JUSTIN BARCIA

The tenacity of Justin Barcia was evident, as the 2024 season came to fruition in January. The veteran of the game appeared hungrier than ever to make his mark on the sport, and proceeded to carry that mentality into Fox Raceway in Pala, California as well. After a commendable practice effort, where he wowed fans with daring mid-air maneuvers and whips that were hard to describe, the native of Monroe, New York took his talent to the racecourse once more...occupying a position of sixth, which quickly translated to fifth (for brief moments) before sliding back to the original standing as he was passed by Dylan Ferrandis. Now behind the French rider, Barcia would have to contend with Malcolm Stewart who was demonstrating an incredible pace of his own. The veteran trio was accelerating through the multi-grooved racetrack with ambition, and Barcia’s revs could be heard around the course as he blasted through rollers and over the largest gaps with authority. As the clock began to near zero, it appeared as if Barcia would remain solidified in the sixth-place standing...and he would do so, generating a notable sum of points before exiting the raceway. The fight for a top-five overall was strenuous in the second endeavor as well, where the GasGas pilot acquired a standing of sixth before moving around fellow New York native Phil Nicoletti near the beginning of the second full lap...with both veterans fighting for the inside line, after the finish line obstacle. He and Dylan Ferrandis would then battle once more, before the French rider was able to make his way around...which led to Justin and Stewart beginning to pace one another, from the fourth circuit onward. It was just as they did at the Loretta Lynn’s Amateur National in the early 2000’s, going bar to bar at the top of their division while speeding toward the finish line. However on this occasion, initially at least, it was Barcia who was passed by Malcolm Stewart with roughly three laps remaining in the second-moto contest...but Justin wasn’t going to let his lifelong rival speed away from him without a fight. Therefore, as the track was in its roughest form, Barcia seemed to advanced to higher paces than ever before...given the rising level of difficulty. Hitting square-edges and braking bumps at a full-throttle output, Barcia sought to pass the Floridian with only seconds of competition remaining. And with a final lunge, that's exactly what the New York native would do! It was a true battle until the end, with JB51 being solidified in sixth, to acquire fifth in the record book!