Bloomquist confirmed the missed drug test; Attempted to make up the test – Arm injury update: It might force him to sit out
On Friday afternoon, Eldora Speedway hosted a rare daytime race at the track. The first night of The Dream was rained out and rescheduled for noon the next day. Bloomquist finished 3rd in the main event.
Just hours later, ahead of the event on Friday night, Drug Free Sport conducted urine tests at the.5-mile dirt track of Eldora Speedway. Multiple Dirt Late Model Dream contenders were brought in for a test sample.
“Eldora Speedway, Inc., is a DIRTcar-sanctioned speedway and a supporter of World Racing Group’s partnership with the National Center for Drug Free Sport (Drug Free Sport). Drivers competing in events at Eldora are subject to random drug-testing conducted by Drug Free Sport per the Random Drug-Testing Policy.”
“As a true independent third-party administrator, Drug Free Sport ensures the drug-testing program separates collection and testing from the laboratory, providing World of Outlaws and drivers the highest level of impartiality and confidentiality within all phases of the program, and eliminating any real or perceived conflict of interest.”
What are they testing for? Amphetamine/Methamphetamine Cocaine Marijuana Opiates Barbiturates Benzodiazepines Ecstasy (MDMA) Oxycodone (incl. OxyContin®).
Scott Bloomquist was notified by DIRTcar officials that he was one of those drivers selected for urinalysis. However, he never produced the sample.
Why? At this point, Bloomquist was no longer at the Ohio speedway. Instead, he was in a hospital in Greensboro.
He slipped at the tongue of his trailer during the rain delay. He then fell backwards and placed his arm behind him to catch his fall. That twisted his arm behind him which resulted in a torn rotator cuff injury that sent the #0 driver to the local hospital.
As qualifying got underway, Bloomquist’s car was still under the car cover. As the third heat race was set to begin, the #0 car was in the box. Team Zero was loaded up, in the hauler and under lock.
Bloomquist never made it to the track on Friday night. The defending Dirt Late Model Dream winner would start Saturday in a hole, if allowed. At this point he was near last place in weekend points.
Saturday
Upon his return on Saturday, Bloomquist offered to complete the urine test that he missed out on. However, the medical staff from Drug Free Sport wasn’t at the track on Saturday.
Speedway officials declared it wasn’t necessary. Instead, he only needed to supply proof of a medical report to be clear to race on the final night of the Dirt Late Model Dream at Eldora.
The #0 driver provided the correct medical documents from his visit to the emergency room. He was then able to race on Saturday in Rossburg, OH. He was near last in the points from the weekend ahead of the final day. Despite the 3rd place finish in the Friday afternoon main, he had to race his way in.
Bloomquist was given prescription drugs and medical patches by the doctor for his shoulder injury. That was enough to aid him through the final day of the event at Eldora.
Some pain meds are against the rules as well. The prescription Bloomquist was given was approved by DIRTcar officials. He made sure they were in compliance.
Bloomquist started last in his heat race on Saturday, he drove to 3rd and confirmed his starting position in the $100,000 main event. He would start 15th.
By lap 14, he climbed from 15th to the top 5. By lap 35, he charged to the front and raced side by side with Jonathan Davenport. Bloomquist dominated from that point forward.
He claimed his 8th Dirt Late Model Dream victory. It was his 14th top-5 finish in the event.
“I’ve got enough patches on my shoulder here and they prescribed some stuff for pain — Everything’s been pretty good tonight,” Bloomquist stated from victory lane at Eldora Speedway.
“I’ve got a muscle torn in my right shoulder which is not near as bad as the left rotator cuff. I got a doctor at home that says I need surgery. But, he’s trying to nurse me through — He’ll probably get me through my career,” Bloomquist says with a laugh.
“I’m afraid I almost thought I was going to have to leave to go get surgery, this week. We’ll just have to wait and see once the pain comes back. We’ll see what the pain’s going to do.”
“I’ll probably have to schedule it for this November when the season ends and just go ahead and bite the bullet. The problem is, I don’t have many — I think it’s like 12 weeks to recover. You know, it’s hard to figure out what races to miss,” he concluded from victory lane.
The drug test portion of this article was written days ago based on rumors I was told. I elected to wait it out and get confirmation from Scott to make sure I had the story correct instead of being first. Most of the above was already assumed by many, now it’s confirmed.
View the latest update on the injury below.
Bloomquist Arm Injury
Update
After Eldora, Bloomquist stated that he would visit the doctor back at home in Tennessee to have it looked at. I caught up with him at Magnolia Motor Speedway on June 15, 2018.
“It’s really torn more than it’s ever been. I can’t really try to run for the championship. If it gets any worse, we’re just going to have to sit it out,” Scott Bloomquist told RacingNews.co .
“I didn’t fall on it. I slipped, I put it down to catch myself and that pulled it back. I tore it the other way.”
“My other tears have been from racing. They’re more to the front. This one, it tore the front but it also tore the top back.”
Now he has multiple tears in his shoulder. He was already needing shoulder surgery before this incident at Eldora Speedway. Shoulder surgery would take about 12 weeks of recovery.
Currently, Bloomquist is 2nd in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series standings.
More
Related: Scott Bloomquist comments from victory lane at Eldora Speedway
Related: 2018 Dirt Late Model Dream Results: Saturday
Related: Dirt Late Model Dream Results: Friday
Related: Dirt Late Model Dream Results: Thursday Makeup
Related: 2017 Dirt Late Model Dream Results
Related: LOLMDS releases new ‘Bloomquist rule’
Related: Scott Bloomquist tells the fascinating story of the #0
Related: Scott Bloomquist comments on bullrings and big tracks
Related: Scott Bloomquist won the B Main in the Show-Me 100 on 3 wheels (Video)
Related: Spencer Gallagher suspended from NASCAR after winning the race and failing a drug test
Related: Driver fails drug test following the 2017 Dirt Late Model Dream
Related: Driver refuses WoO drug test, suspended
Related: World of Outlaws announce drug testing program
Related: Post lawsuit, Scott Bloomquist discusses driver suspensions
Links
Scott Bloomquist | Eldora Speedway | DIRTcar | Drug Free Sport | LOLMDS
