Barcia Shows Impressive Speed with Fourth-Place Finish in Tampa

It turned out to be a good day after a tough start. The guys worked really hard and had things figured out by the Main Event, but the poor starts really hampered the results of the day. Justin got a solid top-five finish, coming back through the pack to finish fourth. Aaron had a tough Heat race and was okay in the Main but had the tip over that put him behind the eight ball. Both guys had adequate times, the starts just weren’t there. We are going to have to start up there (at the front) to race for podiums or challenge for the win. The guys will be working on that this week, because it will be key at the Triple Crown next round in Arlington, and will hopefully be challenging for the win.

I had a pretty scary crash in practice so it was good to walk away from that. My hand just slipped off the bar over the triple and I went flying. This track was a difficult track. I wasn’t expecting it to be so hard packed. We made some good changes going into the night, but I got another one of those bad starts in the Main. I was able to charge through the pack and got fourth place. My bike was working well on the track, it was awesome. It was hard to pass out there, but I was able to make it work. All in all, I gained some confidence going through the pack like that. I’m looking forward to being back at home this week before the next round in Texas.

I felt good in practice, flowing well. In the end, the dirt was a lot different down here than what I thought it would be. I thought there would be a lot more ruts. I didn’t get great starts which cost me. And then me and the whoops weren’t getting along much today and I ended up going down there. When I got up, I was staying at pace with the guys at the front. I know the speed is there. I just need to put myself in a good position from the start. We’ll get them next week. I’m excited for the Triple Crown next weekend. It will be a good change.