Dirt racing legend Scott Bloomquist dies in plane crash in Hawkins County
Famous dirt track racer Scott Bloomquist died Friday in a plane crash near Mooresburg in Hawkins County. He was 60 years old.
The Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office said a small plane crashed into a barn on Brooks Road Friday morning, near the Bloomquist family farm and the Scott Bloomquist Racing Team’s garage in Mooresburg. The only person on board was Bloomquist, the sheriff’s office said. The FAA’s investigation into the crash is ongoing.
The World of Outlaws Late Models series released a statement on Bloomquist’s death, saying that the legendary driver’s “passion for the sport and innovative spirit will be sorely missed by all.”
The county rescue team first reported the crash on Facebook at 7:47 a.m. on Friday.
Bloomquist was known as one of the best dirt Super Late Model drivers from the late 1980s through the 2010s, winning 33 World of Outlaws Late Model races, 94 Lucas Oil Late Model races and a long list of accomplishments on dirt, most recently winning the Lucas Oil Late Model Series season title in 2016.
Tributes from Bloomquist’s friends and competitors were posted on social media throughout Friday morning.
“Scott Bloomquist was one of a kind and probably the smartest guy I’ve ever met when it comes to dirt racing. What he could do behind the wheel of a race car was surpassed by the ingenuity he put into building his race cars. He was a force on and off the track, with a personality as big as his list of accomplishments. He made dirt racing better with a presence that will be greatly missed,” wrote former NASCAR champion Tony Stewart on X, formerly known as Twitter.
