Scott Bloomquist
There are some things in life that we all need to be able to count on. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. It will rain the day after you wash your car. You will get behind a slow driver on a narrow road when you’re running late. And in the world of Dirt Late Model racing world, fans react whenever Scott Bloomquist shows up at a race track.
Even after decades of highly competitive racing, the Mooresburg, Tenn. driver remains very much a lightning rod of debate and opinion. Fans of this form of racing can’t seem to help themselves when Bloomquist’s name is brought up in conversation, on message boards, or on the various outlets of social media. They simply have to respond in one way or the other.
As I have mentioned in previous columns over the past few weeks, I have run multiple polls from my Twitter account during the current off season. Two of those questions revolved around Bloomquist, and predictably, they drew significant response from the driver’s many fans and those who root against him.
One question asked- “Scott Bloomquist has won the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt series title. Josh Richards won the World of Outlaws Late Models title. Who had the better season?
Of the 228 reactions to the poll, there was a 50/50 split in the answers provided. Granted, both drivers had stellar campaigns in 2016. While Richards grabbed more checkered flags throughout the year, Bloomquist had more wins in the so-called ‘big races’ that pay more than the standard $10,000-12,000 amounts. That fact would, in many cases, cause respondents to give the nod to the driver who had earned more money. However, one has to wonder if some of the votes were not necessarily cast for Richards, but rather, against Bloomquist.
Bloomquist had what would be considered by any driver to be a spectacular season in 2016. He won the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series title by almost 900 points over runner-up Jonathan Davenport, who won that series championship in 2015 after compiling what was most likely the greatest season ever registered by a Dirt Late Model racer. The driver of the Team Zero Sweet-Bloomquist Race Car racked up 15 wins on the LOLMDS circuit, including five victories that netted $20,000 or more in earnings. Also, he scored two triumphs in World of Outlaws Late Models competition, one of which resulted in a $30,000 payday.
Bloomquist also won the inaugural running of the Gateway Nationals race held in December under the domed stadium that once hosted St. Louis Rams NFL games. That race offered a $20,000-to-win first prize.
But perhaps the more telling poll question I offered up this off-season was the second. That question asked- “Which aspect of Scott Bloomquist’s 2016 season was most interesting to you?” The answer choices were- “His Numerous Wins” and “His UMP Suspension”.
Keep in mind that Bloomquist was penalized by the World Racing Group following the UMP sanctioned Dirt Late Model Dream at Eldora Speedway in June when lab results indicated signs of additives on tire samples taken from his and four other cars during that weekend. That suspension resulted in the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame member being made to sit out the prestigious World 100, also held at Eldora.
A total of 362 fans responded to that question, with only 37% selecting his numerous wins as their answer choice while 67% considered his suspension to be the most intriguing aspect of 2016 for the driver sometimes known as “Black Sunshine”.
But the real purpose of this piece is not to offer a statistical recap of 2016 but to point out that even after decades of successful campaigning across America as a Dirt Late Model racer, Bloomquist still manages to stir strong opinions among fans and followers of the sport. Even at 53 years of age, as those statistics above indicate, the driver can still outperform his rivals much of the time. And most importantly to track owners, promoters, and yes, websites dedicated to the coverage of this form of racing, this driver still draws a great deal of interest.
The No. 0 car pulling through the gate of a race track can amount to profitability for the track owner.
As the late Dale Earnhardt used to say when asked if it bothered him to be booed by fans, “Some of them cheer and some of them boo, but it’s better than having them sit there and not pay any attention to you.”
Fans definitely pay attention to Bloomquist, whether it be to cheer or to boo. In whatever pit area his hauler happens to be parked in, the biggest crowd of onlookers is almost always gathered to watch the final preparations being made to his car. And the biggest reaction from the grandstands almost always comes when his car hits the track for hot laps.
I once had a race promoter to tell me that when given time to advertise that he will be racing, Bloomquist’s presence can be worth as much as 200 extra ticket sales or more. Using $15 per ticket as an example, that could potentially mean having the Zero car on the grounds of a race track could bring in as much as $3,000 in additional revenue for a given facility. That could make the difference in a race being profitable or not on a particular night.
So while there are numerous drivers in the sport who are loved by fans and draw spectators to the track, Scott Bloomquist still drives a race car very well, and that still drives the greatest amount of opinion in the Dirt Late Model world.
