Originally appeared on E! Online
The racing community is in mourning.
Dirt Super Late Model race car driver Scott Bloomquist died in a plane crash at his family’s farm in Tennessee Aug. 16, authorities confirmed. He was 60.
“A single-engine Piper J3 crashed into a barn near Mooresburg, Tennessee, around 7:50 a.m. local time on Friday, August 16,” the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement. “Only the pilot was on board.”
In the wake of his passing, Scott’s friends and colleagues in the racing world have spoken out about the loss.
The group added, “The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will investigate. The NTSB will be in charge of the investigation and will provide further updates.”
The Hawkins County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement obtained by Nashville-based NBC affiliate WSMV that “unidentified remains believed to be that of Scott Bloomquist, of Mooresburg, were found in the plane.”
He is survived by his dad, Ron Bloomquist, mom Georgie Bloomquist, daughter Ariel Bloomquist and other family members and friends.
More from E! Online
“His mother Georgie just called me and wanted me to announce that he lost his life this morning,” Dirt Late Model race car driver Reid Millard, owner of Moberly Motorsports Park, wrote on Facebook. “At 7:15 EST this morning Scott was out flying his vintage airplane and had a crash on the Bloomquist family farm. The local fire department and law enforcement are still on the scene.”
Scott was born in Iowa and raised partially in California, where he began his racing career in the ’80s.
In 2022, he spoke about his flying background, saying he learned from his father, who he said used to be a commercial airline pilot.
“My dad taught me to fly,” Scott said on Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s Dale Jr. Download podcast. “I’ve got an airplane. I’ve got a Piper Cub and then me and him are halves on a Champ [Aeronca Champion], and then he builds World War I airplanes from scratch and flies him off. We got a grass runway.”
At the time, Scott also admitted that he did not have a pilot’s license himself. Current FAA records obtained by E! News show he never obtained one.
“I’ve never been pulled over yet,” he said. “I just take off from our place and land in our place. I fly under the power lines, not over them. I fly on the water. I usually fly to go look for fish. I like the striper fish.”
The racer continued, “You can spot them because their white bellies are rolling and once I find them, then it’s time to get the boat. If I don’t see any, I’ll wait for another day.”
Scott died two months after he survived a rollover car crash while racing in the Dirt Late Model Dream at Eldora Speedway in Ohio.
He climbed out of the vehicle after it was righted, gave the crowd a double victory sign wave and stepped into an ambulance, after which he was cleared by a medical team. He then jokingly told FloRacing in an interview on his trailer roof, “It’s really just another day in paradise, how’s that?”
Throughout his racing career, Scott won 94 Lucas Oil Late Model and 33 World of Outlaws Late Model races, NBC Sports reported. In 2002, he was inducted into the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame.
“We are devastated to report that one of the most charismatic and immensely talented to ever drive a Dirt Late Model tragically lost his life today in a small airplane crash at the family property in Mooresburg, TN,” the organization said in a statement. “Our deepest condolences to Scott’s family Ron, Georgie and Ariel; his loyal friends and all of his adoring fans.”
The group added, “This is a tough one for all of us. God Speed.”
Several other race car drivers also shared tributes to Scott following news of his death, including Dale, who retweeted a message from his podcast company that read, “Rest in peace, Legend.
NASCAR racer and commentator Clint Bowyer wrote, “Sad to hear of the passing of Scott Bloomquist. The stories are endless! You simply couldn’t fit his life into just one movie, It’ll take a series! RIP.”
(E! and NBC are part of the NBCUniversal family.)
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
Source Agencies
