Even in the most difficult moments, and there were many, no one foresaw this story ending this way. For many, the tragic news began with muffled and confusing telephone calls among friends. This was predictably followed by scraps of information shared on social media.
Even in the most difficult moments, and there were many, no one foresaw this story ending this way. For many, the tragic news began with muffled and confusing telephone calls among friends. This was predictably followed by scraps of information shared on social media.
For Bob and Janice East, a fun trip to New York City with their grandson, Charlie Dean Leffler, was shockingly interrupted by a call from the Hendricks County Sherriff‘s office. It was then they learned that their son had been fatally stabbed while pumping gas at an Orange County, Calif., convenience store.
Soon thereafter Trent William Millsap, described by authorities as an armed transient was shot and killed by police as they attempted to serve an arrest warrant. The East family learned their 37-year-old son was the victim of a random act.
There is much to unpack when considering the too-short life of Bobby East. He accomplished a great deal during his relatively short racing career. The wins and the championships that were accrued will lead to his enshrinement in multiple Halls of Fame. The numbers simply do not lie.
Then there are the other chapters in his biography that are marked by personal struggle, pain and a quest to carve out a life that was manageable and satisfying in a unique way. For the family, the decision to allow others a glimpse behind the curtain was not easy.
As Janice East recently noted, “Bobby isn‘t here to defend himself.”
That‘s a curious statement unless you traveled the journey alongside him. He was undoubtedly misunderstood by some, and when his issues and challenges crept into the public eye, he and his family were easy targets for armchair psychiatrists and family therapists.
In the face of this painful loss, it would be so easy for all who loved him to close ranks and try their best to move forward. However, there were far larger issues at play, and in the end Bob and Janice knew their son‘s story should be shared. The reason is simple. In their heart they knew that there were important lessons for others to hear, and thorny issues the motorsports community must confront.
Bobby East was born in December 1984 in Torrance, Calif., but spent his formative years in Indiana. After settling in the Hoosier State, Bob East established Beast Enterprises. He became one of the most renowned constructors in the country. One of the most public-facing aspects of East‘s motorsports activities was shepherding a successful fleet of midgets owned by California‘s Steve Lewis. It was a heady time.
For young Bobby East it meant regularly rubbing shoulders with some of the greatest racers of our generation. Bob and Janice tried to discourage their son from participating in the sport. It was a losing proposition. Once he started down that path one key personal trait quickly emerged.
“He was just so intense in everything he did,” Janice recalled, “and it really didn‘t matter what it was.” To illustrate, his mother remembers getting the call that her eight-year-old son had ran into a pole while playing basketball at school. It was not a simple playground mishap as the collision knocked him cold. This incident carried greater significance as time went on.
To no one‘s surprise, when Bobby East began racing quarter midgets, he was a hard-nosed and fearless competitor. Because of his ability he was tabbed to test a new car built by industry leader Bob Nervo.
“They had built this bigger faster car and when he was testing it bicycled a couple of times,” Bob East recalled. “He did not slow down and when he crashed, he hit his head on the wall. It was typical because he gave 100 percent every time he raced.”
As a result of the impact a bone fragment lodged between discs in his back requiring surgery. Unfazed, Bobby could not wait to get back behind the wheel.
Bob East faced a dilemma. Because of his talent and resources, he could easily put his son in top-flight equipment and then perform his magic with the wrenches. That‘s not the path he chose. Bobby East‘s next move was to a Kenyon midget, which is for all intents and purposes a spec car. This was a conscious choice because it was one way he could assess his son‘s abilities. There was one more critical decision. He also decided that Bobby should shoulder the burden of working on his race car.
“When he got a Kenyon car, I didn‘t touch it,” Bob East said. “I wanted him to understand just how much work racing was. When he was working on the car, I would hear him yelling and throwing tools and it was so hard not to go out there and help him. But he had to learn on his own, and he did. It was clear that this was something he really wanted to do.”