Midwest Racing Archives: 1996 - Bloomquist claims UMP Summer Nationals win at 34

Saturday, July 16, 2016

1996 - Bloomquist claims UMP Summer Nationals win at 34

Scott Bloomquist - Photo Courtesy of Mark Jacobs

West Burlington, Iowa (July 16, 1996) - Following the $10,000 UMP Late Mode! Summer National Race, Scott Bloomquist was mobbed by several fans.

After downing a Miller Lite, the native of Mooresburg, Tenn., signed autographs while talking to hundreds of fans who had just witnessed him lead the race from start to finish Tuesday night at 34 Raceway.

It wasn't even close.

“As long as I could run my own groove, I was able to do whatever I wanted,” Bloomquist said. “We thought we had the superior car all night.”

The 40-lap feature backed up his claim.

Bloomquist was on the pole for the 20-car feature and took control of the race in the third turn of the first lap around the 3/8-mile oval. For the find part of the race he outdistanced the field by nearly five seconds. But towards the middle of the race, Bloomquist ran into a bit of trouble. His tried to get past a slower group of cars, but was held in check when there was no passing lane. And John Gill, who was running second, was gaining ground.

“Once I got into traffic, I was being a little too cautious,” Bloomquist said. “Once I got past (Jack) Boggs, I was all right.”

But Gill, a native of Mitchell, Ind., did not give up. He caught Bloomquist on the second corner of midway through the race, and nearly took the lead for good, but he, too, was caught in the traffic at the back of the pack.

“We just got held up in the traffic and we couldn't pass him,’ Gill said. “We could've caught him but we had a bent tire rod in the front when we hit a car in traffic. If I started up front, I would have won too.”

With each car mirroring each other as the race dwindled down, Bloomquist was finally able to squeeze between a pair of cars with two laps to go. Gill, however, was unable to drive past a pair of cars and keep pace with Bloomquist, who won the race easily.

“At the end of the race, harder tires were running better,” Bloomquist said.

Gill, though a little disappointed, said he was pleased to finish second. “I had a good race,” he said. “I'd like to have won but we ran well. It was a good, clean race." Billy Moyer placed third overall while Bill Frye was fourth.

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