Photos by: Chase Yocom

One of the biggest mysteries of the 2016 Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship has been JGRMX/ Yamaha’s Justin Barcia. After ending the 2015 season with multiple podiums, a couple of overall wins and a solid performance at the MXoN, expectations were high for the #51 in 2016, but his season has not lived up to those expectations. In fact, it took the rider considered by many to be a Championship contender seven rounds to finally find his way onto the podium at Southwick.

Click to take advantage of the great deals at Ride365
Click to take advantage of the great deals at Ride365

With someone like Justin—appropriately nicknamed BammBamm for his aggressive on track style—the sport is a better place when he is racing for wins, and at Budds Creek, he took a big step forward. RCH / Suzuki’s Ken Roczen was untouchable up front, but Justin battled with Red Bull / KTM’s Marvin Musquin in both motos and came out on top with a 3-3 score for second overall. Last year, Justin turned his season around at Budds Creek as well, but unfortunately the venue moved from round six in 2015 to round eleven in ’16, so there’s only one race left for Justin to capitalize on that momentum.

After Justin’s second overall, he sat down in the press tent and answered some questions about his day at round eleven.

The motocross world is a better place with the #51 battling at the front.
The motocross world is a better place with the #51 battling at the front.

Justin, take us through your motos today. Seemed like a good day for you.

Yeah, I made some changes in practice. The first moto was good. I wasn’t perfect, but I tried my hardest. Marvin [Musquin] rode really good and got around me, I just couldn’t run the pace. It’s hard but he rode really good and Kenny [Roczen] rode super good. All in all the first moto was good. The second moto was tough today. It was super hot today. Just dry and hot today. It wasn’t that humid, like in Florida it’s super gnarly, but this was not fun to be in at all. I got a decent start in the second moto. Then I worked my way into second and Marvin was hounding me the whole moto. He got me a few times, but I was able to push myself a little bit harder and I got through it.

 

After what happened last year, and now this year with second overall, does Budds Creek have a special place in your heart now?

I like this track a lot—It’s fun. I raced here a little bit as an amateur a couple times. The track’s good. They do a great job. I think it’s one of the better racetracks. There’s a lot of lines and options. I think a lot of guys would probably agree with that. It was a little sketchy the first moto. There was a few kickers in some of the faces, but luckily they fixed it for the second moto. I almost endoed super hard the first moto.(laughs)

 


In the second moto it sounded like it was a willpower battle between you and Marvin. You were trying to break him and he was trying to break you
.

It was brutal! It was one of the better battles I’ve had. He always rides super good and it’s a good person to battle with. It was hard. I was giving it my all, for sure. I laid some good laps down and was able to hold onto it. Definitely, I was on my toes for sure. The lappers were extremely bad today. I don’t know, It was tough. The first moto I kept up with Marvin for while just because there are just so many lappers.

With one more year on his JGR contract, that's one more year for Justin to make the team feel like it's been money well spent with a Championship.
With one more year on his JGR contract, that’s one more year for Justin to make the team feel like it’s been money well spent with a Championship.

He got you last week and in the first moto, so when you turned the tide and you beat him in the next one, is that progression? Did you feel you were making progress?

Yeah, I’m making dirt bike progress, for sure. Today was a step in the right direction. After first practice I thought, “Alright, do we need to change something to the engine. Do we need to change the sprocket. Do we need to change the front forks or we need to change the shock?” So we went into the second practice pretty much with a whole new setup. I’m like, I’m sick of this kind of beating around the bush. We went for it and it was better. From the first moto to the second moto we made a fork change. We went for it today blind and luckily it worked out for us.

Click to take advantage of the great deals at Ride365
Click to take advantage of the great deals at Ride365

We have one more race. Are you forward to it more now because of your performance today?

I’ve been looking forward to every race trying to get better. Unfortunately it took awhile. (laughs) I’m looking forward to Indiana. I think that’s another pretty good track with good spots to pass. Hopefully it’s as as good as last year. Last year I came up a little short and go second in the Championship. So that was frustrating.

Author

Dan Lamb is a 12+ year journalist and the owner of MotoXAddicts.