Bloomquist/Wright split?? What happened?

[dirtdobber45]

Thanks for the insights Stede. As I read, I realized I knew most of that, but just didn't have it all.I was at the Atomic Race you mentioned from 96 when HAT DQ'd Bloomquist for "contact" with Scott Sexton.I was so pumped up about the Bloomquist/Johnson team. I think like you said they underestimated the task.I think they realized this at Eldora. RJ had fast time but hit the wall in his heat. They had to do extensive repairs to his car, and didn't get Scott's ready for the feature, and I think this is the year that they were sent to the rear for the "wrong tire" that was ruled legal later. But the thrashing about to get RJ fixed caused them to be late to the grid, with no time to put a new tire on, and retain the starting spot.

That Atomic race was BS.

[xray]

Your about to read of another breakup very soon. Not my place to tell who but there is definitely problems in paradise. Let's just say two business partners havnt spoken a word since....! If I tell the weekend the problems started someone is gonna crack the puzzle. There are some pretty sharp guys on here that don't post much but keep up with all the dirt news. It will all come out before speedweeks unless amends are made.

Bet it has something to do with an arrest made around Knoxville time and wiped from this board?

[dirtdobber45]

Bet it has something to do with an arrest made around Knoxville time and wiped from this board?

Imagine that...that would be interesting

[BloomerHarvickFan]

Yes that Atomic race was total BS. First off, if they were going to DQ him for rough driving, which was the call, if I remember, that should have awarded him last place points, not the zero points they gave him.
And Scott Sexton even vouched for him that he didn't hit his car under caution..just swerved at him and revved his engine.

[Centeroff]

Good work gumshoe

[dirtdobber45]

Yes that Atomic race was total BS. First off, if they were going to DQ him for rough driving, which was the call, if I remember, that should have awarded him last place points, not the zero points they gave him.And Scott Sexton even vouched for him that he didn't hit his car under caution..just swerved at him and revved his engine.

Wasnt that about the same time there was talk that Scott was going to asphalt? I believe HT was mad about it. Got revenge

[BloomerHarvickFan]

I'm not sure if that was when the Asphalt stuff was going around, or if they were just tired of his 15-20 series wins per year.

[BloomerHarvickFan]

Here's a pic of RJ's car from that year.

[Stede Bonnet]

Thanks for taking the trip down memory lane with me. Peace.

[dirtdobber45]

I appreciate it as well

[Duke100]

I use to have a news clipping on that saved on my hard drive, if i find it I'll post it. Best I can remember it was a lot of things, both internal friction and outside forces. They are still friends today, but Scott from what I remember just wanted to make a clean break and start fresh. In the late 80's Bloomquist swept onto the national scene in a Mastersbilt leafcar and took the DLM world by storm, thrusting himself onto the map as well as Mastersbilt becoming a nationally known brand. I want to say this lasted thru 1990. 91'-92' he switched to Warrior and put them on the map as well winning races all over the map. It got so bad some car owners would try and determine where he was gonna run and go someplace else. Somewhere during this time was Bloomquist's infamous drug bust after partying with a girlfriend at his place.1993 rolls around and Bloomquist lands J&J Steel as a sponsor and announces he will be teaming with Barry Wright Race cars, already a nationally known brand from the NDRA era. In that press announcement Bloomquist stated that from the beginning of his career he had wanted to team up with Barry and hit the road and with J&J as a sponsor that was now possible. 1993, 94', & 95' were unbelievable years, Hav-A-Tampa Series was booming, Late model racing was riding a resurgence after NDRA imploded and all seemed well and then came 1996... Beginning in 1996 Scott/Barry wanted to expand the team and brought Ronnie Johnson in to be his team mate, but there were some kinks. First Scott had been tearing up the competition week-in and week-out for 3 years on the HAT tour, but some other teams stepped up too. GVS teamed with Billy Moyer, GRT had Wendell Wallace and Dale McDowell and Freddy Smith started up a new team with Clayton Christianberry, all very well funded, well prepared and professional, providing more depth to the tours competition. Freddy came out swinging and he and Bloomquist wrestled for the point lead most of the year. The hope for BWRC that teaming the Chattanooga Flash with Bloomquist would make them a juggernaut, but it didn't go down that way exactly. The funding wasn't exactly enough to competitively fund 2 cars or have enough help and they struggled. At times they seemed on the verge of breaking out, but the season got away from them. Then suddenly calls from the officials seemed to be picking on Scott(he thought so) and finally effectively handed the title to Freddy after another questionable call. it seemed that the series/sport that had once welcomed him had now grown bored with his domination. Finally to make matters worse, his drug case was still hanging over him, most everything got thrown out, but it was dragging on. At the conclusion of 1996 the writing was on the wall and they knew trying to run 2 cars again for 1997 would only put them further behind, so all parties agreed it was best they part ways with RJ and return to a single car team.Now 1997 rolls around and they have a new design car that isn't quite as fast as they wanted it and then to add insult to injury, one day at Barry's shop Scott saw a customers car that had some of his proprietary tech on it and to him it seemed like yet another violation of trust. Finally it was all too much and they agreed to part ways part way into 1997. It was at this point Scott had grown tired of fighting the court case and agreed to a plea deal and served his time with special arrangements. When he reappeared it was in a plane Black/White Rayburn, no more J&J, with his now trademark ying-yang on the door, surrounded by small 18's and wearing a beret(sp?) of sorts. He hadn't planned on changing his number to zero, but the score person scored him driving the zero and he went with it.(He talks about this in a magazine interview he did in Dirt Late Model Magazine.

Why the split with Warrior then after 2 Hav A Tampa Championships? Thanks for sharing your knowledge, I know I have that DLM magazine stored away somewhere. Hav A Tampa Series was great then, and Lucas Oil Series is great now.

[BloomerHarvickFan]

I absolutely loved the HAT races. The 2 day 100 lap format was great. Due to where we lived, we'd go several times a year. Tazewell, Atomic, Bull's Gap, Cleveland, Crossville, Smokey Mountain, North Ga, Dixie, Rome, Cherokee....been to great HAT races at all those tracks.

[dirtdobber45]

Why the split with Warrior then after 2 Hav A Tampa Championships? Thanks for sharing your knowledge, I know I have that DLM magazine stored away somewhere. Hav A Tampa Series was great then, and Lucas Oil Series is great now.

If Im not mistaking the warrior deal was over Scott didnt want his type of car (figuration) not sold to the public and the Goddards wouldnt hear it. They were out to make money. It wasnt two weeks after Scott made his debut that the Goddards brought one down to Volunteer showing it off trying to drum up customers. Funny thing one of their guys said it was an exact copy of a Mastersbilt

[BloomerHarvickFan]

At one time, Bloomquist was selling the "Bloomquist" Chassis, as well as "Rayburn by Bloomquist" wasn't he?
Didn't he hire a guy from Warrior to oversee the Bloomquist chassis shop at his place? Bruce Nunn, or something like that maybe.

[BloomerHarvickFan]

Bloomquist won alot of races in the Warrior Black Magic Chassis he worked with.

[Stede Bonnet]

At one time, Bloomquist was selling the "Bloomquist" Chassis, as well as "Rayburn by Bloomquist" wasn't he?
Didn't he hire a guy from Warrior to oversee the Bloomquist chassis shop at his place? Bruce Nunn, or something like that maybe.

There are 2 "Rayburn by Bloomquist" for sale now on racingjunk. 1-09' and 1-15'. From what I've been told there was a guy named Bruce working for him that had worked for Rayburn, it came up in a Rayburn interview. Then I was told this year that when he came out with his latest design car, "Sweet/Bloomquist" that Randy was building the chassis at his place, but I'm not 100% sure that's accurate, but it may be. The Black magic cars, the way I understood it, were a Warrior spec car with Bloomquist geometry. However an actual Bloomquist car(like he drove) during his last stint at Warrior were not available to the general public. His personal cars, even though to naked eye they looked like other Warriors, they had thicker frame rails and more bracing through out the car than the "Black Magic". I had a friend who was the chief assembler at Warrior back then and ironically he and Gary Winger(of GW performance) were part of Bloomers crew at Barry's. Jeep Van Wormer was the first person to actually get a "REAL" Bloomquist chassis, I believe that's right.

[BloomerHarvickFan]

I remember Jeep running a Bloomquist car that was basically Scott's with a 5 where the Zero on Scott's was.

[BloomerHarvickFan]

Here it is. From Ky Lake in 99

[BloomerHarvickFan]

It sounds like the Bloomquist/Warrior relationship was that they used Scott's name and publicity that comes with winning to sell Warriors and he used their facilities to build what he wanted.

[calverton]

There are 2 "Rayburn by Bloomquist" for sale now on racingjunk. 1-09' and 1-15'. From what I've been told there was a guy named Bruce working for him that had worked for Rayburn, it came up in a Rayburn interview. Then I was told this year that when he came out with his latest design car, "Sweet/Bloomquist" that Randy was building the chassis at his place, but I'm not 100% sure that's accurate, but it may be. The Black magic cars, the way I understood it, were a Warrior spec car with Bloomquist geometry. However an actual Bloomquist car(like he drove) during his last stint at Warrior were not available to the general public. His personal cars, even though to naked eye they looked like other Warriors, they had thicker frame rails and more bracing through out the car than the "Black Magic". I had a friend who was the chief assembler at Warrior back then and ironically he and Gary Winger(of GW performance) were part of Bloomers crew at Barry's. Jeep Van Wormer was the first person to actually get a "REAL" Bloomquist chassis, I believe that's right.

seen a 14 pretty pricy