Remembering Scott Bloomquist | World of Outlaws

Scott Bloomquist, a legend, Hall of Famer, and champion of dirt Late Model racing, died on Aug. 16, 2024, after being involved in a small aircraft crash near his home. He was 60 years old.

The 2004 World of Outlaws Late Model Series and three-time DIRTcar Summer Nationals champion was an icon of not only dirt Late Model racing, but all of motorsports. He collected nine national championships and more than 600 victories. Even more significant, he was instrumental in the revival of the World of Outlaws Late Model Series in 2004 and was a founding member of “The Dirty Dozen” — which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.

Bloomquist was born in Fort Dodge, Iowa but started his racing career while living in California. After high school, he moved to Tennessee to work at his father’s farm in a deal that allowed him to keep racing.

From there, he built his status winning multiple championships and marquee events — such as four Eldora Speedway World 100 victories, five Cedar Lake Speedway USA Nationals victories, the 2014 DIRTcar Nationals Big Gator title at Volusia Speedway Park, and seven wins at The Dirt Track at Charlotte (a track where he influenced its design). Bloomquist was inducted into the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame in 2002.

He sits eighth on the all-time wins list with the World of Outlaws Late Models with the last of his 33 Series victories coming at Thunder Mountain Speedway in 2020.

“Scott Bloomquist’s legendary status not only grew out of his accomplishments on track, but his innovations throughout the dirt Late Model industry,” World Racing Group CEO Brian Carter said. “He played a key role with DIRTcar Racing and the World of Outlaws, helping to rebuild the World of Outlaws Late Models so it could grow into what it’s become today. His influences also helped the evolution of racetracks and chassis over the years. Bloomquist’s passion for the sport and innovative mind will be deeply missed by all.”

When World Racing Group bought the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series in 2003, talks amongst WRG, Rocket Racing team owner Mark Richards and Bloomquist began about the possibility of a new national touring Late Model Series.

“The leaders at WRG said that if we got the top drivers, along with myself, they would consider a Late Model Series,” Bloomquist said earlier this year. “I had the concept of the Dirty Dozen years before that. And I took that concept to them, of the 12 top drivers at the time, and we picked guys from other areas of the country like Pennsylvania and Georgia. It created a wide variety of drivers from different areas.”

Bloomquist was well respected by his competitors and viewed early on as “one of the best.” He took care of his equipment because he built it. Therefore, he made sure to also take care of his competitors on track. He knew his cars inside and out. There wasn’t a piece on his car he didn’t know how it worked or how it was built, according to World of Outlaws Late Model Series Director Steve Francis, who was one of the originally “Dirty Dozen” drivers with Bloomquist.

“If Scott put a mark on your race car, you can bet it was an accident,” Francis said. “He raced every lap to its fullest potential, but yet, if I saw someone drive to the inside of me, not that I wanted it to be anybody, but if I did, I wanted it to be Scott because I wouldn’t have to worry about my left door or anything like that.

“He was probably one of the cleanest most professional racers you’d ever be around or race around. I spent six-eight weeks in Australia with him in the 1990s and just the things he talked about, knowing about with his race car, there wasn’t a piece on that race car he didn’t know. If it came in new, he took it apart to make sure he could take it apart and put it back together himself before he put it in his race car. He was really good at thinking three steps out on how one change would affect something. Having those conversations with him was unique.”

Since the first time they started racing together, Francis added he can’t remember a time they ever got crossed up.

“That says a lot about the way the guy raced everybody,” he said. “Definitely a legend, that’s for sure.”

Bloomquist’s legacy will live on through his imprint on dirt Late Model racing — the Hall of Fame career he established on track and the unforgettable impact of the knowledge, kindness and charisma he left on everyone in the motorsports industry.