250 Words: St. Louis
Tuesday, April 12, 2011 | 1:20 PM
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Don’t tell anyone—but the wild child isn’t all that wild. Sure, Justin Barcia is all about the revving and the scrubbing, and he’s going to bam-bam into the other riders as quickly as possible.
But, for a wild man, he’s pretty consistent. Wild means crashes, wild means win one week and DNF the next. Wild, in the tradition of win-or-crashers like Magoo, Bradshaw or even, yes, James Stewart, means the only person that can beat you is you yourself.
That’s not really the case with Barcia. Last year’s results in his rookie SX season: 3-18-5-1-3-4-3-1. This year as a sophomore: 1-2-2-2-1-2-2-1. So that’s 15 top fives in 16 career Lites races, an enviable record of consistency that any young rider—smooth, wild, consistent or crazy—would love to match.
Barcia has been one of the most consistent Lites riders the past two years.
Photo: Simon Cudby
And that one 18th came at the hands of Christophe Pourcel last year in Atlanta. Barcia was plowing into everyone in his heat race, and Pourcel got revenge on behalf of pretty much the entire class in the main event. Okay, we will give Barcia’s hard riding one mulligan, as his bad behavior earned him a spanking there. Otherwise, he’s been off the ground and on the podium a whole lot more often than not.
It’s tempting to say that Barcia only learned to be consistent this year because he’s riding through the pain of a broken wrist, and maybe that injury has made him back it down a notch. But the stats show that while Barcia’s riding style may favor getting sideways, the results have always been pretty straightforward.
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Looking forward to seeing what happens if Hansen and Barcia go 1 and 2 out of the gate in the shootout. Neither is afraid to get physical, should be a hell of race.
I wanted to put this comment on the shootout poll but was denied. So here I go with consecutive posts. In the past, wasn't the East/West SX championships decided BEFORE the shootout? Seems that is not the case anymore since east championship isn't being decided till Vegas. When did that change? Man i'm getting old! Anyways I like the new format, People used to not race as hard in the shootout because it carried little weight!!
i hope 100 and 17 have a collision for the ages, and they both cartwheel, get up and have a fist fight...
classic (ryan hughes would be proud)
Frodad, the new format for the championship is new for 2011
Mann im so stoked im goin to vegas again this year.. should be a F-in good race between both classes
what may have been lost and I need to check the points, but the top 20 in each series go to vegas and so there may have been some good battles for that final spot that never makes it to the TV viewers. The west guys have 2 more races to battle so if points are close back there around 20th, good battles. Are we to assume the top 10 in points from east n west after the final race for each coast at Vegas then go onto the shootout, most likely.
I'm waiting for all the Wilson fans to start whining about how dirty Barcia is. Oh, wait... Wilson was the one who straight punted Wharton this weekend. Funny how they all cry about Barcia being dirty but when their guy does it it's justified. For the first time I can remember I'm actually as excited (or more excited) to watch 250's as 450's and it's because all of these guys are trying to do all they can to win. I'm a Barcia fan, but I didn't whine when Wilson and Sipes went after him the past few weeks. And Barcia didn't get up on the podium and whine about it like Wilson did after the first race either. The kid just says, "I am disappointed and I need to do better and get the win." I love that mentality, and I think he is making Wilson/Sipes/Bagget/Wharton all rise to his level and race hard, making this an amazing season!
The shootout will still carry the same weight, whether large or small. However, the riders will be (a little bit) more tired after running their respective finals, and maybe a little banged up or sore from crashing or getting slammed by Barcia or Hanson. I'm guessing it will run after the 450 main. If so, it will be somewhat anticlimactic after this awesome 450 championship is finally decided. It will still be fun to watch, though, and Vegas will definitely be worth the ticket price with the new format.
halfe316, that scenario would be funny, for sure, but I'm betting there'd be more hair-pulling and face-slapping than fist-throwing. I doubt Ryno would be proud of that catfight. He'd monkey stomp both of those guys plus you and me, even with a broken leg taped up inside his boot!!! Ryan Hughes is one of our sport's all-time badasses.
the kid is a helluva rider. He is maturing and learning what it takes to win titles. If he stays healthy, he will give fits to top riders for the next 5 or 6 years. I really like this kid. MarineCorps Duck, I agree, if that was Reed and not Wilson, the message boards would have lit up like a Christmas tree. The 250 class East has been a fun one to watch for sure.
Barcia riding with a bad wrist and winning,sometimes by a margin and Hansen with his hand and barely gettn the job done. Its almost gonna be the best of the best with East/West. UNLESS the SX class comes down to Vegas, the Lites is gonna be THE RACE to watch !
Sipes should of parked barcia this weekend..he was all over him till he made a couple mistakes..he told me barcia is gonna get it in vegas..i guess a bunch of riders are gonna get together and take him out then run him over a bunch and stuff like that ...just repeating what i heard.Hansen said he was gonna lap barcia and steal his chick and take her to the casino and then pimp her out..just sayin..
Are they having seperate East and West mains....then a shootout as well?
I thought they were just having the East/West Shootout and that is the final race for both classes
So what does it say that the two leaders of the East and West SX series respectively have broken hands/wrists? The other riders are that bad, or those guys are that tough?
Since I'll be in Vegas this yr, it appears East and West finals are both in Vegas, along with the East/West Shootout, AND the 450's! Four (4) mains...definitely worth the extra money those scalpers took me for!
@Rick Melon There won't be heat races in Vegas. There will be two finals, one for East and one for West. Then the combined East/West Shootout. Should be wild.
Trey Canard did that exact same move on Wilson at redbud last season. It was aggressive but not overly (as stated by both, and if you watch "the moto" it was stated there also). Dean didn't take wharton out. In my opinion he was nice to him. Wharton didn't even lose a position. Had that been barcia or wharton... somebody would have hit the dirt hard Barcia's lap times are so slow when he's being pressured hard. same as wharton. Hanny or Davalos will put him to the dirt if he gets stupid with them. Davalos has the speed to beat this kid. Hope he wins one of the last leave the lites on a good note
organdonar, Barcias lap times are slow?? HUH?? Last time I looked, Barcias lap times were just a few tenths off the leader. Sipes ran a 48.1, and Barcia ran a 48.3.. But Barcias average over 15 laps were the fastest of everyone, how is that slow?? He and Sipes were running hard and CLEAN at St. Louis, I dont know why everybodies crying over Barcia being dirty, he ran clean in Dallas also. And Dean knocked Wharton off the track just like Wharton did to Sipes, just Wharton was lucky and didnt hit a tuff block. All the young guys are aggresive, that class has always been that way.
I say Barcia,Wilson,Sipes,Tomac, all beat Hanson
jajajajajajajajajaja another pro circuit fan in pain. if pro circuit wont win a champinship everybody is mad. motocross is not only one team. factory connection is winning and you are mad about it. good job barcia bringing the reality of our sport. hansen is a chick, wilson is a crying chick bagget good rider tyla too. tickle he is like dumb all the time and organ doner he works in mc donals.
Wharton had that punt coming, Wilson just cashed it in for Sipes.
MarineCorpsDuck...Sorry to tell you but your post sounded like whining to me.
Dean and Wharton: Live by the sword, die by the sword. It was a nice bump but it looked like BW chose to leave the track after the contact. Some haven't had that much room. Not too much different than any of the contenders in the lites class. For the most part these guys are just keeping it on the right side of the line, but it is close. Barcia has earned it this year for sure.
excellent analysis Weege, your work is not unappreciated!
barcia looks like my dog..hes got a blondish grey beard like my dog..barcia gonna win a 450 title? epic fail..id love to see baggett win somethin and shut the old(young man) out..reminds me of a gnome
Hansen doen't have the speed to match Barcia and the rest of the class are just whiners! Barcia will shine in Vegas and make eveybody a believer. I'm still say'in it...Barcia will podium in his first 450 SX. He's not as wide open as Hannah was but he rides very similar and has that same desire.