race Cars
Car number0
Starts241
Wins33
Poles7
Best finish1st in 2004
.

Bloomquist died in a plane crash on August 16, 2024.[2]

Racing career

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Bloomquist was the son of an airplane pilot for Air Cal. While stationed in California, Bloomquist's father was invited to see his coworker race a stock car. The elder Bloomquist thought he should give racing a try, so bought a race car, motor, and some old tires. He tried racing, and decided to give the race car to his son.[3] Bloomquist's first race was at Corona Raceway in Corona, California in August 1980.[1] He won several races and the track championship in 1982.[3]

In 1983 he heard about a $4,000-to-win race at the speedway in Chula Vista, California. He saw a picture of a flat-wedge-shaped race car that Charlie Swartz had used to win the Dirt Track World Championship in 1982, and he decided to build a race car like it for the Chula Vista race. Bloomquist won the race, lapping the field twice in the process.[3]

After the race, his father wanted to sell the car since it was worth a lot of money. The two reached an agreement where the father would gradually be paid for the car if the newly graduated Scott Bloomquist would work at his father's new farm far across the country in Tennessee. He traded his 1957 Chevy for a truck and race hauler. After arriving in Tennessee, he tore up the car in qualifying at Newport Speedway. He worked for his father until he had enough money to repair the car. He won some races, earning just enough money to continue racing.[3]

The next year he decided to race with a new car at Kingsport, Tennessee Speedway, which had begun hosting a $2,500-to-win event every Saturday night. "I come rolling into the race with my dad and there sits Larry Moore," Bloomquist said. "He was the fastest guy in dirt late model racing and there he sits. And my dad says, `Well, there goes that $2,500.'"[3] Bloomquist qualified second fastest behind Moore and started out on Moore's outside in the first row.[3]

Bloomquist used the winnings to improve his race car. He continued working at his father's farm to pay off his original race car. He began going to races with $2,000 purses that were 100 miles (160 km) from his house.[3]

In 1988 he raced at Eldora Speedway's World 100 against the three-time winner and favorite Jeff Purvis. After qualifying for the feature, which is unusual for a rookie, he started seventh. Purvis took the lead early in the race. Bloomquist slowly caught Purvis and passed him for the win. Some people consider his win a fluke until Bloomquist took the pole position the following year and won the race again in 1990.[3]

He raced in the Hav-A-Tampa series from 1993 to 1996, winning the national touring series in 1994 and 1995.[3] He led the 1996 points until he lost all of his points for bumping another car under caution. He had 60 wins in the series during that time, second place had 18 wins.[3]

In 1997 with problems both on and off-track, he left racing and started reading. He read about the human body and mind. After he returned to racing a changed person. He took all of his sponsors off the car and used only black-and-white paint. He changed from his familiar number 18 to number 0. He put the yin yang symbol in the middle of the "0" to represent the balance that he found in his life. He later raced the number "0" car with a skull and crossbones through the middle of the number.[4]

In 2003 Scott competed full-time on the Xtreme Dirt Car Series formerly Hav-A-Tampa Series and won his 5th championship for the organization. 2004 he raced in the World of Outlaws Late Model Series and won the season championship.

He was named the 2006 RPM Racing News driver of the year. That year he won The Dream ($100,000), Topless 100 ($45,000), Scorcher 100 ($20,000), Racefest ($20,000), Dixie Shootout ($15,000), and the Cedar Lake Nationals ($50,000). He also had nine wins in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series.[5]

 
Bloomquist's 2008 race car at Cherokee Speedway

Bloomquist returned to series racing and won the 2009 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series championship.[6]

He returned to the series in 2010 defending his points championship.[6] Bloomquist would be the series runner up for 2011 scoring 15 victories. He also scored combined earnings north of $272,000 for the year.

In 2016 he was the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series champion.

His 2019 season was delayed after injuries sustained in a street crash. He returned to action in June of 2019 with teammate Chris Madden and he had limited success while recovering from those wounds.

In 2020, Scott, teaming with Chris Madden, obtained sponsorship from Drydene, followed the World of Outlaws Late Model Series.

2021 saw Bloomquist offering his ride to dirt modified standout Nick Hoffman of Moorseville, North Carolina after lingering medical issues rendered his piloting the Team Zero house car impossible.

2022 had Bloomquist driving a very limited schedule due to medical, specifically back issues. The 2023 race season was put on hold while Scott was scheduling back surgery.

In 2024, Bloomquist made his return to racing at the famed Eldora Speedway in the Terry Wolfenbarger owned Team Zero Chassis. Unfortunately, after contact with fellow racer Shannon Babb, Bloomquist would crash into the backstretch wall, causing unrepairable damage to the Team Zero car, and falling short of the opportunity to win his record 9th Dirt Late Model Dream.[7]

In 2002, Bloomquist was in the second induction class of the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame in Union, Kentucky.[citation needed]

NASCAR

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In 2013, Bloomquist announced that he would be running in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series' Mudsummer Classic at Eldora Speedway, driving for Kyle Busch Motorsports.[8] After starting the race in 21st, Bloomquist, who elected to race without a front sway bar, fell to last place after 30 laps,[9] and finished in 25th, two laps down.[10]

Team Zero Race Cars

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Bloomquist's 2015 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series car at Oshkosh

He was known for working on his racecars as the chief chassis builder.[1] He used to race in chassis built by major chassis manufacturers. He would then modify the chassis with tricks that he learned during his decades of racing. He decided it would be easier to build his chassis than to modify someone else's design. He sold "Bloomquist Chassis" (aka Team Zero) to select racers. Bloomquist Chassis helped in their entire program.[4] In 2014, Bloomquist went into business with Michigan racer and businessman Randy Sweet and elected to halt mass chassis production for outside buyers and focus on select chassis building and design for Sweet/Bloomquist race cars. In 2019, Bloomquist ceased the Sweet/ Bloomquist chassis name and continued with his brand name while continuing to build chassis for select buyers.

Personal life

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Bloomquist had a daughter, Ariel Rouse.[1]

Injuries

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In March 2019, Bloomquist was severely injured in a motorcycle accident in Daytona Beach, Florida, and was hospitalized with extensive leg and hip injuries.[11]

In 2023, Bloomquist was diagnosed with prostate cancer and previously needed back surgery procedures were put on hold for cancer treatments beginning in July.[12]

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On October 5, 1993, Bloomquist was arrested and charged for possessing 2.7 grams of cocaine. He was found not guilty of felony sale and distribution and guilty of misdemeanor drug possession and possessing drug paraphernalia. He was sentenced in November 1994 to the maximum penalty of a $5,000 fine and a year in prison.[3] It was his first misdemeanor conviction, and he filed an appeal. His sentence was cut in half to 6 months.[3] He served his time as a work release beginning in 1997.[3]

Death

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Bloomquist died on August 16, 2024, after his personal vintage airplane crashed near his home in Mooresburg, Tennessee. He was 60.[13] NASCAR Cup Series driver Tyler Reddick, whom Bloomquist mentored early in his career, dedicated his win at Michigan International Speedway the following weekend to Bloomquist.[14]

Motorsports career results

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NASCAR

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(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Camping World Truck Series

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NASCAR Camping World Truck Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 NCWTC Pts Ref
2013 Kyle Busch Motorsports 51 Toyota DAY MAR CAR KAN CLT DOV TEX KEN IOW ELD
25 		POC MCH BRI MSP IOW CHI LVS TAL MAR TEX PHO HOM 69th 19 [15]

ARCA Permatex SuperCar Series

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(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

ARCA Permatex SuperCar Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 APSCSC Pts Ref
1991 Bloomquist Racing 18 Olds DAY ATL KIL TAL TOL FRS POC MCH KIL FRS DEL POC TAL HPT MCH
34 		ISF
26 		TOL DSF TWS NA - [16]
Cornett Machine 78 Olds ATL
29

Superstar Racing Experience

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(key) * – Most laps led. 1 – Heat 1 winner. 2 – Heat 2 winner.

Superstar Racing Experience results
Year No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 SRXC Pts
2021 00 STA KNX
92 		ELD IRP SLG NSV 18th 23

* Season still in progress

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Driver profile at his official team website; Retrieved March 5, 2008
  2. ^ Bobo, Jeff (August 16, 2024). "Dirt Track racing icon Scott Bloomquist killed in plane crash near his Mooresburg home". The Rogersville Review. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Kreuzer, Laura. "An Interview with Dirt Late Model Racer Scott Bloomquist". Columbus Ledger-Enquirer. Archived from the original on April 20, 2008. Retrieved March 5, 2008.
  4. ^ a b Scott Bloomquist - Obsessive But in a Good Way Archived March 4, 2008, at the Wayback Machine; Stock Car Racing magazine; Jeff Huneycutt; Retrieved March 5, 2008
  5. ^ Scott Bloomquist Named RPM Racing News ‘Driver Of The Year’; Retrieved March 5, 2008
  6. ^ a b "Bloomquist Earns 500th Career Win with Power from Roush Yates Engines". Speedway Media. Retrieved September 28, 2010.
  7. ^ Dirtondirt.com. "Dirt on Dirt - Bloomquist OK, but rare flip ruins bid at Eldora". dirtondirt.com. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
  8. ^ Gibson, John (January 30, 2013). "Sources Confirming Bloomquist To Drive Truck For Busch At Eldora". OneDirt. Archived from the original on February 5, 2013. Retrieved February 4, 2013.
  9. ^ Smith, Steven Cole (July 25, 2013). "NASCAR on dirt: Eldora was as good as it gets". Autoweek. Retrieved June 16, 2014.
  10. ^ "2013 Inaugural Mudsummer Classic Results". ESPN. Retrieved July 25, 2013.
  11. ^ Weaver, Matt (March 14, 2019). "Dirt Late Model ace Scott Bloomquist hospitalized after motorcycle crash". Autoweek. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  12. ^ "Scott Bloomquist Diagnosed With Prostate Cancer". FloRacing. July 21, 2024. Retrieved August 17, 2024.
  13. ^ Beaver, Dan (August 16, 2024). "Late Model legend Scott Bloomquist dies in small aircraft accident". NBC Sports. Retrieved August 16, 2024.
  14. ^ "Tyler Reddick dedicates Michigan win to Scott Bloomquist". Official Site Of NASCAR. 2024-08-19. Retrieved 2024-08-19.
  15. ^ "Scott Bloomquist – 2013 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 11, 2023.
  16. ^ "Scott Bloomquist – 1991 ARCA Permatex SuperCar Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 22, 2024.
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