JUSTIN BARCIA - GRIT 244 450SX

GRIT-244 |450 SX

May 20, 2024 9:45 am

Clicking into gear for the opening qualification segment, GasGas' Justin Barcia wasted little time in analyzing the track...as he knew that the longer sessions would go-on, the rougher the racing surface would become. Therefore he was wide-open as the green flag waved and seemed to master the rhythm of this Indiana layout with courage while flourishing aboard the aforementioned GasGas 450. The stands were packed, and fans could be heard as he scrubbed the "SX" triple with authority...and as he proceeded to embody that confidence as the thirty-second board was titled sideways for the opening main event, the New York native would bolt into the opening bend with a commanding presence! Gathering a standing of ninth, it appeared as if he and his surrounding team had fine-tuned the chassis at this point in the season - which was indicative via his performance on the motorcycle while staying amongst he pack of riders that included Hunter Lawrence and Shane McElrath. Passing both of those opponents while trailing former amateur rival Eli Tomac, Barcia remained planted on the 450cc machine as he carved through the never-ending ruts on this Indiana circuit. His engine could be heard from around the stadium, especially as KTM's Aaron Plessinger became closer and would combat him fender-to-fender for his current position. Though Barcia's line of defense was one of resilience, it was "AP" who ultimately made the move and claimed sixth as Justin took seventh. For the second moto, Justin's opening stance (of fifth) was remarkable; but the pack around him, wasn't one of complacency as they were constantly searching for ways around the veteran from New York. After just a few minutes of action, before the "SX" triple, Barcia's flow appeared to be halted for a brief moment...when he and Chase Sexton would collide when exiting the right-handed bowl(ed) turn! Nearly stopping Barcia in his tracks, the number fifty-one managed to stay upright; though he had descended to eleventh in the running order at that point in time. From there onward, he fought forward; vowing to display the utmost speed, while minimizing his mistakes on the rutted canvas...which translated to a position ahead of Hunter Lawrence at the checkered flag, for ninth, respectively. Amid round three, Barcia's launch from the line was solidified in the seventh-place position; but he quickly showed the fellow New Yorker (i.e. Justin Cooper) the way around the track per se, with a brilliant move to be categorized in sixth. Though it wasn't held for long, as Aaron Plessinger's charge would cause Barcia to descend to seventh....which was sustained for quite a while. The aforementioned Ohio native would undergo an unfortunate miscue on the eighth circuit, which enabled Barcia to move ahead -and he Cooper (would once again) quarrel over the sixth-place position in the running order. The number fifty-one was magnificent as the ruts grew more treacherous, somehow toggling between his patented style and a sense of composure amongst the grooves while barreling to the checkered flag! Ultimately finalized in sixth, Barcia's overall assembly (of eighth) was definite accolade to build from in the coming weeks!

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