Page 82 - ISSUE 40

JUSTIN BARCIA
450 SX / 11TH
IMAGE / MPG WORDS / ECKERT DESIGN / WILSON
>> Still recovering from a wrist injury earlier this season, the Supercross community is yet to see the Barcia we’re all used to. It seems Justin is missing a certain lean to his step through the three rounds he’s raced thus far, although Daytona held potential with the gritty track lending to Barcia’s unruly style. As racing got underway, the yellow #51 held it wide through the first turn, carrying the mojo all the way around the outside to hit the second turn first. Out front, Bam Bam felt the pressure from fellow rough rider Jason Anderson. Two of the most aggressive riders in the field looked as if they were going to bang bars for six laps but Barcia slowly pulled away, inching ahead of Anderson. Finally appearing to have some swagger back, Barcia kept it on two wheels for 1st in heat one, starting the night off on the right foot. In the main, things started off on the wrong foot, though, as Barcia found himself outside the top fifteen after hitting the mulch in the first turn. Making some quick moves, Barcia moved into 15th on lap two and moved forward a spot each of the next two laps while trying to battle with the #1 of Dungey. Hitting 13th after a mistake by Marvin Musquin and battling with Josh Grant, Barcia fell to 15th after both Grant and Baggett got by on lap seven. Not letting up, Barcia muscled into 12th but the move around Blake was temporary, pushing Justin back to 13th just past the mid- way point of the race. Progress through the remaining laps was slow, but with the blistering pace on the blistering surface, Barcia held his speed well before moving around Jake Weimer and Malcolm Stewart in the closing moments. Despite the late race push, Justin was forced to settle for 11th on the night.
Although the result lacked the glory of improvement, winning his first heat race since 2015, we may have witnessed a glimpse of the what the #51 brings into the coming weeks.