Bobby East – NCTS GATEWAY ADVANCE

Team: No. 09 Zaxby’s Ford F-150
Crew Chief: Chad Norris
Chassis: RK-46
Last outing: ORP in July; started first, finished 19th

East at Gateway International Raceway:

NCTS - April, 2006: Started 16th; Finished 13th; Completed 160 of 160 laps
NNS - July 2007: Started 5th; Finished 16th; Completed 199 of 200 laps

Bobby East on racing at Gateway:

“This will be my third race at Gateway, and my sixth race in the Zaxby’s Ford F-150. I like Gateway and feel like I’ve run decent there in the past. Every time I drive the Zaxby’s truck our team gets stronger and we’re getting the results to show it. At my last truck race at ORP, we won the pole and should have had a top-five finish if we hadn’t have gotten wrecked. I’ve only got two races left in the truck this season, so I have to make them count and get the results we need. Chad (Norris) and the guys have been great to work with this year and have taught me a lot.”

Crew chief Chad Norris on racing at Gateway:

“We’re looking forward to having Bobby back in the truck at Gateway. He’s already run truck and Nationwide races there the past two years so that will give him some good experience to work with.
We’re taking our ORP truck that won the pole so hopefully he can qualify just as well, but this time; get the finish to match it.”

FAST FACTS:

-East will be racing chassis 46 at Gateway. This is the same truck he won the pole and finished 19th with at ORP.

-East has two prior NASCAR starts at Gateway, one in the Nationwide Series (2007) and one in the Craftsman Truck Series (2006). His best finish is 13th in the 2006 truck race.

-In five starts in the No. 09 Zaxby’s Ford F-150, East has one pole and two top-10 finishes.

Dodge County Fairgrounds Up Next!

The ninth consecutive dirt race for the USAC Midget Car Series is set for August 29 at Dodge County FairgroundsSpeedway in Beaver Dam, Wis. Bobby and the No. 4 Klatt Enterprises/Ford Racing Technology Beast/Ford team will tackle 0.5-mile dirt oval trying to make up some ground in the race for the series title. Bobby enters the race third in the standings - 81 points behind leader Tracy Hines and six points behind second-place Cole Whitt.

After the Beaver Dam event, Bobby returns to home turf with back-to-back shows at O'Reilly Raceway Park at Indianapolis (30 laps) and Anderson Speedway (100 laps). Bobby has two wins at ORP so far in 2008 - the Night Before the 500 Midget race on May 24 and the 100-lap Silver Crown race on July 24. Bobby also scored a win in the 50-lap Midget feature at Anderson on April 6.

Bobby Second in USAC National Midget Points After Indiana Midget Week

After four races in five days on a variety of dirt tracks across the state of Indiana, Bobby sits second in the USAC National Midget Car Series championship standings. Bobby is just 33 points behind leader Tracy Hines going into the next two series events at Angell Park Speedway in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin on August 23 and 24.

Bobby Scores Second Place in Belleville

After 40 hard-fought laps around the Belleville Highbanks, Bobby crossed the line in second-place in the Speedway Motors Belleville Midget Nationals. Using the high line throughout the night, Bobby kept the No. 4 Klatt Enterprises/Ford Racing/Beast Esslinger-powered Beast right on the rail but couldn't quite catch Friday night's fast qualifier Brad Sweet. Bobby did face a serious challenge mid-race from Kevin Swindell but tire problems befell Swindell and gave Bobby clear possession of the runner-up spot.

Bobby now has a 49-point lead in the USAC National Midget Series points over Tracy Hines heading into Wednesday's event at Gas City i-69 Speedway, the opening night of Indiana Midget Week.

Bobby Wins Belleville Preliminary Feature!

Bobby started the No. 4 Klatt Enterprises/Ford Racing Esslinger-powered Beast second but led all 25 laps in Friday's preliminary feature for the 2008 Belleville Midget Nationals at the Belleville Highbanks. It is the fourth time he's won the preliminary night feature - with others coming in 2002, 2003, and 2004. He is the 2004 Belleville Midget Nationals champion.

Tonight's card at Belleville includes qualifying, heat races, and a $10,000 to win 40-lap feature. Watch all the action live on USACRacing.com - click on "Pit Pass" under the Midget tab.

-Photo courtesy Bob Jones/Highbanks.org

Bobby Finishes Fourth in Anderson Midget 400 Classic

He might not have crossed the line first but there was no doubt that Bobby had the fastest car in Saturday's Midget 400 Classic at the quarter-mile Anderson Speedway. Bobby worked his way to the lead early but a flat right front tire sent him down pit road on lap 109. After dropping down four laps to the leaders Bobby spent the next 291 laps working his way back onto the lead lap and eventually back into the top five. At the end, Bobby and the No. 4 Klatt Enterprises/Ford Racing Beast Ford crossed the line in fourth position.

Bobby will be looking for his second victory in the Belleville Midget Nationals this Friday and Saturday at the Belleville Highbanks in Belleville, Kansas.

Bobby Wins Silver Crown Race and NCTS Pole at ORP!

Bobby kicked off a busy weekend with a dominant performance in the K&N Filters USAC Silver Crown Series event, leading all 100 laps of the J.D Byrider 100 for the second consecutive year. Starting second, he jumped pole starter Shane Hmiel at the drop of the green flag and lapped all the way up to third place at the finish in a race that was slowed only two times by cautions.

"It's great to come out and get our third Silver Crown win here," Bobby said after parking the No. 6 Klatt Enterprises/Ford Racing Beast Ford in victory lane. "It's a good way to start the weekend off. We had some problems with the primary car in practice and only had a couple of laps in the backup car. As good as we were, the primary car was even better. I just wish we would have had a chance to do that with the Midget too." East set fast time in the No. 4 Klatt Enterprises/The Car Lot/Ford Racing Beast Ford midget and won the first heat race before ignition problems sidelined him before the start of the 30-lap feature.

Bobby followed up a strong USAC performance on Thursday with his first career NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series pole in the No. 09 Zaxby's Ford F-150 on Friday. He led laps early on and spent much of the race in the top five before an incident on lap 122 ended his shot at a win.

After a pit stop on lap 85 had shuffled him back to fifth, Bobby's hopes for a win were cut short when contact between Brendan Gaughan and Stacy Compton forced Compton to drive up the race track and shoved the Zaxby's truck into the wall. Bobby rode the wall on two wheels, but while it was a spectacular show for the fans it caused significant damage to the alignment of the truck.

Bobby dropped back as far as 28th and lost a lap to the field as the Roush Fenway Racing crew worked to make repairs. He fought hard and ran among the leaders trying to get his lap back and finally picked up the free pass to rejoin the lead lap when the caution waved with 25 laps to go.

He pitted hoping the team could fix the alignment and his loose condition, but the caution did not last long enough. East returned to the track in 21st place on the lead lap with 21 laps to go. A caution on lap 188 brought him to the pits for the work he needed on the truck. He was still 21st with eight laps to go, but was able to work his way up to 19th by the time the race ended.

“I guess Brendan ran Stacy up the track, which put him into me,” East said. “I was already up the side of his door and he put me into the fence and ruined our night. We were running in the top five. We had a top-five run going and that little incident pretty much ruined our night. And I really hate the result for the Zaxby’s Ford F-150 team. They put a lot of hard work into tonight and for it to end the way it did, I feel real bad for them. I’m sure we could have had a top-five finish otherwise.”

Bobby East - NCTS ADVANCE

Team: No. 09 Zaxby's Ford F-150
Crew Chief: Chad Norris

Bobby East on racing at ORP:
"I consider ORP to be my home track and I've raced there a ton. I
definitely have more experience at this track than any other track on
the truck schedule. I've won five races there between running USAC
midgets and Silver Crown cars, and I had one of my best career truck
finishes there in 2006 until bettering it this year. Since Chad
(Norris) and the guys have already given me trucks capable of two top-10
finishes this season, I think we can do even better than that at ORP.
I've been looking forward to this race for a long time because I
really believe we're going to have our best finish yet."

Crew chief Chad Norris on racing at ORP:
"Bobby is the man at ORP. He's grown up racing there and he's
had a lot of success there. We're taking the same truck he finished
eighth with at Memphis a few weeks ago, and I expect him to put it in
the top five this weekend. He's got a lot of laps under his belt at
this place and if anyone knows this track, it's Bobby."

Fast Facts:
-East has two prior NASCAR starts at ORP, one in the Nationwide Series
(2007) and one in the Craftsman Truck Series (2006). His best finish is
11th in the 2006 truck race.

-East has five wins at ORP racing in various series including USAC
Silver Crown and Midgets.

-East will be racing Thursday night at ORP as well. He will compete in
both the USAC Midget & Silver Crown races.

Click on the News link above for more info on Bobby East