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| Anthony Gobert Press Conference Transcript, Laguna Seca July 1998
July 14, 1998 Note: On Saturday at Laguna Seca, Ducati held a press conference that had the three Ducati team owners, Terry Vance, Virginio Ferrari, Eraldo Ferracci and Ducati Performance David Tardozzi (team manager for Carl Fogarty's team) on hand and answering questions for the press. Anthony Gobert was a prime subject of this event. An interesting facet of this is that Castrol had a press conference right before this so Aaron Slight was on site and stayed for the Ducati press conference. He and Gobi' are not close, and Slight had some questions he wanted answered.Begin text: Ferracci is asked why he didn't have his team racing at Laguna Seca. Eraldo Ferracci: The last time we went, we had a little problem, we were feeling pretty good and then we crashed. Then I said damn it, I want to be sure. Instead of coming we want to be racing.Ferracci Continued: To gain a little bit of confidence , we went to a little track (recently), Pocono, on Monday. I think it was very good for me because anybody to come and show or whatever, or see my friends. But really what is important for us is the AMA racing. I thought it was bad for my team (to come to WSC) at this point, so we go testing.Question to Terry Vance as to what is happening with Anthony Gobert. Terry Vance: Well, we were notified on Friday morning that Anthony failed his drug test and that traces had come back positive for marijuana in his urine test, so they have denied his entry for this event this weekend, the FIM did.Question to Vance as to how this will affect Gobert's AMA racing; can he race, or not? Terry Vance: As far as the AMA is concerned, I guess, that they would have to answer that. As far as the future holds I don't know what the AMA will do to Anthony as far as penalties, or things like that because this isn't considered the same as an AMA event.As far as the FIM they have denied him entry and what they do in the future will be up to the FIM. I'm sure they'll meet probably in the next couple of weeks to make some sort of announcement regarding Anthony. Vance: Well. we're very disappointed, obviously because there's no justification or excuse for a situation like this. Our 20 people have been working solid, you know, for a month, to put us in a position to race with some of the best riders in the world. We were really anticipating the event. This took us by surprise. We're definitely disappointed.Vance is asked how Gobert feels about all turmoil that he has caused. Terry Vance: I believe that's a question Anthony would have to answer. I know that he was disappointed, greatly, but I think that it's obvious to everyone in the room that this is his responsibility to react to, and what he does from this point forward, we'll have to wait and see.Vance is asked if Gobert will ride for VHR for the remainder of the (season?). Terry Vance: Well, we haven't really discussed the rest of the season because this has come as big a surprise to us. So, we figured for damage control, we should handle this first. At the beginning of next week we'll meet and start talks on what is going to happen for the rest of the season.A question is asked about drug testing precedents in AMA racing. Terry Vance: That I don't know. You're probably going to have to ask the AMA to give you the information for that. I don't know very much on that subject myself. Our truck leaves right from here to go to Ohio for the event this coming week, so we're going there on the premise that we're going to compete and we'll just have to wait 'til next Tuesday to find out after our meetings what the ramifications are for us next weekend. Aaron Slight has been sitting quietly up to this point but begins asking questions. Slight: I'm interested. I want to know what's going to happen to Anthony. Can you tell us what the FIM needs to be doing about him? We want to know what's going on.Terry Vance: When you say 'we' are you talking about all the riders? Slight: Yeah, all the riders. You see, it's a big problem.Vance: Alright, believe me, I completely understand that if I were in your position as a rider I would ask the question too.I think it's important to know that the test was taken on July 1 and the results weren't given to us until the 10th or 11th. So as far as any danger to any rider or anything like that from Anthony this weekend, it was pretty unlikely. As far as what the FIM does, I can't answer for that. I don't know. Slight: But on the others, isn't there a race next weekend? He can ride that race?Vance: That's a decision the AMA makes. For us, as a team, Aaron, I hope you can understand. We have months of equity in our program and we've worked very hard to get it to this point. So what the FIM tells us or the AMA tells us, we're going to abide by. All we can keep doing as a team is to keep working as hard as we can.Slight: Well, honestly, you're not trying to put Anthony in front of Vance & Hines for the remainder. . .but you know in the Olympic games you can't use that drug for them. I'd like to see the same qualifications for our series. I feel sorry for you guys.Vance: Well, you don't have to feel sorry for us, Aaron, because this is a situation we understood from the beginning. We knew Anthony was a rider that was in question when it came to these kinds of things. But we felt that we were in a position where we needed to beat the riders here in the USA and Anthony was really the only choice, the logical choice that we had.Honestly, up to this point, everything has gone very well. We were taken by complete surprise as a team. Like I said, for questions for the FIM and the AMA, I can't answer. That's up to them. Garbled Question (unknown reporter to Vance) Vance: That is possible because the AMA races with the FIM federation here.Unknown reporter: Why were the results so slow getting back to Anthony?Vance: I asked the same question. I think it would have been, for the Vance & Hines Ducati team, much better if we had known much sooner. We could have just stayed home. Unfortunately the results came in on Thursday or Friday and that's when they let us know. I don't know why it took so long. It surely shouldn't have.Unknown reporter: What are the ramifications on the Vance & Hines contract with Ducati?Vance: Well, obviously our contract with Anthony has clauses in it that can protect us in this situation. But like I just explained to Aaron our team is in a position where we are doing everything we can, we're in contention for the points lead in the AMA series. We don't want to discontinue our involvement with Anthony. We will require Anthony probably to have a drug test every week in order to continue, before we would even think about racing. So these are some things that I have to make decisions on Tuesday and I'll take care of that then.Unknown reporter: Shouldn't someone make a firm stand here?Vance: Well, I have been in this business for nearly 30 years. We've worked very hard to establish a company that's known throughout the world. So as far as a firm stand, I think that would be an understatement. We're going to take and make whatever arrangements we have to insure that this will never happen again or Anthony will no longer ride for us.Veteran Cycle News Reporter Henny Ray asks the panel: Is there anyone who would hire Anthony for next season? Eraldo: I don't think so. I have no comment. I'm too old to figure out too much. I leave it alone.Ferrari: I like very much Anthony, but drugs—I don't know. I don't know what is to happen about this really bad thing. We must wait. . .Eraldo: I agree with Virginio. Anthony is so fast, but I really feel sorry for Terry. Regarding next year, it is not now to make time to talk about this. Maybe someone would take him. Ducati will decide this.Aaron Slight: (Olympic sprinter) Johnson's very fast too. Ben Johnson. He doesn't get a second chance.Terry Vance: I understand your situation. I understand how you feel. If I were competing in the same situation you were, all of you guys are champions, like yourself and Colin.Anthony, fortunately, is one of probably the best riders I've ever dealt with, other than Colin, on our team. For us to have a rider with that much talent, it is very good. Unfortunately with Anthony comes a bad side too, but I think the things is, if you feel that he should not have a second chance, or if you feel that the riders should do that (ask the FIM to have Gobert banned), get together for that and you should deal with the FIM and say this is how we feel. . .this guy should not ride again. That's you guys' choice and I completely understand it. Unknown reporter: Could there be any legal problems with the test?Vance: I don't think it's a legal issue with the wording. I think it's a test that the FIM conducts independently, so I don't think that will be a problem. I'm not a lawyer so I really don't know the answer to that. It might be that a lot of things happen as a result of this. It puts a lot of people in a bad situation. I mean, here you have these guys that raced their butts off today and what they're talking about is a guy that needs to be here. That's not fair to them and that's not fair to anyone in this room. But sometimes things happen that you have to deal with.Unknown reporter: Isn't this already Anthony's second or third chance to pass a drug test?Vance: Well, I think you have to get the facts on that, because the test given last year was done by Suzuki independently and not by the FIM. As far as the FIM is concerned this is the first time. Pier-Francesco Chili addresses the press gallery: "For me, personally, Anthony made a big mistake. For me, he cannot race anymore, ever. Because I am very serious. I never use a drug and I'm very serious." Press conference ends. ENDS Post this story to: digg PRIVACY POLICY | HOME | RETURN TO TOP © 1997 - 2008 Hardscrabble Media LLC |
