“It's a very sad morning for me”: NASCAR legend Kenny Wallace reacts to Scott Bloomquist’s death 

NASCAR veteran Kenny Wallace expressed sorrow at the death of renowned dirt late model racer Scott Bloomquist, also known as 'Mr. Black Sunshine.' Bloomquist was declared dead after he crash-landed his vintage airplane (a 1938 Piper Cub J3C-65) on his family property in Hawkins County, Tennessee, on Friday, August 16.

Local officers found remains of Bloomquist, who was 60, inside the cockpit. However, according to a statement put out by the Hawkins County Sheriff's office, further identification will be made by the forensic team and the crash will be reviewed by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Wallace took to X (formerly Twitter) to reflect on the death of the legendary late model Hall of Famer.

"It's Friday morning, August 16th, and it is a very sad morning for me," Wallace said. "As you all know, about 2 months ago, I did a special on Scott Bloomquist. This morning, it's reported that Scott Bloomquist was flying one of his vintage airplanes and crashed-landed and died. Scott Bloomquist is dead."

"This is so hard to believe. I always thought Scott Bloomquist was different, unique, and I was always attracted towards people like that," he added with remorse.

Throughout 40 years of racing, Bloomquist amassed over 600 wins. He wheeled the No. 0 late model to the victory lane eight times in the Dirt Model Dream and four times in the World 100 at Eldora Speedway, New Weston, Ohio.

Besides that, Bloomquist had nine championship titles in various racing disciplines, the latest coming at the 2016 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series. In the Lucas Series alone, Bloomquist recorded 94 wins. He has also made one start in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (2013) and three in the ARCA Menards Series (1991).

Racing community mourns Scott Bloomquist's demise

The death of the legendary racecar driver has deeply saddened the racing community beyond NASCAR. The 2014 USAC National Midget Series champion and two-time Chili Bowl winner, Rico Abreu, recalled a moment with the departed star and posted (on X):

"Don't ever take anything for granted. It all can be gone so fast. It’s a sad day in the racing community. Scott Bloomquist was an icon. He did what he wanted, said what he wanted, and won races. I'll forever cherish this moment with Mr. Black Sunshine. Rest easy, Outlaw. ☠️🌑🌞"

Clint Bowyer, a former NASCAR Cup Series driver and a current analyst with FOX Sports, wrote:

"Sad to hear of the passing of Scott Bloomquist. The stories are endless! You simply couldn’t fit his life into just one movie, It’ll take a series! RIP #blacksunshine #noweaklinks #18 ☯️"

Bloomquist was inducted into the National Dirt Late Model Hall of Fame in 2002. He is survived by his parents, sister, and daughter. Dates for his funeral services are yet to be announced.