The middle brother of a famous Australian racing family, Aaron Gobert arrived in the U.S. for the 2001 season in the shadow of his older brother Anthony, a naturally gifted Superbike rider who broke onto the AMA scene in 1998. Aaron’s younger brother Alex arrived on American shores one year later in 2002.

Aaron overcame serious injuries during a 2002 accident involving a number of riders in the season-opening Supersport round at Daytona. Despite head and chest injuries and fractures in both legs, he was back on the track four months later at Laguna Seca.

Two years later Aaron came out on top of a five-rider, last-lap draft battle to triumphantly win the Daytona Superstock race. He went on to win that year’s AMA Superstock title.

This photo of Aaron is from a 2006 Honda press kit.

Gobert is one of the toughest and yet friendliest riders you’ll ever have the chance to meet.

I visited him in the hospital after his 2002 crash at Daytona and it was one of the most difficult scenes I’d  ever wish to see.

Then to be able to watch him come back and win at that same track two years later… it was one of the very best things I witnessed in racing.