JUSTIN BARCIA

With a plethora of fans now getting the chance to view Justin Barcia compete at the High Point National, for well over a decade, the GasGas rider was undoubtedly a crowd favorite as practice began on Saturday morning. The rear wheel of the 450cc staple was spraying soil every which way, and after obtaining a qualifying position of sixth, he was well on his way to beginning the two-moto showcase on the right foot. Earning a green flag position of fifth, Barcia was within striking distance of battling for the pinnacle standing on the leaderboard — and was thorough with his line selection, as the elite in the field were finding the fastest pathways on the circuit. Leaping into the roller section, his GasGas engine was revving at its highest extent — and there was no shortage of charging power into the right-handed bend thereafter, landing from the proceeding subtle double/tabletop obstacle with tremendous aggression. Though overtaken by Chase Sexton and Shane McElrath, Barcia wasn’t going to let valuable positions slip away that easily. He continued to battle, and made the line of defense for opponents behind him, even more difficult when nearing the halfway point. He and Shane McElrath seemed to be on a similar flow, but Malcolm Stewart couldn’t be ignored...and the Husqvarna rider would actually make the pass on Barcia on the twelfth circuit! Barcia did his best to avoid the roost, and remained within a respectable distance of Stewart’s rear wheel when nearing the finish line. Ultimately finalized in tenth, the New Yorker was set to strive for an even higher standing in the following round of competition. As gate(s) fell, the entirety of the field would try to cut to the inside(s) of turns one and two...before many would open up the pathways a bit, before the giant anthill/roller to begin the downhill mogul section. Barcia was spotted running near seventh to begin the second moto, and the GasGas rider was immediately involved in a substantial battle with Phil Nicoletti after five minutes of action. But after thorough pressure, Barcia was able to pass by the fellow New York native. He seemed rather solidified in a flow of this magnitude, and after intensely battling with Justin Cooper and Dylan Ferrandis for the entirety of the sixteen-lap contest, Barcia appeared to be on a pace that equated to an eighth-place standing. He was steadfast in his pursuit of the final jump, and crested the subtle tabletop while registering an eighth-place standing — which wrote his name in the record book(s), as the eighth overall recipient as well.