Racing expert and longtime friend of Bloomquist talk about his legacy

(WJHL) – Race fans, sports writers, and those who personally knew Scott Bloomquist are honoring his legacy. Many have shared tributes about how they want him to be remembered.

Jeff Birchfield is a local sports writer for Johnson City Press and Kingsport Times News. He’s covered multiple races where Bloomquist was the first to the checkered flag.

“His racing style is pretty aggressive,” Birchfield said. “Scott, like I said, a lot of people compared him to Dale Earnhardt as far as in super late model racing. He’s one of the biggest stars, if not the biggest star of all time, who won over 600 races, won eight national championships, won 12 times at Eldora in their two main races. Eldora is, you know, sort of the kingpin of dirt tracks and stuff. Plus, he won at Bristol when they covered it in dirt back in the early 2000s.”

Birchfield interviewed Bloomquist many times and saw up close his passion for racing.

“Scott, he had a different personality. I compare him a lot to John Force in drag racing where you may ask him a question and you’re lucky if you got to use half of what he tells you, just get off topic and onto something else. But it’s always interesting, and Scott was a great guy to interview and all so I always enjoyed it.”

Birchfield said Bloomquist is going to be remembered as one of the greatest, if not maybe even the greatest, late model racers of all time.

“He’s definitely on that Mount Rushmore. You’d have to put him with guys like Billy Moyer and Buck Simmons. You know, Scott, the debate a lot of times rages on, on who is the absolute greatest. And, for my money, I would put it on Scott. I mean, he just won so many big races.”

Birchfield said Bloomquist’s father was a pilot at the Tri-Cities Airport, and he had spent time in the region when he was younger.

“I did an interview with him, I looked back today and it’s back in 2020, and he was talking about, he just remembered how much he enjoyed the hills of Tennessee and of course a lot of great racing here back in those days. So that’s sort of what lured him back here to East Tennessee and there to Mooresburg.”

Vic Hill, Bloomquist’s long-time friend, operator of the Volunteer Speedway and Vic Hill Racing Engines owner, said Bloomquist molded late model racing into what it is today.

“He just started winning and winning and winning,” Hill said. “And it’s like I know in the late 90s when I’m over here racing, if that guy showed up, you’re like, ‘Well, we’re running for second.'”

Both Hill and Birchfield said Bloomquist’s legacy will live on.

“Just his legacy, what he’s done, all the wins and just the people that he’s touched in the sport,” Hill said.

“I know Tony Stewart said he is the smartest dirt racer he’s ever known,” Birchfield said. “And, just a lot of people had a ton of respect. I think people will be watching clips of Scott Bloomquist for decades to come.”

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