Turn 2 Blog: Tough couple of weeks for Team Zero

*Turn 2 Blog is a regular feature on InsideDirtRacing.com. Here, site operators Michael Moats and Richard Allen take turns offering their thoughts on the dirt racing topics of the day from east Tennessee and beyond.

The latest edition of the Turn 2 Blog is presented by the American Crate All-Star Series.

Richard: Looking back on this past couple of weeks has to have been difficult for those who root for Scott Bloomquist and the rest of Team Zero. A myriad of misfortune has befallen the Mooresburg, TN-based camp in rapid succession.

First, while Bloomquist himself appeared to be turning somewhat of a competitive corner with speedy qualifying, heat race, and top-5 feature runs in the double-header weekend at the Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, TN two weekends ago and again on Thursday and Friday nights when the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series ventured to Pennsylvania’s Lernerville Speedway one week later.

However, there were signs of issues emerging in Bulls Gap. Scott Bloomquist Racing teammate Chris Madden unveiled a new Team Zero Race Car at the east Tennessee track only to crash it during hot laps having to resort to a backup machine to complete the weekend.

Things then began to go south on the third and final night at Lernerville when Bloomquist’s heat race win was disallowed following a post-race tech inspection. Engine problems in the Last Chance Showdown then forced the legendary racer to start the feature from the rear in a car borrowed from Colton Flinner.

The misery only compounded after Lernerville when Madden informed Bloomquist and business partner Cody Sommer that he was parting ways with SBR. While their No. 0M car’s performance had not necessarily been stellar in 2020, the South Carolina driver was solidly placed within the top-5 of the WoO Late Models standings after coming off the most impressive half-season of his career in the latter part of 2019 that saw him collect three crown jewels.

And while the team of Ricky Weiss is not directly affiliated with SBR, they do use the same type of chassis and share information with Bloomquist and the other Team Zero racers, that car had an elimination feature win taken away on Thursday night at Wisconsin’s Cedar Lake Speedway due to a deck height infraction.

It has not be the best couple of weeks for Team Zero, has it?

Michael: It really hasn’t been a good year for them. Aside from Madden’s win in January and a handful of good finishes here and there, their results have not been what was expected. Given that, I suppose it’s no surprise Madden would look at other options.

The operation, as a whole, has been behind since the season started. They were behind on cars and their performance looks to have suffered from that. With racing being shut down for 2 months, they were able to get some new cars built. Even then, the performance hasn’t been there on a consistent basis.

It also seems they are struggling with the droop rule. As you noted, Madden ran strong the second half of last season. Bloomquist was showing some signs of improvement after his lengthy time away. I believe the inspection issue at Lernerville has a lot to do with trying to figure out something to neutralize the issues they are having with the droop rule.

There’s always some sort of drama with the Bloomquist camp.

Richard: It seems as if Bloomquist himself has struggled ever since the motorcycle accident he had just over one year ago. However, he did seem to be more competitive this past weekend at Cedar Lake by posting two top-10 finishes.

He pointed out during a television interview on Friday night that his hip was starting to feel better. Although I have never driven a race car it would seem as if going around a rough dirt track can’t be good for someone suffering from such an injury.

I think your point about the droop rule is certainly worth consideration. It does seem as if Bloomquist and Madden particularly have had trouble getting a hold on the rule. Other drivers I have spoken to who use the Team Zero Race Cars say those machines are best for a particular driving style. Perhaps it’s just a matter of getting that style and the chassis to mesh, and it does seem as if they are getting closer.

But Madden’s departure is intriguing. I know that he has worked very hard to mix driving on a national tour and spending time with family. I wonder if it as simple as him realizing that he was missing too much of his family’s lives. He has a young son who is very active in sports and he might just want to race regionally and stay closer to home.

Whatever the case, when the announcement was made during the winter that Bloomquist, Madden and Weiss would would seek the WoO Late Models championship with sponsorship from Drydene Performance Products, many thought a titanic battle was shaping up between that trio and the Rocket Chassis house car driven by Brandon Sheppard. So far, that has not materialized.

I guess the question is, can Team Zero make a comeback in the second half of the season?

Read–> Chris Madden to wheel second Millwood car in Southern Nationals

Michael: I suppose that remains to be seen. I have always said never count out Bloomquist. But he’s approaching that age where a lot of drivers don’t see a lot of success like they previously had. Again, if anyone can buck that trend, it would be Bloomquist.

As far as the overall Team Zero goes, Sheppard seems too far ahead to be caught in a battle for the series championship. I think their goal now is to show marked improvement as this season moves forward.

Richard: To change gears, this weekend will mark the start of one of my favorite times of the year. The Schaeffer’s Oil Southern Nationals will officially kick off this Friday night at Smoky Mountain Speedway then set off on a two-week journey that will take drivers and teams to twelve different tracks in four states.

Over the years, Ray Cook has done a great job of building this mini-series into a truly special event. And the purses continue to grow as this year there will be six of the twelve features paying $10,000-to-win. And that is showing up in the quality of the fields.

As of now, Brandon Overton, Ross Bailes, Donald McIntosh, Kyle Strickler, Jake Knowles, Pearson Lee Williams, GR Smith and Cla Knight are some who had already committed to running the entire series. And of course, the news on Monday that Chris Madden and Tyler Millwood will enter as teammates just deepens the talent pool that much more.

This is shaping up to possibly be the best Southern Nationals yet, isn’t it?

Michael: It certainly has that potential. The possibility of a showdown between Madden and Overton could sell a lot of tickets if it stays close until the end. Strickler and McIntosh could be factors too if they can exercise some of the bad luck each seem to have.

The series has a lot of diversity on the schedule as far as track configurations go. And most of them seem to produce some pretty good racing. The finale at Tazewell is one of my favorite events each year. I hope we get some excitement going down to that final race and even the final laps.

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