SAN FRANCISCO — Bobby East, a three-time USAC national champion driver, has died. He was 37.
The United States Auto Club announced Friday that East died Wednesday. It didn’t provide details of the death.
East, whose father was a noted short-track car builder, won SAC Silver Crown championships in 2004, 2012 and 2013.
He was just 16 in 2001 when he became the youngest driver to win a feature USAC National Midget race. He won 15 USAC races in 2004 and soon dabbled in a short NASCAR career. He made 11 career starts in what is now NASCAR’s Xfinity Series and had two top-10 finishes in 31 career Truck Series races.
“Very sad to hear of the tragic incident involving Legend USAC driver Bobby East. He was one heck of a wheelman,” tweeted former Truck Series champion Todd Bodine.