Dirt Track Hall of Famer Scott Bloomquist Dies in Plane Crash

Dirt track racer Scott Bloomquist died in a vintage airplane crash near his home in Hawkins County, Tennessee, early on Friday morning. He was 60 years old.

The dirt track driver's long-time friend Reid Millard reported via his Moberly Motorsports Park Facebook page that Bloomquist's mother, Georgette, called early this morning with news of the crash. Bloomquist was flying his vintage airplane around the family farm when he crashed. Authorities were still at the scene as of 9:30 am EDT.

Authorities at the scene confirmed that Bloomquist was the sole occupant of the plane. The Rogersville Review has reported that Sheriff Ronnie Lawson told them Bloomquist owned a small private airstrip at his home in Morresburg and had crashed into a barn on the property.

World Racing Group's CEO, Brian Cox, released a statement mourning the loss to the World of Outlaws, DIRTcar, and the dirt racing community.

"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," Cox said in a social media post. "His influences also helped the evolution of racetracks and chassis over the years. Bloomquist's passion for the sport and innovation mind will be deeply missed by all."

Bloomquist had won nine national dirt Late Model championships across multiple series; his most recent came in 2016, in the Lucas Oil Late Model Series. Along with championships, he captured wins in many of the dirt track Crown Royals, including eight wins in The Dirt Late Model Dream, four World 100 wins, and four Blue-Gray 100 wins. He was inducted into the Dirt Track Hall of Fame 22 years ago but was still an active threat at the track in 2024. He also briefly tried his hand at NASCAR, racing with ARCA in 1991 and making one NASCAR Truck start in 2013.

Bloomquist was one of the most revered drivers on track, collecting as many stories as wins in his career spanning four decades. He'd earned the nickname "Black Sunshine," representing both the No. 0 he often used and the yin/yang quality he often displayed: one of the fiercest racers on track and one of the kindest in the pits.

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