Motor racing star’s torment after father kills stepmother then shoots himself

A champion motor racing driver spoke of his shock on Friday after his father strangled his stepmother and then shot himself dead. Robby Gordon fought back the tears as he told of his torment over the deaths at a property he owns in southern California. “I’m so sad, and I can’t believe it,” the former Nascar star said as he stood outside the house. “I grew up on this property my whole life. I learned everything about motorsports out of this little tiny barn over here.” He promised to say more when police had finished their investigation, adding: “The truth will come out, what went down there.”

He taught me at a young age that one horsepower wasn’t going to be enough — go do something different. And I was fortunate enough to do something different.

Robby Gordon pays tribute to his father

The star’s father, Robert, 68, strangled his 57-year-old wife Sharon before turning a gun on himself, police have said, although they did not offer any details on the motive or circumstances. Mr Gordon had been a familiar figure on the racing circuit, where he was known as Baja Bob. His son, 47 and now racing in a series he created in 2013 called Speed Energy Formula Off-Road, said his father had instilled the same love of the sport in him as a young man living on the property in Orange County. One of his sisters, Beccy, has just had a baby boy with her husband, 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay.

I can still see them walking hand in hand, walking their dogs down the street. To kind of wrap your head around this tragedy is very hard to do

Neighbour John Reina

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