Page 84 - Issue34

JUSTIN STARLING
250 SX / AZ
IMAGE / MPG WORDS / HARNISFEGER DESIGN / WILSON
>> Justin Starling always seems to be right in the fray no matter what coast or what bike he is on. The Deland, Florida native has been battling in and around the top ten for the entirety of his now five year career. Now aboard the JMR Racing/Slaton KTM squad, Starling has yet to really breakthrough in 2017. With his best finish being a fourteenth so far, he knows he is capable of more and looked to get things going again this weekend in Glendale.
Starling started his heat race in eighth place and in one of the coveted transfer positions. A few laps in he got bumped back to ninth by Chisholm when disaster struck. He and Chris Howell collided on the face of a triple sending both riders flying and tumbling to the dirt. Miraculously both rid- ers landed rather softly and would be okay but both would have to go to the LCQ.
Starling got a much better start in that last chance qualifier, starting and finishing in second place securing his spot in the main event.
The Floridian would suffer a dreadful start, buried in eighteenth place at the end of lap one. The rest of the race would involve Starling scratching and clawing his way forward. He picked up two positions in the first half of the race and two more in the second half to finish in fourteenth place matching his season high. Once again, crashes and poor starts have held Starling back from his true potential and he plans to finally right the
ship next weekend at Oakland.
84 GRITMOTO • JANUARY 29, 2017