Brownstown Speedway
Bloomquist's 500th pays $20,000 at Jackson 100
Scott Bloomquist breaks out the bubbly. (Eric Thompson)
BROWNSTOWN, Ind. (Sept. 25) — In a career full of milestones, Scott Bloomquist hit a big one Saturday night at Brownstown Speedway. Leading all but three laps of the Jackson 100, Bloomquist roared to his 500th career Dirt Late Model feature victory, earning $20,000 in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. | Video | Slideshow
Bloomquist, winning Brownstown's biggest race for the third time but first since '91, stretched his series points lead and enjoyed a champagne-spraying celebration in victory lane at the quarter-mile oval in southern Indiana.
"I have to thank so many people for getting to 500 wins," the 46-year-old Bloomquist said. "I wish (long-time sponsors) Bob and Barb Miller were here to see this, they have been such an important part of my career. My wife, daughter, and my mom are here so I am glad they got to see this.
"To win No. 500 here at Brownstown is special. It has been one of my favorite tracks to run on in my career — somebody said we got our 200th win here in 1991. The first time I came here, I don't think I even made the race. The locals were so tough here to beat and with all the traveling guys racing it was quite a chore just to get into the field."
Three-time Jackson 100 winner Don O'Neal of Martinsville, Ind., led the first three laps and ended up in second while Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., was third. Former race winner Matt Miller of Waterville, Ohio, was fourth and Chris Wall of Springfield, La., rounded out the top five finishers.
Bloomquist, who started in third in the 100-lap affair, took the lead from O'Neal on the fourth circuit. Owens took over the second spot on lap six and challenged Bloomquist for the lead up until lap 11, when O'Neal regained the second spot. O'Neal then picked the pace as the top three put on quite a show for the race lead.
Bloomquist entered heavy traffic by lap 26, but a lap-40 caution gave the leader clear racetrack On the restart Bloomquist pulled away from O'Neal and Owens as he set sail throughout the middle stages.
But his 12-length lead nearly disappeared with 25 laps remaining as Bloomquist struggled while negotiating lapped traffic.
Bloomquist worked his way through the lapped cars and put plenty of distance between himself and O'Neal by the time the checkers flew.
Three cautions slowed the race, first for Zack Dohm on the ninth lap. Dale McDowell, the race's first retiree, drew a lap-11 yellow and Earl Pearson Jr. was part of the final caution on lap 40.
Notes: Bloomquist's self-designed chassis has a Roush Yates Engine and sponsorship from Miller Bros. Construction, Hawkeye Trucking, and Sweet Mfg. ... With the victory, Bloomquist stretched his lead in Lucas Oil title chase to 260 points over Owens. ... During intermission, Lucas Oil Series announcer and former Brownstown promoter and announcer James Essex, of Hope, Ind., was inducted into the Brownstown Speedway Hall of Fame. Essex began his announcing career as a 14-year-old at Brownstown and worked at the track 21 years before beginning his touring career. ... Earl Pearson Jr.'s 23rd-to-eighth run netted him PBM-Erson Cams Hard Charger honors. ... Among drivers failing to make the feature: Mike Jewell, Scott James, Shannon Babb, Steve Barnett, Justin Rattliff, Rick Aukland, Greg Johnson, Jim Curry, Joe Janowski, Dustin Neat, Zak Blackwood, Jon Henry, John Mason and Frankie Coomer. ... The Lucas Oil Series wraps up the season in Georgia with Oct. 9-10 events at Dixie Speedway in Woodstock and Rome International Speedway.
Jackson 100: (1) Scott Bloomquist, (2) Don O'Neal, (3) Jimmy Owens, (4) Matt Miller, (5) Chris Wall, (6) Bart Hartman, (7) Jeep Van Wormer, (8) Earl Pearson Jr., (9) Dan Schlieper, (10) Tyler Reddick, (11) Brad Neat, (12) Josh McGuire, (13) Donnie Moran, (14) Chris Brown, (15) John Blankenship, (16) Tim Isenberg, (17) Eric Wells, (18) Jason Smith, (19) Zack Dohm, (20) Steve Casebolt, (21) Mark Barber, (22) Rod Conley, (23) Ray Cook, (24) John Gill, (25) Dale McDowell. Fast qualifier (among 52 cars): Casebolt, 15.289 seconds. Heat race winners: O'Neal, Bloomquist, Wall, Owens. Consolation winners: Dohm, Moran. Provisional starters: Pearson, Isenberg, J. Smith.
