Bobby East, a three-time USAC national championship winner who raced in NASCAR for several years in the late 2000s, died Wednesday afternoon after being stabbed at a gas station in the Los Angeles area. He was 37.
According to a report by mynewsla.com, East was filling his tank at a gas station around 5:45 pm. Local time when he had words with a homeless man who was known to be a frequent resident of the Westminster area, the man then stabbed him in the chest. Officers were sent to the petrol station, and Bariga was rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Police were looking for a suspect — 27-year-old Trent William Millsap, who according to RACER had an outstanding parole warrant — and received information Friday that Millsap was at an apartment in the Anaheim area. A SWAT team was dispatched to the scene for a search warrant, and a shootout ensued between Millsap and authorities. The ensuing shootout resulted in the death of Millsap and one non-life-threatening gunshot wound to one police dog.
The son of USAC Hall of Fame car builder Bob East, Bobby East enjoyed his success in major USAC races while also competing briefly in NASCAR for several years in the 2000s. According to Speed Sport, East became the youngest driver to ever win a USAC middleweight championship at age 16 in 2001, and went on to win the USAC championship three years later in 2004.
East then moved to what was then the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, going full season in 2006 for Wood Brothers Racing. East has made 31 career Car Series starts in all, scoring a best finish of eighth twice. He also made 11 career starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, most of which came in the 2007 season for Brewco Motorsports.
After making his last NASCAR start in 2008, East returned to USAC racing and built on his racing legacy there, winning two Silver Crown championships in 2012 and 2013. East had 48 career wins. at the national level and is one of the few drivers in the history of USAC to achieve success on dirt and paved roads in all three divisions of the nation (Silver Crown, Sprint Car and Midgets).
Before Millsap’s death, authorities asked anyone with information about the stabbing to call police at (714) 548-3212. Orange County Crime Stoppers accepts anonymous tips at (855)-TIP-OCCS.
