By Jordan DeLucia
Scott Bloomquist is back. Back to the top of the leaderboard with the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series alongside Brandon Overton, who were both fastest on Low-E Insulation Qualifying Night at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.
Bloomquist, the 59-year-old National Dirt Late Model Hall-of-Famer from Mooresburg, TN, laid down a lap of 15.648 seconds in Wednesday’s second Qualifying session, earning him the Simpson Race Products Quick Time Award and putting him on the pole for CASE No. 1 Engine Oil Heat Race #1 for Friday’s portion of the World of Outlaws World Finals.
“It makes me feel pretty good, really,” Bloomquist said.
It’s been tough sledding for the former World of Outlaws champion this year, as effects from multiple health issues have kept him sidelined for nearly the entire season. Last month, Bloomquist made public his plans to return to the seat for the first time since early January, piloting a Team Zero Race Car owned by former Florida racer Devin Jones.
In only their second race weekend together, against a deep roster of the nation’s best dirt Late Model racers, Bloomquist sent an early, strong message to all 73 other competitors in the pit area – he’s still here, still capable, and still giving it everything he’s got in pursuit of victory.
“I’m absolutely sure we’re going to be able to contend – I’ve never had a doubt,” Bloomquist said. “I go to a race to win it. I felt like we came here and did everything we could do to win this race.”
It’s been since 2018 The Dirt Track at Charlotte was treated to a Bloomquist Feature win. He’ll continue to fight for another win through injury this weekend as he still deals with the effects of a race shop incident that crushed his left foot before returning to action last month.
“Beautiful thing about right now I that I don’t have to use it much because you hardly lift at all,” Bloomquist said. “What braking there you do is very light.
“My biggest issue is I’ve got the broken toes, and then back from the toes is still broken. I’m going to put something in my shoe tomorrow where I can’t bend my toes at all, because if I have to bend them with the brake pedal the entire Feature, I’m sure they’re going to be all swollen again, and most of the swelling has gone away. So far, I haven’t had to take any pain pills, and I feel pretty comfortable looking forward to it.”
On the pole for the fourth Heat Race of Thursday’s World Finals program is Brandon Overton, who also collected a Simpson Race Products Quick Time Award with his best lap of 15.091 in Group B of the first Qualifying session.
Overton, 32, of Evans, GA, has grown to be one of dirt Late Model racing’s most dominant drivers since his days as the 2015 World of Outlaws Rookie of the Year, with several high-profile event wins over the past three seasons. But he and Wells Motorsports have experienced cooler temperatures in 2023 with limited success on the national Late Model scene compared to years previous. Still, he and the team continue the fight and feel good about their chances this weekend.
“We need a good run – for my team and all our supporters,” Overton said. “It ain’t no secret we haven’t done as good as we have the last couple years, so to end it off strong here would be nice for all of us.”
Other notable Qualifying efforts include a Group-A quick time from Mike Marlar in the Thursday session, turning a best lap of 15.117. The 2018 Series champion from Winfield, TN, is making his debut with Iowa-based Skyline Motorsports this weekend and will lead the first Heat to green on Thursday.
Dale McDowell, of Chickamauga, GA, claimed the pole of Heat 4 on Friday with a quick time in Group B, turning a lap of 15.696. The veteran racer seeks his first Series victory of the year and first with the Outlaws at The Dirt Track this weekend.
By taking the green flag in Wednesday Qualifying, Bobby Pierce has mathematically clinched the 2023 World of Outlaws points championship in his first season as part of the national tour’s full-time roster. However, he’ll have some work to do in his Heats on both nights, qualifying 12th in the Thursday session and 14th in the Friday session as he vies for his first career win at The Dirt Track.
Fellow first-year Series full-timer Nick Hoffman, of Mooresville, NC, has also clinched his special honor, officially locking up the 2023 Germfree Rookie of the Year Award. He’ll have a front-row starting spot for each of his Heats after a fifth-best lap in his Thursday Qualifying session and a runner-up to McDowell’s lap in Friday’s session.
UP NEXT: The World of Outlaws CASE Construction Equipment Late Model Series returns to The Dirt Track at Charlotte for night two of the World of Outlaws World Finals, and first night of Feature action, on Thursday, Nov. 2. For tickets, CLICK HERE.
If you can’t make it to the track, you can watch all the action live on DIRTVision.
THURSDAY QUALIFYING RESULTS:
Thursday’s Qualifying Group A (2 Laps): 1. 157-Mike Marlar, 00:15.117[36]; 2. 44-Chris Madden, 00:15.139[14]; 3. 97-Cade Dillard, 00:15.190[26]; 4. 1-Hudson O’Neal, 00:15.295[28]; 5. 9-Nick Hoffman, 00:15.301[30]; 6. 1T-Tyler Erb, 00:15.311[29]; 7. 57-Zack Mitchell, 00:15.336[21]; 8. 8-Brian Shirley, 00:15.374[19]; 9. 25Z-Mason Zeigler, 00:15.382[10]; 10. 96V-Tanner English, 00:15.392[2]; 11. 40B-Kyle Bronson, 00:15.403[6]; 12. 32-Bobby Pierce, 00:15.407[13]; 13. 22-Chris Ferguson, 00:15.431[12]; 14. 7T-Drake Troutman, 00:15.482[9]; 15. 28-Dennis Erb Jr, 00:15.495[33]; 16. J4-John Garvin Jr, 00:15.505[8]; 17. B5-Brandon Sheppard, 00:15.509[23]; 18. 39-Tim McCreadie, 00:15.516[22]; 19. 66C-Matt Cosner, 00:15.537[35]; 20. 49-Jonathan Davenport, 00:15.554[7]; 21. 119-Bryan Bernheisel, 00:15.559[16]; 22. 20-Jimmy Owens, 00:15.601[20]; 23. 06-Mike Lupfer, 00:15.605[18]; 24. 28C-Tyler Carpenter, 00:15.650[11]; 25. 89-Logan Roberson, 00:15.695[34]; 26. 187-David McCoy, 00:15.709[31]; 27. 101-Forrest Trent, 00:15.716[24]; 28. 19R-Ryan Gustin, 00:15.835[17]; 29. C4-Freddie Carpenter, 00:15.881[15]; 30. 5B-Ross Bailes, 00:15.913[25]; 31. 214-Haiden Cowan, 00:15.917[27]; 32. B1-Brent Larson, 00:15.972[1]; 33. 2-Dan Stone, 00:15.991[37]; 34. 22*-GR Smith, 00:16.046[3]; 35. 11-Gordy Gundaker, 00:16.225[32]; 36. 12R-Jack Harmon, 00:18.087[5]; 37. (DQ) 15K-Cody Overton, 00:15.970[4]
Thursday’s Qualifying Group B (2 Laps): 1. 76-Brandon Overton, 00:15.091[4]; 2. 174-Ethan Dotson, 00:15.431[3]; 3. 17M-Dale McDowell, 00:15.491[30]; 4. 55-Benji Hicks, 00:15.495[6]; 5. 19M-Spencer Hughes, 00:15.507[16]; 6. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr, 00:15.573[31]; 7. 25-Shane Clanton, 00:15.665[25]; 8. 18D-Daulton Wilson, 00:15.687[35]; 9. 79-Donald McIntosh, 00:15.691[23]; 10. 18-Chase Junghans, 00:15.726[15]; 11. 00-Carson Ferguson, 00:15.768[34]; 12. 0-Scott Bloomquist, 00:15.769[13]; 13. 19-Gavin Cowan, 00:15.771[20]; 14. 21-Robby Hensley, 00:15.794[36]; 15. 10-Garrett Smith, 00:15.818[1]; 16. 16-Ben Watkins, 00:15.929[10]; 17. 7W-Ricky Weiss, 00:15.942[9]; 18. 88-Trent Ivey, 00:15.951[32]; 19. 75-Daniel Adam, 00:15.961[5]; 20. 28B-Carson Brown, 00:15.976[7]; 21. 11AK-Austin Kirkpatrick, 00:15.992[12]; 22. 4P-John Price, 00:15.996[18]; 23. 25B-Mike Benedum, 00:16.043[14]; 24. 54-David Breazeale, 00:16.050[8]; 25. 11H-Keith Jackson, 00:16.075[22]; 26. 114-Jordan Koehler, 00:16.163[24]; 27. 7-Dalton Jacobs, 00:16.166[28]; 28. 30-Todd Cooney, 00:16.179[37]; 29. 5-John Eller, 00:16.312[19]; 30. 421-Anthony Sanders, 00:16.391[27]; 31. 14W-Dustin Walker, 00:16.396[2]; 32. 24-Tyler Wyant, 00:16.590[33]; 33. 20K-Colin Knaub, 00:16.752[26]; 34. 07-Brian Ledbetter, 00:17.024[29]; 35. 1L-Chuckie Lepsch, 00:17.218[21]; 36. 12-Joe Leavell, 00:17.218[11]; 37. (DQ) 8S-Kyle Strickler, 00:16.294[17].
FRIDAY QUALIFYING RESULTS:
Friday’s Qualifying Group A (2 Laps): 1. 0-Scott Bloomquist, 00:15.648[13]; 2. 44-Chris Madden, 00:15.741[14]; 3. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr, 00:15.766[26]; 4. 7T-Drake Troutman, 00:15.785[7]; 5. 8-Brian Shirley, 00:15.799[3]; 6. 157-Mike Marlar, 00:15.832[15]; 7. 18D-Daulton Wilson, 00:15.898[29]; 8. 15K-Cody Overton, 00:15.925[4]; 9. 25-Shane Clanton, 00:15.944[36]; 10. 76-Brandon Overton, 00:15.949[16]; 11. 1T-Tyler Erb, 00:15.957[12]; 12. 174-Ethan Dotson, 00:15.999[25]; 13. 18-Chase Junghans, 00:16.022[30]; 14. 32-Bobby Pierce, 00:16.100[28]; 15. 55-Benji Hicks, 00:16.110[21]; 16. 119-Bryan Bernheisel, 00:16.145[1]; 17. 21-Robby Hensley, 00:16.178[6]; 18. 89-Logan Roberson, 00:16.190[22]; 19. 22-Chris Ferguson, 00:16.202[34]; 20. 28B-Carson Brown, 00:16.230[19]; 21. 7W-Ricky Weiss, 00:16.263[35]; 22. C4-Freddie Carpenter, 00:16.312[32]; 23. 28C-Tyler Carpenter, 00:16.380[18]; 24. 11-Gordy Gundaker, 00:16.487[31]; 25. 75-Daniel Adam, 00:16.493[5]; 26. J4-John Garvin Jr, 00:16.510[24]; 27. 54-David Breazeale, 00:16.517[27]; 28. B1-Brent Larson, 00:16.548[10]; 29. 19-Gavin Cowan, 00:16.566[11]; 30. 14W-Dustin Walker, 00:16.747[23]; 31. 06-Mike Lupfer, 00:16.815[37]; 32. 1L-Chuckie Lepsch, 00:16.854[8]; 33. 20K-Colin Knaub, 00:16.869[17]; 34. 07-Brian Ledbetter, 00:17.017[20]; 35. 5-John Eller, 00:17.017[2]; 36. 12-Joe Leavell, 00:17.017[9]; 37. 11H-Keith Jackson, 00:17.017[33]
Friday’s Qualifying Group B (2 Laps): 1. 17M-Dale McDowell, 00:15.696[15]; 2. 9-Nick Hoffman, 00:15.858[16]; 3. 10-Garrett Smith, 00:15.925[30]; 4. 39-Tim McCreadie, 00:15.963[18]; 5. B5-Brandon Sheppard, 00:15.982[24]; 6. 88-Trent Ivey, 00:15.997[7]; 7. 25Z-Mason Zeigler, 00:16.019[33]; 8. 97-Cade Dillard, 00:16.028[19]; 9. 00-Carson Ferguson, 00:16.042[10]; 10. 20-Jimmy Owens, 00:16.054[13]; 11. 79-Donald McIntosh, 00:16.068[1]; 12. 40B-Kyle Bronson, 00:16.078[34]; 13. 57-Zack Mitchell, 00:16.103[36]; 14. 19M-Spencer Hughes, 00:16.109[9]; 15. 28-Dennis Erb Jr, 00:16.135[12]; 16. 49-Jonathan Davenport, 00:16.141[35]; 17. 1-Hudson O’Neal, 00:16.152[20]; 18. 101-Forrest Trent, 00:16.299[14]; 19. 66C-Matt Cosner, 00:16.357[25]; 20. 25B-Mike Benedum, 00:16.379[22]; 21. 96V-Tanner English, 00:16.402[5]; 22. 11AK-Austin Kirkpatrick, 00:16.462[23]; 23. 187-David McCoy, 00:16.501[3]; 24. 8S-Kyle Strickler, 00:16.519[2]; 25. 19R-Ryan Gustin, 00:16.520[17]; 26. 4P-John Price, 00:16.531[4]; 27. 16-Ben Watkins, 00:16.593[6]; 28. 114-Jordan Koehler, 00:16.593[27]; 29. 421-Anthony Sanders, 00:16.801[8]; 30. 24-Tyler Wyant, 00:16.804[29]; 31. 22*-GR Smith, 00:16.858[32]; 32. 30-Todd Cooney, 00:17.000[11]; 33. 2-Dan Stone, 00:17.019[28]; 34. 5B-Ross Bailes, 00:17.039[26]; 35. 12R-Jack Harmon, 00:17.154[21]; 36. 214-Haiden Cowan, 00:17.254[37]; 37. 7-Dalton Jacobs, 00:17.254[31]
