JUSTIN BARCIA - GRIT 233 450SMX

JUSTIN BARCIA | GRIT-233 | 450 SMX

Undoubtedly one of the most talented riders in the field, GasGas' Justin Barcia was an athlete that many felt could contend for the highest of results while stationed in Illinois...and the number fifty-one would do just that after leaving the crowd in disbelief throughout time(d) trials. The New York native was on fire with his blatant over jumping of various obstacles, where he was ruthless when storming across straightaways and sweeping bends alike. This mantra translated into the first moto of racing action as well, where he solidified a standing of third (after fiercely battling and defending position(s) from Chase Sexton, while pursuing Jett Lawrence)in the early going and did his best to deflect roost from his opponents while surging to speeds of over sixty miles per hour! There was little that could derail the momentum of the Troy Lee Designs athlete as he skied through the double-double section, as the steep takeoff's were a means to be scrubbed (somehow) with brute authority...where "JB51" managed to flick the chassis to both left and right, despite being hounded by that of Yamaha's Dylan Ferrandiswho was just feet behind! The aptitude that Barcia was displaying was incredible, and he managed to sustain that pace, despite being overtaken by Ken Roczen - well after the twelfth minute mark where marginal gaps were beginning to be positioned throughout the field. He would speed past the mechanic's area knowing that there were only a few laps left, and even with his GasGas engine firing at its highest rate(s) Barcia knew he would have to expend the entirety of his figurative "gas tank" in order to keep KTM's Aaron Plessingerat bay. And with confidence, that task would be completed with the highest of honor(s)...finalized in fourthprior to exiting the raceway. And in the second half of the two-part overall sequence, Justin was found within a standing of fifthto begin while reiterating a notion of "sprint speed" in the earliest of laps. The left and right handed corners that followed the descent were filled with significant ruts - where the infiltration by Cooper Webb(who trailed) was imminent with seconds continuing to pass by. However, Barcia's means to strive forward were halted with a wash-out in the sand section; where he briefly fell to the ground before tagging Jason Anderson's motorcycle with his own GasGas machine, and remounting to secure eleventh as the lap was completed! From there and onward, he would challenge and keep the rival in the rearview as the eighth and ninth minutes came to pass, and with roughly half the race to go, a "final charge" of sorts would be engaged by the multi-time professional race winner. Remaining rather upright on the foot-pegs as the chassis continued to bounce from left to right, he would break through the last bits of roughened terrain to emerge tenthwhen all was said and done; doing his best to overtake the likes of Phil Nicoletti and Colt Nichols in the latter stages, but unfortunately not being able to overtake the adversaries as action came to a close...and with the tenth place accumulation following the aforementioned tip-over, he would still be able to claim eighth in the final standings while seeking to better his placement in the final round of the SMX Playoff's.

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