Page 38 - ISSUE-81

JUSTIN BARCIA
450 MX / 2ND
IMAGE / LANNAN WORDS / MATTINGLY DESIGN / MOTOPLAYGROUND
>> When choosing this sport as a career, you must know that in the eyes of many industry insiders, you are really only as good as your last race. And Justin Barcia found that out all too well, in recent memory. A star-studded amateur competitor, he graced the covers of maga- zines, with sponsorships from factory companies left and right. Winning races and champion- ships throughout his entirety of being on the bike, you would think he’d done enough in the past to secure a factory ride for certain; yet this past offseason, he was on the outside looking in. Yet the New York native signed up to compete anyway, generating eye-catching results, and inheriting a ride on the Factory Yamaha squad for the 2018 season. He’s got it, and ran with it so to speak, ourishing so far in the series, especially here at Muddy Creek. Fourth place to begin moto number one, he would quickly move into third for the commencement of the race; it was here where he would nearly lasso onto Eli Tomac, and follow him around Ken Roczen. With the number ninety-four being pushed to second, he would salivate, and lunge at the position on lap ve. His efforts would be rewarded, as a slick pass in turn number one saw him squaring up this southeastern loam, and catapulting into the silver medal spot. It was then a race of longevity, as Tomac, although within an arm’s reach, was just a split second faster than the fty-one. Regardless, when crossing the line, Barcia was extremely pleased with his result, and looked to repeat for the second moto. An early lead had the New Yorker gleaming underneath the muzzle of his helmet, as he would spray the masses with pellets of dirt clods. Holding on until lap three, he couldn’t fend off the KTM of Marvin Musquin, where the number twenty- ve would replicate Barcia’s move on Roczen in the rst moto, squaring up the initial left-hander. Justin knew his speed was on point, and his aggressive style actu- ally found a surprisingly solid groove once the track began to slicken. Wheeling up the rollers on the nal lap, the pace he was sustaining was enough to fend off Eli behind. He would then cross the line in second, feeling both emotions of happiness and discontentment. He was
so close, yet so far from the win, taking home second overall, and a boost of morale as the series moved forward.
38 GRITMOTO • JUNE 24, 2018