Scott Bloomquist

Bloomquist was the son of an airplane pilot for Air Cal. While stationed in California, Bloomquist's father was invited to see his coworker race a stock car. The elder Bloomquist thought he should give racing a try, so he bought a race car, a motor, and some old tires. He tried racing, and decided to give the race car to his son, Scott.^[3] Scott Bloomquist's first race was at Corona Raceway in Corona, California, in August 1980.^[1] He won several races and the track championship in 1982.^[3]

In 1983, he heard about a $4,000-to-win race at the speedway in Chula Vista, California. He saw a picture of a flat-wedge-shaped race car that Charlie Swartz had used to win the Dirt Track World Championship in 1982 and decided to build a race car like it for the Chula Vista race. Bloomquist won the race, lapping the field twice in the process.^[3]

After the race, his father wanted to sell the car, since it was worth a lot of money. The two reached an agreement where the father would gradually be paid for the car if the newly graduated Scott Bloomquist would work at his father's new farm, across the country in Tennessee. He traded his 1957 Chevy for a truck and race hauler. After arriving in Tennessee, he crashed the car in qualifying at Newport Speedway. He worked for his father until he had enough money to repair the car. He won some races, earning just enough money to continue racing.^[3]

The next year, he decided to race with a new car at the Kingsport, Tennessee, Speedway, which had begun hosting a $2,500-to-win event every Saturday night. "I come rolling into the race with my dad and there sits Larry Moore," Bloomquist said. "He was the fastest guy in dirt late model racing and there he sits. And my dad says, 'Well, there goes that $2,500.'"^[3] Bloomquist qualified second-fastest behind Moore and started out on Moore's outside in the first row.^[3]

Bloomquist used the winnings to improve his race car. He continued working on his father's farm to pay off his original race car. He began attending races with $2,000 purses that were held 100 miles (160 km) from his home.^[3]

In 1988, he raced at Eldora Speedway's World 100 against three-time winner and favorite Jeff Purvis. After qualifying for the feature, which is unusual for a rookie, he started seventh. Purvis took the lead early in the race. Bloomquist slowly caught Purvis and passed him for the win. Some people considered his win a fluke until Bloomquist took the pole position the following year and won the race again in 1990.^[3]

He raced in the Hav-A-Tampa series from 1993 to 1996, winning the national touring series in 1994 and 1995.^[3] He led 1996 in points until he lost all of his points for bumping another car under caution. He had 60 wins in the series during that time; the second place driver had 18 wins.^[3]

In 1997, with problems both on and off the track, he left racing and started reading. He read about the human body and mind. After the time away, he returned to racing a changed person. He took all of his sponsors off the car and used only black and white paint. He changed from his familiar number 18 to number 0. He put the yin yang symbol in the middle of the "0" to represent the balance that he had found in his life. He later raced the number "0" car with a skull and crossbones through the middle of the number.^[4]

In 2003, Bloomquist competed full-time in the Xtreme Dirt Car Series, formerly the Hav-A-Tampa Series, and won his fifth championship. In 2004, he raced in the World of Outlaws Late Model Series and won the season championship.

He was named the 2006 RPM Racing News driver of the year. That year, he won The Dream ($100,000), Topless 100 ($45,000), Scorcher 100 ($20,000), Racefest ($20,000), Dixie Shootout ($15,000), and the Cedar Lake Nationals ($50,000). He also had nine wins in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series.^[5]

Bloomquist returned to series racing and won the 2009 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series championship.^[6] He returned to the series in 2010, defending his points championship.^[6] Bloomquist was the series runner-up for 2011, scoring 15 victories. He also scored combined earnings of over $272,000 for the year.

In 2016, he was the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series champion.^{[citation needed]} His 2019 season was delayed after injuries sustained in a street crash.^{[citation needed]} He returned to action in June 2019 with teammate Chris Madden and had limited success while recovering from his injuries.^{[citation needed]}

In 2020, he teamed with Chris Madden, obtained sponsorship from Drydene, and competed in the World of Outlaws Late Model Series.^{[citation needed]} In 2021, Bloomquist offered his ride to dirt modified standout Nick Hoffman of Mooresville, North Carolina, after lingering medical issues made it impossible for him to continue driving the Team Zero house car.^{[citation needed]} In 2022, Bloomquist drove a very limited schedule due to medical issues (specifically back problems).^{[citation needed]} Scott put his 2023 racing season on hold to undergo back surgery.^{[citation needed]} In 2024, Bloomquist made his return to racing at the Eldora Speedway in the Terry Wolfenbarger–owned Team Zero Chassis. After contact with fellow racer Shannon Babb, Bloomquist crashed into the backstretch wall, causing unrepairable damage to the Team Zero car, and fell short of the opportunity to win his record ninth Dirt Late Model Dream.^[7]

In 2002, Bloomquist was in the second induction class of the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame in Union, Kentucky.^{[citation needed]}

Quick facts Company type, Industry ...

Team Zero Race Cars

Company type	Private
Industry	Automotive
Founded	December 1, 2003; 22 years ago (2003-12-01) in Mooresburg, Tennessee, U.S.
Founders	Scott Bloomquist
Defunct	2024
Headquarters	Mooresburg, Tennessee , United States
Products	Chassis
Website	www.teamzeroracecars.com

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Team Zero Race Cars was a chassis company based out of Mooresburg, Tennessee, founded in 2003 by Scott Bloomquist.^[1][4]

Bloomquist had a daughter, Ariel Rouse Bloomquist.^[1]

Bloomquist died on August 16, 2024, at age 60, after his personal vintage airplane, a Piper J-3 Cub,^[13] crashed near his home in Mooresburg, Tennessee.^[14] NASCAR Cup Series driver Tyler Reddick, whom Bloomquist had mentored early in his career, dedicated his win at Michigan International Speedway the following weekend to Bloomquist.^[15]

In June 2025, the NTSB released a report citing that the probable cause of the plane crash was "the intentional flight into a building as an act of suicide".^[16] Bloomquist had received flying lessons in his youth,^[17] but did not have a pilot's license.^[18]