Image: Octopi Media.

A strained ankle prompted an early exit for Justin Barcia during Saturday’s SMX World Championship Playoff 2 in Los Angeles, with the Troy Lee Designs Red Bull Ducati rider suffering ‘a weird crash’ over the finish-line double in the first 450SMX race.

Barcia posted just the 25th-fastest qualifying time aboard his Desmo450 MX on the high-speed Dignity Health Sports Park layout, before crashing on lap five of moto one and sustaining the ankle strain.

While continuing for an additional five laps, the 34-year-old ultimately withdrew from the moto, with both he and the team electing to sit out race two altogether to avoid further aggravation of the injury.

Barcia will undergo further evaluation during the week to assess the extent of any damage, while hoping to line up for this weekend’s Monster Energy SMX Final inside Thunder Ridge Nature Arena in Missouri.

“Tough end to the weekend,” Barcia began. “Had a weird crash on the finish-line jump and strained my ankle, which forced me to pull out of the second moto. Let’s get home, get to work, and see if we can get feeling better for the final. Appreciate all the support this year, guys – it’s been a hell of a ride, but the story’s not finished yet.”

It’s expected that Barcia won’t return with the TLD-operated factory Ducati team after a single, injury-interrupted season together in 2026. He has been heavily linked to the 450SX title-winning Pipes Motorsports Group (PMG) Suzuki team for 2027.