Usac: Bobby east, 3-time usac national champion, passes away
 

7/15/22 4:25 PM BOBBY EAST, 3-TIME USAC NATIONAL CHAMPION, PASSES AWAY AT 37

http://usacracing.com/news/silver-cr...ses-away-at-37

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BOBBY EAST, 3-TIME USAC NATIONAL CHAMPION, PASSES AWAY AT 37

By: Richie Murray – USAC Media

Speedway, Indiana (July 15, 2022)………Bobby East, one of the most prolific drivers of his era and a three-time USAC National Champion driver in USAC Silver Crown and Midgets, passed away on the night of July 13, 2022, in southern California.* He was just 37 years old.

Born in Torrance, Calif., but making his home throughout his racing career in Brownsburg, Ind., East captured 56 career USAC-sanctioned feature victories, 48 of them in national divisions.

In all, East racked up three USAC national driving titles, starting in 2004 with the USAC National Midgets and twice more with back-to-back USAC Silver Crown championships in 2012 and 2013.

The son of Janice and famed USAC Hall of Fame car builder Bob East, Bobby was an immediate success in his USAC career.* His first career triumph with the USAC National Midgets in 2001 at Schererville, Indiana’s Illiana Motor Speedway made Bobby the youngest USAC national feature winner ever at the time, at the age of 16.* His three winning performances in 2001 made him the winningest USAC National Midget Rookie in more than a quarter century.* Ultimately, he was rewarded as the series’ Rookie of the Year.

In his career, East totaled 22 USAC National Midget feature wins, the majority of which came for the series’ winningest team owner, Steve Lewis, and his legendary “Nine Cars.”

Undoubtedly, East’s breakthrough season arrived in 2004 when he emerged the victor of many of the most prestigious events on the series calendar, including the Hut 100 at the Terre Haute (Ind.) Action Track, the Belleville (Kan.) Midget Nationals and the Turkey Night Grand Prix at Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway en route to the series championship.

He’d tack on to his midget racing accolades in 2008 as the winner of both the Night Before the 500 at Indianapolis Raceway Park and the Copper World Classic at Phoenix International Raceway, a night in which he swept the slate of racing activity by also capturing the Silver Crown later that same evening.

East’s USAC Silver Crown success was paramount as he picked up 11 career victories, which ranks ninth all-time.* His first came at Virginia’s Richmond International Raceway in 2004 for Klatt Enterprises.* Under impending darkness, East charged from the tail to win going away in a spectacular performance at Wisconsin’s Milwaukee Mile in 2011.

The halcyon days of East’s USAC Silver Crown career came when he teamed up with Tony Stewart/Curb-Agajanian Racing and delivered consecutive series championships in 2012 and 2013.* His score in the 2012 Sumar Classic Terre Haute finale was historic as it put him on the exclusively short list of nine drivers in USAC history who’ve won on dirt and pavement tracks in all three national divisions: Silver Crown, National Sprint Car and National Midget.

The last of East’s 48 USAC National victories came in the Silver Crown series in 2013 at Colorado’s Pikes Peak International Raceway.* He made his final USAC start of any sort in the 2014 Silver Crown season finale where he led a race-high 54 laps and finished third at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse.

East was phenomenal in USAC National Sprint Cars as well, most notably on pavement tracks.* He tallied 15 wins in the series, with the first coming in 2003 at Ohio’s Mansfield Motorsports Speedway.* He also prevailed at the Milwaukee Mile in 2005 in what remains as the last USAC Sprint Car race held on a one-mile track.

*

Re: Usac: Bobby east, 3-time usac national champion, passes
 

Sad news, way too young.

Re: Usac: Bobby east, 3-time usac national champion, passes
 

Wow, Thoughts for his family. I thought he might be way older than that (I mean near fifty) Way too young. Again thoughts to family and close friends.

Saw him win his first Usac Midget race at Iliana Speedway in 2001.😢

Re: Usac: Bobby east, 3-time usac national champion, passes
 

Thoughts and prayers to the East family! Bobby was a great talent.

Many thoughts and prayers to the Bobby East family.
Bob and Janice were special caring parents. Sorry to the entire East family.

Lynn

Re: Usac: Bobby east, 3-time usac national champion, passes
 

Horrible

God's Speed Bobby.... I'm shocked honestly.

Re: Usac: Bobby east, 3-time usac national champion, passes
 

Re: Usac: Bobby east, 3-time usac national champion, passes
 

Terrible news.....I'm totally shocked. Bobby was a very nice dude. He always had time for his fans and he was a great racer. Gone way, way too soon. RIP Bobby East.

Re: Usac: Bobby east, 3-time usac national champion, passes
 

WOW :13:

I just searched for the cause and he was stabbed!
What a shame.

Sending prayers to his family and friends.

http://https://www.frontstretch.com/...st-dead-at-37/

Devastating news. Godspeed to the Beast!

Prayers to the East family and his friends 🙏🏻

Re: Usac: Bobby east, 3-time usac national champion, passes
 

I was there as well. Illiana was 15-20 minutes from my house.

No words.. He was such a talent. Does anyone know what he was doing to stay busy these days? Wife/Children?

This is just a crazy story. I know where this is. Homeless living along the freeway nearby and all the stories seem to indicate Bobby was homeless. WTH?

https://ktla.com/news/local-news/man...inster-police/

Rich C, show some respect!! Doesn't say anywhere in this article that Bobby was homeless!! R.I.P. Bobby. Enjoyed our time Racing Kenyon Cars in the late 90s & 2000! Thoughts and prayers for Bob & Janice! ❤🙏🙏

No disrespect intended at all. I'n just shocked. All the local news refer to him as a transient with some saying the two knew each other.

"When authorities arrived they found a 38-year-old male victim, believed to be a transient, that had been stabbed in the chest and began rendering aid."

Sad news thoughts and prayers to the East family 😢

Re: Usac: Bobby east, 3-time usac national champion, passes
 

It is sad, really, but, there are some things in this life that we have no control over, altho it isn't easy, we have to accept it and go on, and remember, be careful what you wish for, is what I'll always remember my Mother told me, which was hard to understand at the time, but at 85, I appreciate her words, now, more than ever. RIP Bobby, know this, you were loved while you were here!

Re: Usac: Bobby east, 3-time usac national champion, passes
 

Such a tragic ending to a very talented racer. So sorry for the East family.

Re: Usac: Bobby east, 3-time usac national champion, passes
 

I just read that they have arrested the guy that attacked Bobby while he was putting gas in his vehicle.

RIP Bobby, prayers go out to his family and friends.

Re: Usac: Bobby east, 3-time usac national champion, passes
 

TMZ Article
https://www.tmz.com/2022/07/16/nasca..._KWluT-whYR3QI


FOX News Article
https://www.foxnews.com/us/nascar-le...9Ru6wKi070L_xY

He was simply filling his car with gas

Re: Usac: Bobby east, 3-time usac national champion, passes
 

UPDATE11:05 AM PT -- Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... a SWAT team executed a search warrant at an Anaheim-area apartment Friday -- two days after East was stabbed -- where officers were informed Millsap may be holed up. During the raid, an officer-involved shooting occurred ... we're told Millsap was shot and killed on the scene as the police were trying to arrest him. The Orange County DA is investigating the shooting.

Re: Usac: Bobby east, 3-time usac national champion, passes
 

That's part of the reason that I moved out of California a couple months ago, they let criminals out early to roam the streets and do very little to help people who have serious mental issues who also roam the streets.
They come up and ask you for money and if you say no then they want to fight with you.

Re: Usac: Bobby east, 3-time usac national champion, passes
 

The police dog was injured by a gun shot during the raid. The injury was not life threatening.

Some of the comments are a reflection of what ails our culture. Fire from the hip without complete info, use of heresay, and hyperbolic words.

Re: Usac: Bobby east, 3-time usac national champion, passes
 

Glad we won’t be paying for this POS room and board for the rest of his life. Nice job law enforcement for the quick attempted apprehension and glad they are all ok. Condolences to the family.

Re: Usac: Bobby east, 3-time usac national champion, passes
 

"Bobby East" was trending on Twitter last night; definitely not something I expected to see. Sadly, this seems to have become a political wedge on that platform.

Yeah, well there's a reason why I've held my tongue as I've been blasted for my comments. Lets just say the person you guys remember isnt the same one who passed away this week. There for the grace of god go I.

Re: Usac: Bobby east, 3-time usac national champion, passes
 

88% of violent crime are repeat offenders and this guy was out when he shouldn't have been. From the cities Press release site.

WESTMINSTER, CA – On July 13, 2022, at about 5:51 pm, WPD officers responded to the 76 gas station, located at 6322 Westminster Blvd., reference a stabbing. The victim was found on the ground suffering from a serious stab wound to the chest area. Officers attempted life saving measures until OCFA paramedics arrived and transported the victim to a local trauma center, where the victim succumbed to his injury. The victim’s identity is being withheld pending notification to next of kin.

WPD detectives responded to the scene and took over the investigation. Trent William Millsap, who fled the area prior to police arrival, is suspected of stabbing the victim. Millsap also has an
outstanding parole warrant. He should be considered armed and dangerous. Millsap is transient and known to frequent Westminster, Garden Grove, and Anaheim motels.

WPD detectives are continuing the investigation in hopes of locating all evidence and witnesses and urge anyone who witnessed the crime on July 13, 2022, or knows the whereabouts of the suspect, to contact the Westminster Police Department at 714-548-3212, or Orange County Crime Stoppers at 1-855-TIP-OCCS or by logging on to www.occrimestoppers.org. Callers can remain anonymous.

Perhaps it would be more ethical and out of respect for the family to refrain from this kind of comment on social media. There may be a time, but IMO that is not now.

Re: Usac: Bobby east, 3-time usac national champion, passes
 

I think you probably should have continued holding your tongue, maybe forever