Gobert leads 2011 ASBK Supersport series following Phillip Island victory Gobert Motorsports Australian Supersport Championship contender Aaron Gobert has claimed victory in the opening round of the 2011 series at Phillip Island in Victoria on 24-27 February. Contested alongside this year’s World Superbike opener, current national number four Gobert raced to 4-1 results in the pair of 12-lap races to clinch the overall round win after qualifying fourth in Superpole on Saturday. In his second season back in Australia after nine successful seasons in the U.S, former AMA Superstock Champion Gobert broke through for his first national Supersport win. Saturday afternoon’s opening race of the season was a thrilling four-way fight for the win in glorious sunshine between Gobert, factory riders Brodie Waters and Kevin Curtain, plus Mitchell Carr. Following a final lap drag race to the chequered flag, Gobert crossed the line fourth with just 0.278 seconds separating the four of them in 2011’s opening bout. Sunday’s damp second and final race of the weekend was all Gobert, riding his Yamaha YZF-R6 into the lead at the first turn and never being headed as he eventually won by 6.888sec over former world number two Curtain. “We had a good bike setting on Saturday but unfortunately just came short of the win, so I am happy to come out and win today after leading from Turn One on the first lap,” Gobert Motorsports team owner/rider Gobert commented. “It couldn’t have been a better situation for the race win. I felt comfortable and slowly pulled away I was actually watching the big screens around the track so I could see what was going on behind me!” Gobert now enters this weekend’s second round of the series at Symmons Plains with a two-point buffer over Curtain, and he’s confident he can continue his early season form after finishing on the podium at the same venue to round out 2010. “Winning the championship is what I hope to do even if we aren’t on a factory bike,” the New South Welshman added. “[Phillip Island] is kind of my bogey track on the calendar so it’s great to win there and hopefully we keep getting stronger from here.” The 2011 Australian Supersport Championship will be contested over six rounds this season, round two of the series scheduled for 3-6 March in Tasmania this weekend. 2011 Australian Supersport Championship Round One Phillip Island, VIC Round and Championship Results (after 1 of 6 rounds): 1. Aaron Gobert (Gobert Motorsports Yamaha) 42 points” 2. Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Racing Team) 40″ 3. Brodie Waters (Team Suzuki) 39″ 4. Mitchell Carr (Carr Brothers Motorsport Triumph) 35″ 5. Blake Leigh-Smith (Leigh-Smith Racing Suzuki) 32 More, from a press release issued by TwoThree Public Relations: Potential the key for ASBK Supersport rookie Waters at Phillip Island opener Rookie talent Nick Waters showed off his Australian Supersport Championship potential as a rookie in last weekend’s season opening round at Phillip Island in Victoria on 24-27 February. Waters slotted his Waters Racing/Sunstate Racing Suzuki-supported GSX-R600 into fifth position on the grid for the weekend’s pair of 12-lap Supersport affairs, immediately proving he’ll be on the pace in season 2011. Disaster struck during race one when an electrical gremlin forced the 17-year-old out of the running while he latched onto the back of the lead group, but he was able to rebound to a safe seventh come Sunday’s second leg. “I was able to stay with the front group in the first race after I wound them back in because I had a slow start,” the Mildura resident explained. “When I got close enough to challenge them my bike cut out through the Hayshed and that was the end of my race. It was disappointing, for sure.” The damp second race of the weekend on Sunday morning in front of a healthy crowd of spectators saw Waters again give chase to the front runners before eventually settling for seventh and the vital championship points that go with it. “I got off to a good start and I was in fourth, but then I saw Aaron [Gobert] getting away and started pushing harder,” he continued. “I didn’t have the best settings for the wet and I destroyed my rear tyre. With five laps left I just had to conserve my tyre and ride for points.” This weekend will see round two of the series contested at Symmons Plains in Tasmania, and Waters is confident he has what it takes to contend for podium placings. “I’m really looking forward to Tassie and I won’t be backing down for anybody,” Waters added. “Hopefully I can get on the podium on Sunday maybe even the top step!” Heading into Tasmania, Waters currently sits 14th in the series, set to capitalise on experience gained as the 2011 series progresses over the coming months. Waters Racing’s Nick Waters is proudly supported by Sunstate Racing, Arai Helmets, John Judd Industries, Xsind Graphics, GTS Transport and Agip, plus brothers Josh and Brodie Waters in 2011. 2011 Australian Supersport Championship Round One Phillip Island, VIC Round and Championship Results (after 1 of 6 rounds): 1. Aaron Gobert (Gobert Motorsports Yamaha) 42 points” 2. Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Racing Team) 40″ 3. Brodie Waters (Team Suzuki) 39″ 4. Mitchell Carr (Carr Brothers Motorsport Triumph) 35″ 5. Blake Leigh-Smith (Leigh-Smith Racing Suzuki) 32 14. Nick Waters (Waters Racing/Sunstate Racing Suzuki) 14 More, from a press release issued by Yamaha: Melandri Podiums in World Superbike Debut Yamaha team rider Marco Melandri began his World Superbike career on a high note, stepping up to take third position in the second World Superbike race at Phillip Island, Australia on Sunday, Feb. 27. The former MotoGP ace started well from the second row aboard his YZF-R1, closing in on defending world champion Max Biaggi and pushing him to the flag, occupying second position several times before finally settling for third at the line, less than 1.5 seconds from double race winner Carlos Checa. Melandri is now tied with Leon Haslam for third in points. The first of Sunday’s two races saw both Melandri and teammate Eugene Laverty start well, with Laverty impressing by leading the first two laps of his very first Superbike race before dropping back. Laverty ultimately claimed fourth and Melandri took fifth at the line. Laverty’s second race began with the Northern Irishman holding sixth position until lap eight when a false neutral caused him to run wide, losing valuable time and positions. The same thing happened a few laps later, ultimately dropping him back to 20th position. Laverty fought back despite the setback, pushing hard on his R1 during the last seven laps to claim 15th at the checkers. “I’m pretty happy with the end results for today, although I wasn’t too happy about race one,” Melandri explained later. “We’ve been struggling all week with a rear grip issue, which could be seen in race one. I think we did a good job changing our setup to deal with it before race two, and the bike was a lot better and I felt a lot more comfortable after that. I wanted to challenge Biaggi for second but my body was slower than my mind at the end of the race, and it felt a bit dangerous to make some passes so I was happy to settle for third. It’s nice to be back on the podium!”