Another one bites the dust. Bummer news out of the Rockstar GasGas camp as Justin Barcia announced he’ll be sidelined for the remaining three races of Monster Energy AMA Supercross due to a knee injury sustained at the East Rutherford round. Barcia says his crash “banged up” his knee and “aggravated an old injury” which requires a couple of weeks of therapy. As of now, the team’s goal is to have the 51 on track for the start of Pro Motocross.
“I’m extremely disappointed,” Barcia said. “Things were finally starting to click – I was feeling comfortable and had just a few laps to go in the Main Event at MetLife Stadium when I had a weird little crash that seemed to come out of nowhere. I had done the same thing every lap, but it just snuck up on me and these things happen sometimes. Unfortunately, I banged up my knee and aggravated an old injury, so I’ll need to take a couple of weeks off for therapy. The goal is to come back strong for the start of the motocross season. I’m definitely bummed. I was finally finding my flow and putting it all together, and then that mistake happened. I’m really going to miss my crew, the whole team, and all the fans, but I can’t wait to get back on the bike.”
“It’s an unfortunate turn of events for Justin and the Rockstar Energy GASGAS Factory Racing Team,” said Team Manager, Sean Murphy. “East Rutherford was shaping up to be his best finish of the season, and claiming a podium position in front of his hometown crowd would have made it even more special. Unfortunately, a late-race crash while running in podium contention resulted in a knee injury that will require a few weeks off the bike. We know Justin and the entire team will do everything possible to ensure he’s ready for the start of the Pro Motocross season. It’s been a challenging year for the team with injuries, but we’re confident that Justin, Casey [Cochran], and Ryder [DiFrancesco] will be ready to compete at the highest level when the gate drops at Fox Raceway for Round 1 of the outdoor season.”
Barcia is currently ranked seventh in the 450SX standings with a best result of fourth coming in Indianapolis. He is aiming to contest the upcoming Pro Motocross Championship, commencing on May 24 in Pala, California.
