SANTA ANA – The vehicular manslaughter trial of a Costa Mesa man charged with killing mixed-martial arts entrepreneur Charles “Mask” Lewis Jr. in an alcohol-fueled, high-speed crash in Newport Beach 19 months ago was delayed Monday until Nov. 18.

Jeffrey Kirby, 52, is charged with gross vehicular manslaughter plus sentencing enhancements for hit-and-run and causing great bodily injury in connection with the early morning crash on Jamboree Road. He faces a potential 18-year prison sentence if convicted.

Deputy District Attorney Jason Baez contends that Kirby was drunk when he crashed his 1977 Porsche into Lewis’ high-performance Ferrari while both were speeding shortly before 1 a.m. on March 11, 2009.

Lewis, of Huntington Beach and one of the founders of TapouT, was killed instantly when his red Ferrari was ripped in two after it jumped a curb and ran into a cement light pole. A passenger in Lewis’ car suffered injuries after being ejected from the Ferrari.

Kirby, who has two prior driving under the influence convictions, allegedly fled the scene after the crash. Authorities reported that he registered a 0.13 percent blood alcohol level two hours after the crash.

Defense attorney Mark Fredrick contends that Lewis caused the crash by racing with Kirby at excessive speeds.

Contact the writer: lwelborn@ocregister.com or 714-834-3784