Aaron Gobert wins at Road America in June image by hurricane dean

Virginia International Raceway is a special place for Erion Honda's Aaron Gobert. He won his first race here in 2001. Gobert rode a Formula Xtreme Yamaha that day, back when FX was the big displacement class.

"I won it by two seconds over my current teammate, Josh Hayes," said Aaron this morning. "I was hanging it out and sliding it but what sticks out to me is how much in control I was. What I remember was how well I was riding that day."

Aaron ended his rookie US season the right way, but Gobert did not get to carry the momentum for long. A Daytona crash next March nearly killed him, but Aaron rebuilt his career after the injuries and won the Superstock title in 2004. Incidentally, he claimed that crown at VIR.

"I also capped off the Superstock championship as well, so winning my first-ever race and championship here, VIR is a really nice place for me to come to."

Aaron said he's ready to get past a short Laguna Seca weekend and a Mid-Ohio crash and repeat his Utah victory. "We're looking to get a next couple of weeks going and win a couple more," he said.