Justin Starling is now a decade into his professional career and has slowly become a 450SX main event staple. He had a successful 2022 season where he made 14 of 17 main events and finished 16th in points, he also did so while driving himself to every round and putting his own program together. In recent months, he’s also hopped overseas to race the Paris Supercross with Valentin Teillet’s GasGas team and also got a last-minute call to fill in for the injured Brandon Hartranft on the PMG Suzuki team for World Supercross. Unfortunately neither of those events went great as Starling was landed on in Cardiff and then struggled with setup in Paris. It wasn’t all bad, though. While in Paris for the race, Starling proposed to his girlfriend Nicole in front of the famed Eifel Tower. She said yes!
With all of this going on, we caught up with Starling to talk about his offseason, how successful 2022 was for him, and his expectations for 2023.
Racer X: First of all, congratulations on the engagement! Tell us the story! What happened? When did you plan it? Did you know you were going to do it in Paris?
Justin Starling: Well, I knew I was going to marry this one. That was pretty easy. But I didn’t know where. I got hit up about racing Paris Supercross and she had always wanted to go to Paris, and it was just perfect. Like I couldn’t really plan it any better. As soon as we knew that we were going to Paris, that’s when I was like, “Yep, that’s when I’m doing it.” I didn’t want to do it on a night of racing, so I did it Friday night before the racing started so it was a little bit… we like to have our separation [from racing], so I think that was the best way to do it.
So you already had the ring, and it was just about picking the time?
Yeah, I think I had the ring for a month and a half before that, so it was planned out.
Obviously, you were in Paris for more than just that. Tell me about the experience of riding for Valentin Teillet’s team and what you thought of the whole two nights of racing?
I’ve known Valentin for a long time. I’ve raced him a lot in the German [Supercross] stuff. When the option came up to go race, there was an option on a 250 or a 450. It was a little bit more money to ride a 250 so I said, “Okay, I’ll ride that.” I haven’t ridden one since 2020. So it was a little strange in that sense. I didn’t bring suspension or anything. We were struggling there quite a bit. But it was a lot of fun! I’ve never been able to do the Paris Supercross so that was a first time for me. Honestly it was my favorite one I’ve done in Europe yet. It was cool. I’ve always liked the two days of racing. I don’t understand why we don’t do that here. But yeah, it was a lot of fun. I enjoyed it. I got my butt smoked, but I enjoyed every minute of it.
You said it was your favorite event you’ve done in Europe, how does it compare to the German Supercross races? Is the vibe just bigger and greater and there’s just more stuff going on and that’s what makes it better?
Yeah, it just felt more fun. The German stuff, it’s pretty jam packed. And it was also nice that everyone just qualified for the mains, you know? So there was no pressure in that sense. You could just show up and do your job and not have to worry about, “Oh we’ve got to get through the heat.” Just the atmosphere and everything, it just seemed a lot bigger. The stadium is a lot bigger, so the track is a little bigger as well. Times were still super low but just the feel of it felt more real than like a little arenacross in the German stuff. It was cool. I enjoyed it.
With the atmosphere there, the crowds seem to really get into it whether you’re in Germany or France. Is that kind of cool to compare US Supercross and the crowds we have here versus what they have there?
Yeah, the crowds to me didn’t seem a whole lot different than the States. They’re a little bit louder and you’re allowed to have more air horns and stuff like that. In that sense, it was louder. But it was a small stadium, you know? It’s still not very big, so the amount of people is still a lot smaller than the States. But it was cool. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I thought the fans were cool. They all seemed to be super excited that we were all there, which was good to see. When you’re in the States, it just kind of seems like people are there and then they leave. Over there they seem a little bit more engaging.
How did the deal come together to ride for Pipes Motorsports Group in WSX?
I had a couple of offers to go [from other teams] but honestly the money was just so low that I was like, “Nah, I’m good.” For being over there for a week to basically race for, I’m not going to say pennies, but it was pretty low, it just didn’t seem worth it to me. Other teams wanted to take a percentage of my winnings and I was like, “So, say you have a bad weekend, you’re making less than you make here in the States.” Everyone had a different number, and it was just odd to me, so I thought, “Nah, I’m good. I’ll skip it this year.” And then, I still wasn’t even riding yet, like I was still moving into a home down here in Florida, and Dustin [Pipes] called me one day when I was at Lowe’s and said, “Hey we need a rider.” And I was like, “Uh okay!” He offered good start money, so I was going to get good money to show. Then right when I was getting ready to fly over to California to test the bike, I got COVID, so I didn’t get to ride again. So I put like two days of riding in like three or four months before I went to Cardiff. They just needed someone to show up in Cardiff because [Brandon] Hartranft wasn’t going to be ready, and I flew over.
Dang, I guess it’s been a pretty wild offseason for you so far! Has it calmed back down to normal where you feel like you’re in your grind and everything is fine again?
For the most part, yeah. It was a little bit different offseason. I met my chick, then we moved in together, then we got engaged. That was all through the summer, but I did all of that and that made everything go really quick. Then I got settled into the house and the Cardiff thing came up but then I got COVID so I was pretty much down and out and couldn’t do anything for like three weeks. Then I got back and got sick again. I was putting everything together with the sprinter van getting ready to go and then I got hit with a $7000 bill to get my sprinter van fixed for the season. It feels like it’s one thing after another right now but the one thing I didn’t do last year was… I didn’t prioritize riding and I think I rode maybe twice in December because I was so busy getting everything ready for Anaheim. This year I said that I’d rather get time on the bike than to do the other stuff. We’re doing okay. We’re trying to get our time in. We’re riding about four days a week and I feel better than I did last year so it’s all going good. It hasn’t calmed down. It’s just one thing after another but we make sure we get our laps in.
Where are you riding right now? I know you’re with Jack [Chambers] and Chase [Sexton]. Did Jack get his own place or something?
Yeah so Jack’s had his own place for a couple years now. It’s just a big field basically with a good supercross track on it. There’s a good outdoor track as well. I’ve been there since last year and I got really close with Jack and his family and I just really wanted to stay close to them because I always enjoyed staying with people that are fun to be around and enjoyable. I think that it makes the work more fun instead of it just being a grind. So that’s been awesome to train with them and then [Zach] Osborne is out there as well a lot helping Jack, so I’ve had a really good group of people. Sexton just started riding there about two weeks ago. So, the last few days I’ve just been with Chase and and you can’t really get much better than that following Sexton around.
Let’s talk about supercross in 2022 real quick. It was a great year for you. You got your first top 10 at Salt Lake, 16th in points. How big was 2022 for you when you look back on it personally?
I think this has been… I mean I had multiple top 10s on the 250 and rode for teams and did all that, but I look at racing a lot differently than other people do. I look at the growth of me rather than the results. I think 2022 was probably the best year I’ve ever had. I did get a top 10 in the 450SX class which I thought was cool. It was a ninth and I had to work for it too. It wasn’t just like I started good and stayed there, I had to come from the back. So yeah, it was a good year. I learned a lot also about what it takes and how to do it and little things like that. I think a lot of that had to do with where I was training with the Chambers and then it was really translating into the racing part. It was a good year. I really enjoyed it. I had a fun time. I drove to every single race this past year or this past season. That was a lot. But I learned a lot about myself, and I think that I what will be most beneficial going into 2023.
So the program is going to remain the same? GasGas with FXR helping and you’re just going to roll the same program into next year?
Yeah, that was the plan. I didn’t want to change much. I’m even staying on the same motorcycle. Like literally the same race bike from last year is my race bike for next year. It didn’t have much time on it, and everything is new on the bike aside from the frame and swingarm, but even the frame got re-powder coated. It’s a new motorcycle. I just wanted to keep everything the same. We’re still in the sprinter van, the canopy setup is a little bigger, FXR is still my title sponsor. I have a new co-title sponsor with General Grind & Machine. They were actually with me in 2021 and now they’re back. But ultimately except for after the California rounds, I’m going to hire a mechanic to drive. I’m just going to stay in Florida. Even during the west coast swing, my plan is to stay in Florida and just fly back and forth and just get the riding in. My practice bike that I’m on right now is my practice bike that I got in January and after supercross it only had five hours on it. My plan is to just stay riding. That’s something that I missed, and I was only riding on weekends last year. So this year, the big change is flying and making sure I can stay riding the whole time.
You talked a little bit that past year about kind of not really wanting to take a fill in ride to leave the program you’re on because the program is so good and the money may not be great at a fill in. Is that still your same mindset?
Yeah, I don’t want to leave what I have. I mean, the fill in thing is cool but I’m really big with looking long term and staying loyal to my people. I’ve gotten good support for ’23 and I don’t think that leaving it to go to a ride for a couple races is worth it. For me it makes more sense to stay loyal to the people who keep me going each year. And honestly, I don’t think getting on a different bike is going to change my results by maybe one or two positions ultimately and I don’t think that’s worth it. I love my bike and I love my program and the people that I work with. It’s super small. Me and my fiancé handle all of it. And then when we go to the west coast, Justin at MotoWhips handles a lot of it. We just keep it small, and it works so there’s no reason to uproot that and go somewhere else for just a couple of races. Even if it was for the rest of the season, then I still have to try to get all of these guys back again for the following season and then they’re like, “Well, you left. Are you going to do that again?” So yeah, no plans to leave, no want to leave. If the right thing came along, I think people would understand, but that’s just not for me. I like where I’m at and I plan to stay here until I’m done.
So then the big question: What sort of expectations are you putting on yourself for 2023? Is there a set goal for making every main or a set position that you want in your mind?
I missed three mains in 2022 and that was probably the most defeating thing of the year. After the third one, because they were all three in a row, it was pretty frustrating. So I think my big thing is just put the bike in the main every time and then once you’re in the main, it’s 20 minutes. You just give it you all for 20 minutes and where you end up is where you’re going to end up as long as you give it your all. No real expectations. When you come off your last race getting a ninth, you definitely want to be up there somewhere, but you also have to understand all the people coming back and it will be stacked. For me, just put the bike in every weekend and put your best foot forward for 20 minutes and leave there with a smile on your face.
Lastly, who would you like to thank for everything this year and then for everything moving into 2023?
I’d like to thank FXR, General Grind & Machine, Adams Polish, Plumb Creek Funding, MotoWhips, FMF, Guts, AEO Powersports, Adept Creative, P3 Carbon, Dunlop, Acerbis, Maxima, Rekluse, Twin Air, Works Connection, FCP, Pro Taper, D.I.D., Braking, Spinergy, Spec Bolt, Nihilo Concepts, JC’s Bike & Boards, Motion Pro, my fiancé Nicole, my family, Tiffany and Nick Nahas, Brandon Gettel, The Chambers Family, Keir and Chase Sexton, and Zach Osborne.
