Getty Bobby East (left) died on July 13 after a stabbing at a gas station.
Former NASCAR driver and three-time USAC national champion Bobby East died on July 13 after a fatal stabbing in Westminster, Calif. He was 37 years old.
According to mynewsla.com, the incident occurred at a 76 gas station at 6322 Westminster Blvd. Police were called to the station at 5:51 p.m. East sustained a stab wound to the chest, and he was rushed to an area hospital. He was pronounced dead on July 13.
Sgt. Eddie Esqueda of the Westminster Police Department said at the time that they had a suspect, Trent William Millsap. According to a press release from the WPD, the 27-year-old was a transient known to frequent Westminster, Anaheim, and Garden Grove.
“On Friday, July 15, 2022, Westminster Police Department detectives received information a wanted homicide suspect was in an apartment located in the 3300 block of Lincoln Avenue in the City of Anaheim,” said WPD Commander Kevin MacCormick in a July 16 press release.
“The West County SWAT Team responded to serve a search/arrest warrant for the suspect. During the service of the search warrant, an officer-involved shooting took place. No officers were injured; however, a police K-9 sustained a single gunshot wound that was not life threatening. The Westminster Police Department, along with members of the Orange County District Attorney’s office are currently investigating the shooting.”
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East Made History During His Racing Career
We join the rest of the racing community in mourning the loss of Bobby East this week, who raced USAC Midgets and NASCAR Trucks and Xfinity for us in the past. We offer our sincere condolences to his family, friends and fans.
East, a native of Torrance, Calif., was the son of renowned car builder Bob East. He raced in multiple motorsports series, and he achieved considerable success in one of them as a teenager.
The California native made history in 2001 when he won a USAC National Midget Series at Illiana Motor Speedway in Indiana. He captured the checkered flag at the age of 16 and became the youngest driver to win a feature in the series.
East continued to achieve success in USAC. He won 15 races in 2004, and he ended the year as the USAC National Midgets champion. He then won back-to-back USAC Silver Crown championships in 2012 and 2013. According to USAC, East’s 11 career victories are ninth all-time in the Silver Crown series.
East Made Several Starts in National NASCAR Series
GettyBobby East (front) leads during a Truck Series race in 2008.
Following a successful career in USAC, East made his move to a different style of racing. He made his debut in the ARCA Menards Series, Truck Series, and Xfinity Series in 2005 with one start in each series. He then expanded his schedule with a full-time run in the Truck Series in 2005.
East primarily drove for Wood Brothers Racing during his lone full-time season, and he posted an average finish of 22.7 while finishing all but three races. His best outing was an 11th-place run at what is now the Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park.
East finished out his NASCAR career with 10 Xfinity Series starts in 2007 and seven Truck Series starts in 2008. He posted a career-best 12th-place finish during the Xfinity Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway, and he secured two top-10 finishes for Jack Roush’s Truck Series team.
“NASCAR is saddened to learn of the tragic death of Bobby East,” the sanctioning body said in a statement. “We extend our deepest and heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Bobby, a true racer.”
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Ex-NASCAR Driver Dead at 37 After Stabbing, Suspect Killed by Police