A practice crash on Thursday had Barcia feeling a bit sore straight out of the gate, which was not ideal for the physically demanding Triple Crown format. The 26yr old got a good start in the first main event, but unfortunately arm pump put him out of contention and dropping back from fourth to 10th. Thankfully for Barcia, his arm pump issue got better as the night wore on, as did his results. He managed a seventh-place finish in the second main event, and then went on to get his best result in the final race of the night. The team’s veteran worked his way up to the front, led some laps, but ultimately had to settle for third.
Meanwhile, his teammate Plessinger is continuing his education in the stacked premier class. The 2018 250SX West and 250MX Champion is still working on improving his starts, unfortunately a big Achilles heel in the 450SX class. With three chances at the Triple Crown, Plessinger steadily made progress throughout the evening, improving on his 12th-place finish in the first main event to score two top-10 finishes in the other two main events, 10th and eighth, respectively.
The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing Team heads south to Atlanta, Georgia, for round nine of the 2019 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Saturday, March 2.
