Gobert Masters Wet Conditions To Take First Supersport Win

Erion Honda?s Aaron Gobert put in a bold and skillful ride on a wet Road America circuit to earn his first career Pro Honda Oils Supersport victory this afternoon. The Australian fought his way up through the pack during the race, climbing from well down the order and several seconds back to storm to a convincing win at the checkered flag.

Despite showing strongly in the wet during the weekend, the Australian found himself going backwards in the race?s early stages as a number of his competitors got overanxious. While a breakaway trio consisting of Kawasaki teammates Jamie Hacking and Roger Hayden and MPT Racing?s Danny Eslick formed at the front, the next group was rapidly being whittled down in the tricky conditions as Gobert found his footing and started his charge.

His run to the front got a bit easier when Eslick exited the fight for the win in Turn 8 on lap 5 of 10. Gobert moved into second with a tight, inside pass of Hayden in ?the Bend? on lap 8. He took control of the lead two laps later, diving past Hacking going into Turn 5 and narrowly avoided a lapper that sat right in his path entering the hard-braking turn.

Afterwards Gobert said, ?I couldn?t believe the pace at the start when the leaders took off. I was thinking, ?are these guys crazy?? There were puddles everywhere. One-by-one they all flicked off and spun out and ran off, and I just had to chase down the leaders. It was quite an easy task once the puddles were gone.?

Asked what his secret was in the wet, he stated, ?I maximized the wet practice. No one else went out in the first practice session we had; they all parked it and cried and said, ?it?s wet, we?re not going out, it?s slippery.? I went out there and changed my gearing, changed my bike, and worked on it.?

Gobert was in a reflective mood after claiming the important achievement. ?I?ve had a lot of bad luck in the past in Supersport racing. I?ve been working really hard this season to turn everything around. I got my arm fixed, I got healthy and strong. Believe it or not, Daytona 2002, a track that?s daunting like that and a crash that nearly kills you, to come back from that is still a big deal. To this day there are still things I work on. I?ve been dirtbiking, supermotoing, running, swimming, lifting weights, everything you can think of. To come out here and be so strong in these conditions (is very rewarding).?

Hacking and Hayden held on to round out the podium, while Gobert?s title-leading teammate, Josh Hayes, fought his way up to fourth at the flag.

Eslick?s teammate, Blake Young, took fifth. Two-time series champion Tommy Hayden, former 250GP runner Chaz Davies, Attack Kawasaki?s Steve Rapp, Team M4 EMGO Suzuki?s Geoff May, and Rockwall Honda?s Ryan Elleby rounded out the top ten.

Hayes now leads Roger Hayden 161 to 150 following 5 of 11 races. Defending champ Hacking is third at 136.

RacingNation Crew

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