Image: Octopi Media.

Finishing P5 overall in his third race back from injury was a welcome ‘surprise’ for Rockstar Energy GASGAS Factory Racing’s Justin Barcia, who was rewarded with a consistent 8-7 moto scorecard in 450MX at the Spring Creek National.

Barcia made his return to racing in the fifth round of Pro Motocross at Southwick, placing ninth overall in the sand, before improving to seventh at RedBud. Fifth in Millville highlighted his early progression.

After recording the 14th-fastest qualifying time at the picturesque Minnesota venue, the 33-year-old featured well inside the top 10 during each 30-minute plus one lap moto, ending the day satisfied with the developments made.

“Today was a pretty good day,” reflected Barcia after the weekend. “I had a bit of a meltdown after practice as I wasn’t feeling very comfortable, but the team did a great job to get the feeling better [throughout the day], and in the second moto, I felt much better.

“I didn’t get to do a lot of testing because of my knee [in the lead up], so we have just been chipping away. Today was a little bit of a surprise, I knew that we would keep building and building, but a top-five today is great – a big thanks to the team, and we’ll continue growing from here.”

The series heads to Washougal this weekend for the eighth of 11 rounds, followed by a two-week break in the schedule before Ironman, Unadilla, and Budds Creek conclude the 2025 Pro Motocross Championship.