Page 58 - ISSUE49

JUSTIN BARCIA
450 MX / 11TH
IMAGE / CAVAZOS WORDS / KUHLHOFF DESIGN / WILSON
>> With a ninth place overall finish last weekend at Hangtown under his belt, Autotrader/ Monster Energy/ JGR/ Yamaha rider Justin Barcia was on the hunt for another finish within the top ten for round two at Glen Helen. After some grueling hot weather at round one, riders were much more comfort- able with perfect 70-degree SoCal sunrays shining down upon them as they lined up for their first moto. The thirty-second card went up and all eyes were focused on the shiny metal gates. The weather may have been perfect, but the rugged and rocky terrain that was spread out before these riders was far from perfect as they were released into moto one battle. Justin Barcia was off to a decent start and was sitting in ninth place off the starting gate. With thirty minutes plus two laps to go and a track that was becoming more chal- lenging with every passing second, Barcia needed to stay consistent and ride his own race. Staying strong, Justin Barcia was able to finish the first moto
in thirteenth place, which was definitely a finish that he could either make
or break him in the second moto. He had to get a solid finish if he wanted anything close to a top ten overall for the day. Justin Barcia may have had a decent start in the first moto but he totally turned that into an awesome start in the second moto when the number 51 machine rocketed out of the gate in the third place position. With top competitors making moves fast, Barcia found himself in the tenth place spot around the halfway point of the moto- the position that he would finish the race in. Justin Barcia put in a consistent ride at Glen Helen and was able to leave San Bernardino with an eleventh place overall finish.