Gobert Motorsports rider Aaron Gobert believes he’s a legitimate contender for this year’s Australian Supersport Championship after scoring a popular privateer win at Phillip Island on Sunday.

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.

With that result, a confident Gobert has now told of his intentions to battle the factory Yamaha and Suzuki teams all year long in the six-round series.

“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 victory marked Gobert’s first since returning to Australia last season following a stellar nine-season career in the U.S, capturing the AMA Superstock title in 2004.