Crash, injury and illness, and mechanical issues spell a tough outdoor 2011 motocross season so far for this year’s supercross lites champ Justin Barcia

Justin Barcia was no doubt the most dominant lites rider in the Monster Energy 2011 supercross season. He not only won the lites east coast title, but he won with ease and grace. His fortune however has not been as good so far in the Lucas Oil 2011 Outdoor motocross season. He started Hangtown with an unknown sickness, later to be discovered as Mono. Determined and driven, Barcia continues to battle with the other 250f champs anyway, for a shot at back to back supercross and motocross titles. His results however, have been inconsistent at best at the start of the 2011 outdoor season. Every time he has shown that flash of raw Barcia speed and “on the edge” riding that he’s famous for, he strikes dirt face-first or has mechanical bike issues. At the 2011 Red Bud Outdoor race this weekend in Illinois, Barcia’s bad luck streak continued.  He crashed out in Thunder Valley the previous week, only to do the exact same in Moto 1 at Red Bud. Justin was out front and leading, showing incredible speed, but face planted into the Red Bud dirt, grimacing in pain. Though shaken and in pain, he attempted to charge back but crashed a second time in the same moto. Proving insult after injury, Barcia’s bike would not start for Moto 2! His factory Geico-Honda team did all they could to start the bike, but had no luck. He was forced to spectate with a DNS (Did Not Start) for Moto 2. Lets hope things improve with Barcia moving forward can get better, because he still has the speed and talent to podium the rest of the series… if he can just scare away the latest demons blocking his path. cheers, Rocket 88.