Legendary dirt track racer Scott Bloomquist's fatal plane crash deemed an 'act of suicide'
Dirt track Hall of Famer Scott Bloomquist attends an event April 9, 2023, at Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tenn. Bloomquist died in a plane crash Aug. 16. (Chris McDill / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Dirt track racing legend Scott Bloomquist's death in a 2024 plane crash likely was caused by "the pilot's intentional flight into a building as an act of suicide," according to a report issued this week by the National Transportation Safety Board.
Bloomquist, a 2002 National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame inductee, was the pilot and sole occupant of a a two-seat 1938 Piper J3 aircraft that crashed into a barn on his family's property Aug. 16 in Mooresburg, Tenn. He was 60.
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"The pilot departed from a private airstrip and overflew his property," states the NTSB's aviation investigation final report, which does not mention Bloomquist by name. "The airplane subsequently impacted a barn adjacent to the airstrip. The airplane sustained substantial damage, and the fuselage was mostly consumed by the postimpact fire that ensued.
"The pilot was fatally injured. ... The autopsy report listed the cause of death as blunt force injuries and the manner of death as suicide."
According to the report, Bloomquist did not have a pilot's certificate.
Bloomquist's family issued a statement to Fox Sports coinciding with the report's release.
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Read more: John Brenkus, risk-taking host of 'Sport Science,' dies after battle with depression
"At this time, the family of Scott Bloomquist is not making any public statements regarding the plane crash or the recent NTSB findings," the statement said. "They are focused on supporting one another and respectfully request privacy as they navigate this difficult period.
"We appreciate your understanding and ask that the media refrain from further inquiries at this time."
Known for his long hair and tough-guy attitude, Bloomquist started his racing career at Corona Raceway in 1980 and is said to have won more than 600 races overall. Following Bloomquist's death, Bristol Motor Speedway president and manager Jerry Caldwell said the late driver was 'arguably the greatest dirt late model racer in the sport's history.'
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Bloomquist was in a motorcycle accident in March 2019 and suffered serious injuries to his right leg and hip that would cause complications for years afterward.
In June 2023, Bloomquist told Dirt on Dirt that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, but it had been caught early. He said that he was expected to make a full recovery after surgery and treatment.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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