Anthony Gobert

Anthony Stephen Gobert (5 March 1975 – 17 January 2024) was an Australian professional motorcycle road racer, nicknamed The Go Show.^[1] He was a rider of immense promise and talent who had his career derailed by a personal struggle with alcohol and drug abuse.^[2] Winning the final leg of the 1994 season at Phillip Island, he became the youngest ever World Superbike race winner at the age of 19 years old, a record that was broken by 18-year-old Yuichi Takeda at Sugo in 1996.

Superbikes/Supersport

In his teens, Gobert was a successful motocross racer, winning national classes in Australia, before moving to road racing and winning the Australian domestic superbike championship.^[3] He first earned international notice as a wild card at his home Superbike World Championship (WSBK) round at Phillip Island in , taking pole position, a win and a third place.^[3] Racing full-time in the championship for Muzzy Kawasaki in , he became team leader after Scott Russell's abrupt departure and finished 4th overall, winning races at Laguna Seca and Phillip Island.^[4] He was 8th in , with 3 wins and 3 other podiums, after missing much of the season through injury.

For 1998 and 1999, Gobert competed in the AMA Superbike Championship on a Vance & Hines Ducati, including a win as a WSBK wildcard at Laguna Seca.^[5]

For , Gobert returned to WSBK on a Bimota SB8R.^[6] With the race number 501, he won a wet race at Phillip Island and generally did better than expected on the machine, before the team folded, due to lack of financial backing. Bimota named the SB8K Gobert bike after him. Three British Superbike meetings (substituting for Steve Hislop at Team Virgin Mobile Yamaha) followed in late 2000.^[7]

For 2001, Gobert was back in the AMA championship with Yamaha, spending two years racing the YZF R7 in the superbike class and the YZF R6 in the supersport class respectively.^[7] This was followed by a brief dalliance with Ducati in 2003. After some time back in the Australian Superbike series he did two rounds of Supersport World Championship at the start of , replacing the injured David Checa.^[8] In , he raced at the Valencia Superbike World Championship round (making him the first rider to have wildcard rides in three different countries), alongside some rounds of Spain's Superbike series. For 2007, he returned to Australia Superbikes on a Kawasaki.^[7]

Grand Prix

Gobert went to the 500cc World Championship in 1997 with the Lucky Strike Suzuki replacing Scott Russell as the number one rider, but was dismissed in mid-season after failing a drug test.^[9]

Gobert raced for MuZ Weber at the end of 1999 season

A 500cc one-off at Donington Park for Kenny Roberts' KR3 Modenas Team followed in late 2000.

Personal life

According to a report in The Courier-Mail,^[10] the 33-year-old Gobert was charged with two counts of stealing after taking two $20 notes from the hand of a 70-year-old man at a Coles supermarket in Surfers Paradise on 13 May 2008 and stealing a woman's purse the following day. He was granted bail on condition that he surrender his passport, report to police five times a week and not enter central Surfers Paradise.

In June 2019, Gobert was reported to have been involved in an altercation at a restaurant. Afterwards, he was followed home by a number of individuals whom he had earlier fought with. They forced their way into Gobert's home, robbed him, and beat him with baseball bats. He was beaten beyond recognition. Hospital staff were only able to identify him after he had regained consciousness.^[1]

Death

In January 2024, news agencies reported that Gobert had been receiving end-of-life care on the Gold Coast, Queensland, for an undisclosed illness.^[11] He died on 17 January, at the age of 48.^[12]

Career results

Grand Prix motorcycle racing

Races by year

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Superbike World Championship

Races by year

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

AMA Superstock Championship

By year

Supersport World Championship

Races by year

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position, races in italics indicate fastest lap)

References

1. ^ Anthony “Go-Show” Gobert Recovering In Hospital After Being Attacked And Beaten, Brother Aaron Gobert Says Roadracing World, 18 June 2019. Retrieved 11 February 2020
2. ^ Oxley, Matt (17 January 2024). "Anthony Gobert: 1975-2024"
3. ^ Thukrai, Rachit (18 January 2024). "Ex-WSBK and 500cc star Anthony Gobert dies aged 48". motorsport. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
4. ^ Anthony Gobert career World Superbike statistics at worldsbk.com Archived 10 April 2009 at the Wayback Machine
5. ^ An Interview with Anthony Gobert Archived 11 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine
6. ^ Scott, Michael (26 January 2024). "Anthony Gobert". Australian Motorcycle News. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
7. ^ Hedge, Trevor (18 January 2024). "Anthony Gobert The flame that burns twice as bright burns half as long". mcnews.com.au. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
8. ^ WSBK: Gobert returns to WSBK as Valencia wild-card
9. ^ Swartz, David (10 January 2024). "Anthony Gobert Receiving End-Of-Life Care In Australia". Roadracing World and Motorcycle Technology. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
10. ^ "Wild Child's Surfers Ban". The Courier-Mail. 14 May 2008. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
11. ^ Swarts, David (10 January 2024). "Anthony Gobert Receiving End-Of-Life Care In Australia". Roadracing World Magazine | Motorcycle Riding, Racing & Tech News. Retrieved 13 January 2024.
12. ^ Former MotoGP and WorldSBK star Anthony Gobert dies aged 48

External links

• Career details from mcnews (archived)