USAC racing champion Bobby East fatally stabbed in California; suspect killed

WESTMINSTER, Calif. — Bobby East, a three-time U.S. Auto Club champion, was fatally stabbed at a California gas station earlier this week, racing officials confirmed. He was 37.

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According to a news release from USAC officials and police in Westminster, East died Wednesday after being stabbed in the chest, Fox News reported. It is unclear what led to East’s stabbing, and the Westminster Police Department did not officially release the victim’s name pending notification of next-of-kin. USAC identified East as the victim but did not reference the stabbing.

Update 5:07 p.m. EDT July 16: Trent William Millsap, a man police were seeking in the stabbing death of former USAC driver Bobby East earlier this week, was killed by police in an Anaheim apartment on Friday night, authorities said.

Millsap, 27, was taken to UCI Medical Center, Westminster police Deputy Chief Cameron Knauerhaze told The Orange County Register on Saturday.

A SWAT team went the apartment on Friday night to serve search and arrest warrants, Westminster police Cmdr. Kevin MacCormick said.

Gunfire was exchanged while officers attempted to serve the warrants, the Register reported. It was unclear what led to the shooting.

Police believe Millsap and East may have been acquaintances, but no motive has been given, according to the newspaper.

Original report: According to a news release from the police department, officers responded to the gas station at about 5:51 p.m. PDT. Officers attempted life-saving measures at the scene until paramedics arrived, and the victim was taken to a local trauma center, where he later died.

Police said Trent William Millsap, 27, is a suspect in the case. Millsap, who allegedly fled the area, is wanted on an outstanding parole warrant.

Westminster police also said Millsap is homeless, KABC-TV reported.

East, who was born in Torrance, California, but made his home in Brownsburg, Indiana, won 56 USAC-sanctioned feature races, including 48 in national divisions, USAC said in a news release.

East won a national driving title in 2004 in USAC’s National Midget division and won back-to-back USAC Silver Crown titles in 2012 and 2013, USAC said.

“East was phenomenal in USAC National Sprint Cars as well, most notably on pavement tracks,” the USAC said in a Friday statement.

East won 15 races in the series, beginning with a 2003 triumph at the Mansfield Motorsports Speedway in Ohio. He also won the Milwaukee Mile in 2005, in what is still the last USAC event on a 1-mile track.

When he was 16, East became the youngest USAC national feature winner when he captured a series race at Indiana’s Illiana Motor Speedway in 2001, USAC said.

He won three races that year to earn the series’ rookie of the year honors.

East switched to stock car racing in 2005, racing in ARCA’s Menards Series, Speed Sport reported. He competed in the NASCAR Xfinity series in 2007 and raced in NASCAR’s Truck Series the following year.

In 2012, East became only the ninth driver in USAC history to win on dirt and pavement tracks in the three top categories: Silver Crown, National Sprint Car and National Midget, Autoweek reported.

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