Auburndale Speedway community mourns loss of racer who died in Plant City fire

AUBURNDALE, Fla. - The Auburndale Speedway racing community is mourning the loss of one of their own after a fatal house fire in Plant City claimed the lives of four people.

The fire happened early Wednesday morning at a home along South County Line Road. Detectives arrested and charged Shawn Gossett, 25, with four counts of murder in the first-degree while engaged in arson, three counts of aggravated cruelty to animals and one count of arson of a dwelling.

One of the victims, Joe Clites, 48, was a racer at the Auburndale Speedway. His friends said the racetrack was his home.

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"Just a good guy who wanted to be out there on the track and with the people here at the racetrack," said Kim Narramore, the speedway's general manager. 

"It didn't matter if his class was on the schedule or not, he was here," said Kayla Roop, Joe's friend.

He was always smiling and saying hello to everyone. 

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"He was a super guy," said Ronny Roop. "He helped everybody at this track. There wasn't a driver who didn't know him."

Clites became very close to the Roop family, attending Sunday dinners with them.

"He knows my son really well. That was his little buddy," said Kayla Roop. 

Friends said Clites was living with his mother, Judy Foster, his sister, Jessica Bowman, and her husband, Chase Bowman. Kayla Roop didn't know Gossett, but said he was Jessica's friend and was couch-surfing at their place.

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Hillsborough County deputies said Gossett purposely set fire to the home, killing the four individuals and three pets. A motive is still under investigation.

"I knew his mom and sister as well, and they were all just this really giving family," said Kayla Roop. "To find this out is just awful. They never deserved anything like this." 

Clites was getting his car ready this week as he was looking forward to a yearly 50-lap race this Saturday at the speedway. Ronnie Roop said he will be starting the race with Joe's car in his honor.

"Everybody's gonna miss him," said Roop. "He didn't have an enemy here." 

"It'll be different at the track without him," said Narramore. "He was a staple from one end of the pits to the other." 

Clites leaves behind a fiancé who he proposed to on the racetrack. She lived at the home as well but was visiting a family member out of state when the fatal fire occurred.

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