2011 Southwick Motocross
GEICO Honda rider Justin Barcia fought through the driving rain and a sloppy track at Moto-X 338 to win his first 450 moto in just his second race on an American Honda CRF 450R in the Lucas Oil AMA Motocross Championship.
Justin Barcia (GEICO Honda CRF450R Motocross) says: “I’m super pumped about how I did (Saturday). To beat all those top guys is just awesome.”
The moto victory salvaged what proved to be a rough day for GEICO Honda and there was no better example of that than Barcia himself.
In the first moto of the day, Barcia got a solid start and was running third when his Motocross bike lost power. Barcia was unable to get it re-fired and he had to accept a DNF and 36th-place finish.
Justin Barcia says: “We had a little trouble in the first moto, so I knew I had to come back strong. To start the second moto, I had the far outside gate. I got a great start somehow and led pretty much the whole race.”
Barcia only got better as conditions deteriorated. He got the holeshot in Moto 2, and would win that race – his first outdoor win of the year – by nearly 27 seconds for a seventh-place overall finish on the day.
Justin Barcia says: “It was a confidence booster to say the least. I was pumped to be able to get that win for everyone on the GEICO Honda and American Honda teams.”
GEICO Honda’s 250 AMA Motocross riders had difficulty rebounding the way Barcia did.
Riding in just his second race as a pro, Justin Bogle was the team’s top 250 Motocross finisher. He was ninth overall after finishes of 18th and fourth.
Justin Bogle (GEICO Honda CRF250R Motocross) says: “Practice didn’t go well at all and I struggled with the setup. We got the bike working good. The first moto was about survival. The second moto I started good and closed in on third, but had to drop back because my goggles got muddied. The second moto felt awesome.”
Jimmy DeCotis bounced back from a spill and a 36th-place finish in Moto 1 to finish ninth in the second moto and 16th overall.
Eli Tomac finished 19th overall with finishes of 14th and 32nd. He remains fifth in season points.
Eli Tomac (GEICO Honda CRF250R Motocross) says: “I had a big crash in the second moto, so that kind of jacked me up. My practice started as good as it gets. My first moto I got shuffled back at the start then had to work my way back up. The second moto, on the fourth corner, someone came flying into me, my wheel got stuck in the mud, then I got run over by three people.”
Up next for GEICO Honda is the next to last race of the outdoor season, the Sept. 3 Steel City National outside Pittsburgh.