of heart.Mike is a tremendous teammate and has been an

ORANGE, Calif. -- ?? The father of former NASCAR driver Robby Gordon strangled his wife then shot himself in their Southern California home, police said Thursday.The deaths of Robert Gordon, 68, and Sharon Gordon, 57, were an apparent murder-suicide, Orange police Lt. Fred Lopez said a day after the bodies were found. No further details on the motive or circumstances were released.The couple were the father and stepmother of ex-NASCAR star Robby Gordon, who fought back tears and expressed disbelief Thursday outside the home on a Southern California hillside where he grew up and developed his love of racing.Im so sad, and I cant believe it, the racing star said outside the house. I grew up on this property my whole life.Robby Gordon recalled how his father, a racer known as Baja Bob in the motorsports community, instilled in him a love for competition and motorsports in the Orange County neighborhood, where many residents own horses and dirt riding trails line the suburban streets.Gordon said he previously lived in two different houses on the property, and had given his father the home 30 miles (48.3 kilometers) southeast of Los Angeles where police discovered the bodies Wednesday after receiving a 911 call from a neighbor making a welfare check at the request of relatives.Robby Gordon told the Orange County Register that family members had become concerned when his father missed a doctors appointment.The younger Gordon currently races in an off-road series he created in 2013 called Speed Energy Formula Off-Road, following the path of his father.The elder Gordon started out in horse racing at the local track in Los Alamitos, California, before getting into auto racing.He taught me at a young age that one horsepower wasnt going to be enough -- go do something different, Gordon recalled his father saying. And I was fortunate enough to do something different.Residents in the upscale neighborhood shared stories about the couples friendly ways -- swapping jokes with neighbors, gifting tickets to racing events and delivering feed personally to local equestrians.I can still see them walking hand in hand, walking their dogs down the street, said John Reina, who lives across the street. To kind of wrap your head around this tragedy is very hard to do.Robby Gordon said he would speak about the deaths in more detail once authorities conclude their investigation.The truth will come out, what went down there, he said.Racer Dale Earnhardt Jr. tweeted that he was praying for the Gordon family. Hope they find strength and support, he said.Heartbreaking news this morning. Thinking of the Gordon family and friends, NASCAR star Jimmie Johnson said on Twitter.Gordon, 47, has raced on numerous racing circuits, from NASCAR to IndyCar to Champ Car and IROC.Known for his aggressive style, he earned three wins in parts of 19 seasons in what is now the NASCAR Sprint Cup. He was a full-time driver early last decade and finished a career-high 16th in the points standings in 2003 driving for Richard Childress Racing. Gordon last raced in the Sprint Cup in 2012.Gordon is one of only four drivers, joining John Andretti, Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch, to compete in the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 on the same day. He nearly won the 1999 Indy 500 before running out of fuel in the closing laps.Gordon said an event featuring his off-road racing team scheduled for this weekend in Orange County will go on as planned.Gordons sister, Beccy, is married to 2014 Indianapolis 500 winner Ryan Hunter-Reay. The driver tweeted Wednesday that his wife had given birth to a boy. Hunter-Reay would appear as scheduled in a weekend race in Sonoma County, Gordon said.---Associated Press writers Christopher Weber and Andrew Dalton in Los Angeles and AP freelance writer Mike Cranston in Chicago contributed to this report.Landon Collins Youth Jersey . The 17-year-old native of Marystown, N.L., pulled out of Skate Canada International last month in Saint John, N.B., with the same problem. Sean Taylor Jersey . The Barrie Colts defenceman, who impressed many with his play for Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship, is the top-ranked skater in the February rankings. He has 19 goals and 24 assists for 43 points in 45 games with the Colts this season. http://www.redskinsrookiestore.com/Redskins-Darrell-Green-Jersey/ . Numbers Game looks into the Canadiens securing the services of Thomas Vanek in a trade with the New York Islanders. The Canadiens Get: LW Thomas Vanek and a conditional fifth-round pick. Clinton Portis Womens Jersey . The Montreal Canadiens announced on Friday that the veteran forward will return to the teams line-up on Saturday night when the Habs visit the Nashville Predators. Russ Grimm Redskins Jersey . Boucher previously coached the Tampa Bay Lightning and had a 97-78-20 record over two-plus seasons. He was dismissed by the team last March after the Lightning struggled in the lockout-shortened season with a 13-18-1 record.CINCINNATI -- After sticking with kicker Mike Nugent during the worst slump of his 12-year career, the Bengals gave up on him Tuesday and acquired former Steelers kicker Randy Bullock off waivers.Nugent was 23 of 29 on field-goal attempts and missed five of his past nine extra-point tries. He missed an extra point -- caused partly by a bad snap -- and a 36-yard field goal during a 23-10 win in snowy Cleveland on Sunday. He also made a 44-yard field goal.As Nugents missed kicks added up, coach Marvin Lewis supported him. He said the team was confident Nugent could fix his problems and become reliable again. The misses in Cleveland -- and Bullocks availability -- prompted a change of heart.Mike is a tremendous teammate and has been an integral part of the Bengals for seven seasons, Lewis said in a statement on the players day off. This was a difficult decision, but one we felt was in the best interest of the football team moving forward.Bullock was waived by the Steelers on Monday with kickker Chris Boswell back from an injury.dddddddddddd Hell be kicking against his former team on Sunday when the Steelers visit Paul Brown Stadium.Pittsburgh (8-5) ended the Bengals season in January at Paul Brown Stadium when it rallied for an 18-16 victory in the first round of the playoffs. The Steelers can eliminate Cincinnati (5-7-1) from playoff contention on Sunday with another win.Bullock has played in 45 games since Houston drafted him in the fifth round in 2012, going 78 of 96 on field-goal tries. He has missed only four of his 95 point-after-touchdown attempts.Bullock opened the season with the Giants and made two of three extra-point tries. The Steelers signed him when Boswell got hurt, and he made his three field-goal attempts and his only point-after try for Pittsburgh.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '