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.

Anthony Gobert
NationalityAustralian
Born(1975-03-05)5 March 1975
Greenacre, New South Wales, Australia
Died17 January 2024(2024-01-17) (aged 48)
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Motorcycle racing career statistics
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Active years1997, 1999 - 2000
Team(s)Suzuki, MuZ Weber, Modenas
Championships0
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
13 0 0 0 0 51
Superbike World Championship
Active years1994-1996, 1999-2000, 2006
ManufacturersHonda, Kawasaki, Bimota, Yamaha, Suzuki
2006 championship positionN/C
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
57 8 16 2 2 504
Supersport World Championship
Active years2006
ManufacturersYamaha
2006 championship position35th (4 pts)
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
2 0 0 0 0 3

Superbikes/Supersport

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In his teens, he 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 round at Phillip Island in 1994, taking pole position, a win and a third place.[3] Racing full-time in the championship for Muzzy Kawasaki in 1995, 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 1996, with 3 wins and 3 other podiums, after missing much of the season through injury.

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

For 2000, he 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, he 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 2006, replacing the injured David Checa.[8] In 2006, 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

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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.

Career results

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Grand Prix motorcycle racing

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Races by year

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

Year Class Bike 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Pos. Pts
1997 500cc Suzuki MAL
DNS
JPN SPA ITA
13
AUT
7
FRA
10
NED
13
IMO
10
GER
9
BRA
10
GBR
Ret
CZE
12
CAT INA AUS 15th 44
1999 500cc MuZ Weber MAL JPN SPA FRA ITA CAT NED GBR GER CZE IMO VAL AUS
Ret
RSA
18
BRA
10
ARG
DNS
25th 6
2000 500cc Modenas RSA MAL JPN SPA FRA ITA CAT NED GBR
15
GER CZE POR VAL BRA PAC AUS 29th 1

Superbike World Championship

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Races by year

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

Year Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Pos. Pts
R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2 R1 R2
1994 Honda GBR GBR GER GER ITA ITA SPA SPA AUT AUT INA INA JPN
8
JPN
6
NED NED SMR SMR EUR EUR 17th 53
Kawasaki AUS
3
AUS
1
1995 Kawasaki GER
16
GER
Ret
SMR
6
SMR
16
GBR
10
GBR
Ret
ITA
Ret
ITA
12
SPA
7
SPA
DNS
AUT
2
AUT
3
USA
1
USA
2
EUR
3
EUR
5
JPN
5
JPN
9
NED
9
NED
7
INA
4
INA
4
AUS
Ret
AUS
1
4th 222
1996 Kawasaki SMR
5
SMR
DSQ
GBR
3
GBR
3
GER
6
GER
Ret
ITA
Ret
ITA
10
CZE
Ret
CZE
19
USA
Ret
USA
1
EUR
2
EUR
4
INA
DNS
INA
DNS
JPN JPN NED NED SPA SPA AUS
1
AUS
1
8th 167
1999 Ducati RSA RSA AUS AUS GBR GBR SPA SPA ITA ITA GER GER SMR SMR USA
1
USA
Ret
EUR EUR AUT AUT NED NED GER GER JPN JPN 24th 25
2000 Bimota RSA
Ret
RSA
11
AUS
1
AUS
9
JPN
Ret
JPN
Ret
GBR GBR ITA
22
ITA
Ret
GER
Ret
GER
Ret
SMR SMR SPA SPA USA USA EUR EUR NED NED GER GER 25th 37
Yamaha GBR
Ret
GBR
Ret
2002 Yamaha SPA SPA AUS AUS RSA RSA JPN JPN ITA ITA GBR GBR GER GER SMR SMR USA
DNS
USA
DNS
GBR GBR GER GER NED NED ITA ITA NC 0
2006 Suzuki QAT QAT AUS AUS SPA
DNS
SPA
DNS
ITA ITA EUR EUR SMR SMR CZE CZE GBR GBR NED NED GER GER ITA ITA FRA FRA NC 0

Supersport World Championship

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Races by year

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

Year Bike 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Pos. Pts
2006 Yamaha QAT
12
AUS
Ret
SPA ITA EUR SMR CZE GBR NED GER ITA FRA 35th 4

Personal life

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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

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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]

References

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  1. ^ a b 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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b c 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
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Preceded by Australian Superbike Champion
1994
Succeeded by