Farewell to the Go Show….
Biking world mourns the loss of racing rock star Anthony Gobert MARCH 5, 1975 – JANUARY 17, 2024
Colin Young
As riders and teams prepped for the opening Malaysian Grand Prix of 1997 in the steamy, tropical heat of Shah Alam, a shirtless Anthony Gobert swaggered along pit lane.
Gobert’s wildchild celebrity, unfiltered bravado and speed from World Superbikes had him tagged as the next big thing in 500cc GPs.
And the Aussie’s beaming smile and fizzy persona were yet to be devastated by the hardcore substance abuse that triggered a miserable decline which saw him pass away last week at the tragically young age of 48.
This precocious childhood talent started on Pee Wee 50s, then dominated Australian Supercross (1992 champion) and used that success to self-fund his transition to 250cc proddy racing and then Australian Superbikes, winning the 1994 national title with Honda Australia.
Back then Suzuki’s 21-year-old rookie recruit briefly popped up in front of the Yamaha garage and nonchalantly observed to team boss and triple 500cc champion, Wayne Rainey: “I just want to win three 500 titles and then I’m out of here!”
The moment was pure Gobert; an extravagant boast with just a hint of menace, one that was shrugged off by a bemused Rainey as the ‘Go Show’ continued his pit lane stroll.
But by August and the Czech GP Gobert was out of the paddock, his contract unceremoniously cancelled by Suzuki after a failed drug test conducted at Donington.
The Suzuki gig had never really gelled. Gobert didn’t even start the opening three races after sustaining collarbone injuries, and his nine outings for Suzuki delivered a best of seventh at the Austrian GP.
No matter how fast he was on a superbike, Gobert’s card was marked for big GP deals and he made only four more starts in the premier class when he appeared fleetingly in 1999 with the short-lived Swiss MuZWeber outfit for a top ten in Rio, the bluster and boldness undiminished.
His final GP was as a sub with the Roberts Modenas Team at Donington for the 2000 British GP where he took one point for 15th.
After the Suzuki sacking his primary retreat was back to his first love of superbikes, including a USA stint with Vance and Hines Ducati. Another period of turmoil followed - alcohol, drug issues, drink driving charges, even jail time.
But again Gobert teased his natural potential, winning Race 1 of the 1999 Laguna Seca WSBK round on a Ducati as a wild card.
Then in 2000 at Phillip Island he scored a memorable wet race win for Bimota. Gobert’s eight World Superbike career wins were with three manufacturers - Kawasaki, Ducati and Bimota.
And it had been superbikes that delivered the lightning bolt that thrust a young Gobert onto the world stage in 1994.
That came in the sort of bizarre circumstances that only wildchild Gobert could conjure – a dramatic late switch from a factory HRC Honda RC45 to a Muzzy Kawasaki saw Gobert jolt the universe by winning the final superbike race of 1994 at Phillip Island.
Two seasons (1995 and ’96) with
‘Anthony was a fighter, when he was on it he was stunning’
Kawasaki in World Supers followed - taking fourth in the ’95 title before he signed the Suzuki deal.
But it was the Suzuki GP episode that signalled the biggest hurdle facing the headline-grabbing Aussie. And that was working out how to combine his outlandish riding talent with the dedication, discipline and self-control needed to win a world championship.
There followed sporadic displays of brilliance, but the occasional dazzling race wins were too soon outpaced by the notoriety from distressing struggles with alcohol and hard substance abuse with signs that cocaine and heroin took their toll on the racer.
Rehab stints delivered brief interruptions and promise of better things but it was a harrowing struggle, including homelessness, after he stopped racing in 2006.
Meanwhile, after an incident in 2008 Gobert was charged on the Gold Coast with snatching a handbag from an elderly pensioner.
Even before this, Gobert had reflected: “I feel I have wasted the talent that I was fortunate to be blessed with.”
One particularly sad and distressing episode came in 2019 when Gobert, reportedly after an argument in a restaurant, was severely attacked in his home.
His brother Aaron stated: “He was so badly beaten that he wasn’t recognised in the intensive care unit. When he was able to speak, I was contacted.”
Despite all that, for a legion of fans whenever he raced Gobert was worth the price of admission alone.
The self-proclaimed Go Show was full throttle on and off track – a fearless exhibitionist. Naturally his final Muzzy Kawasaki win at Phillip Island WSBK in 1996 was celebrated with a podium strip show.
It was classic Gobert: in just underpants with flouro orange hair, his boots and leathers flung into the crowd. The inflatable swimming pool beside his paddock motorhome, meanwhile, was a staple of European paddocks.
Gobert’s badge of honour as a party animal was unchallenged and perhaps earned no greater endorsement than a glowing reference from Valentino Rossi after a Rio gig left the Italian in awe.
‘I feel I have wasted the talent that I was fortunate to be blessed with’