race recap
JUSTIN BARCIA | GRIT-208 | 450SX
February 14, 2023 · Justin Barcia
JUSTIN BARCIA | GRIT-208 | 450SX
As storm cells migrated to the Tampa area, all in the pits were curious as to how track conditions were going to turn out as Saturday progressed. The series had been plagued with rain thus far, and despite Justin Barciabeing as versatile as any athlete on the grid, he (along with others) seemed to be in favor of having a dry track to compete on. Especially, by the time the main event came to fruition in the evening hours. The track maintenance crew would do a phenomenal job in nullifying the risk of surplus(ed) moisture, giving he and his GasGas machine the best race-course possible to garner lap-times upon in qualification. Powering through the sand at the height of third gear, the grains that were flung from his rear tire were reminiscent of a beach(y) area (or even Southwick, for that matter). His riding style would differ between hard-packed, rutted, and the aforementioned composition in an ever-revolving door of persona's; proving that his elite classification was warranted with subtle movements aboard the GasGas frame. Qualifying in a final position of thirteenth, to the heat race he would go...armed with tear-off's and equipment to combat the conditions and opposing forces. Leaping into the fray from the metal grate behind the starting gate, he would do his best to veer to the inside of turn number one. Disregarding the aspirations of those in the field, he took the main lines of every corner throughout the first two laps; spraying soil from his rear tire that would stick to the goggle lens of Colt Nichols behind him. With ruts now entrenched within every transition, his emphasis of balance and keeping his feet on the foot-pegs were critical; omitting the reflexes of sticking a limb away from the chassis in order to maintain a straight pathway. All the while, he looked to his mechanic for reassurance and an update on his position; seeing fourth scribed in marker upon the pit-board as he entered in the final moments of the moto. Staying upright and continuing an optimal course of line selection as he passed the checkered shortly thereafter, his vision was now set on the main event that was set to begin in the coming hours. The green flag then waved for the twenty-minute (plus one lap) finalé, and almost seemed to be actualized...when a sudden green blur would appear to the inside! Simultaneously, his chassis would be rocked by a Kawasaki 450, as he and Jason Anderson would fall to the ground beneath them! Doing his best to get back on the bike (and track) in a shortened amount of time, Barcia was determined to make passes as quickly as possible from that moment, forward. Squaring-up corners (in particular the bend immediately thereafter), his ability to pivot the chassis in the first quarter of the race was critical and had him on a similar pace of those around the top-seven. Though the margin from him, to Eli Tomac (who was fifth) was quite significant, he wasn't one to become discouraged. He then adopted a flow that was sustainable through the sixteenth minute, knowing that his stamina was going to be more than adequate through the final five minutes of action. Diverting from the deepest lines (in the sand) and accompanying sections of troublesome terrain, he would gather eighth-place on the final leaderboard as time expired; putting a definitive stamp on his performance in Florida.