Bad Boy No.9: Anthony Gobert
First seen tearing a Kawasaki round WSB rounds, now seen struggling to hold down a job in Subway
Seven-times AMA Superbike champion and Ben Spies-beater Mat Mladin once said of Anthony Gobert that he was the most naturally talented rider ever to throw a leg over a motorcycle. But the thrill of racing a factory Suzuki in 500cc Grands Prix, or of winning World Superbike races on factory Kawasakis and Bimotas, was never enough to content the wayward Australian.
Riding as a wild card at the 1994 WSB round at Phillip Island, Gobert stunned the series regulars by setting pole position and taking a win and a third place. His incredible performance put the then 19-year-old on every team’s wish list and he eventually opted to replace Scott Russell in the factory Kawasaki squad. He won two races 1995 and a further three in ’96 before moving to 500cc Grands Prix on a factory RGV Suzuki.
Gobert caused an immediate sensation in the world’s premier racing class straight away by flipping a middle finger at world champion Mick Doohan on track during pre-season testing and branding him a ‘loser.’ But he caused an even bigger sensation when he was sacked from the dream job mid-season for failing a drugs test. He tested positive for marijuana.
Gobert found a new home in America riding a Ducati in the AMA Superbike Championship and again won a WSB race riding as a wild card at Laguna Seca, but was sacked again after once more testing positive for marijuana.
