Suicide Blamed in Death At Showtime Speedway

PINELLAS PARK, FL — A 58-year-old St. Petersburg man is dead following a Saturday night incident at Pinellas Park’s Showtime Speedway.

According to Pinellas Park Police, officers were called out to the 4398 126th Ave. speedway around 10 p.m. Nov. 12 to investigate what was believed to be a motor vehicle-related death. When police arrived, they learned Robert James Hancock drove his 2015 Chevrolet Malibu onto the track after the race and proceeded to reach a high rate of speed.

Witnesses told police, Hancock veered his car to the left and went off the road “coming to a final rest in the mangroves” just off the drag strip. In an email to media, police said they found a “substantial amount of blood” inside the Malibu and discovered a single gunshot wound to Hancock’s right temple.

A .380 caliber Ruger LCP handgun was found in the car at Hancock’s feet, the email said.

“Witnesses who know Hancock indicated that while he was at the speedway, he had been acting ‘aggravated and distant’ for unknown reasons,” the email said.

Investigators have ruled the death a suicide.

With an estimated 42,000 deaths attributed to suicide annually, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists this as the 10th leading cause of death in the United States.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, there are resources available to help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433). Its website offers services including a live chat.

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