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JUSTIN BARCIA’S 2020?<br />
you definitely enjoy the moment. Then you’re<br />
right back to work because there’s a race every<br />
weekend.<br />
Were there any moments where you thought<br />
maybe I’m done? What am I going to do now?<br />
For sure. After my whole stint at JGR, it definitely<br />
put me in a mindset where I wasn’t sure<br />
what I really wanted to do anymore. There<br />
were definitely times where I asked myself,<br />
“is this really what I want to do?” I took some<br />
time off and I missed the sport a lot. At the<br />
time, there wasn’t any racing going on or anything,<br />
but I did miss riding and the thought of<br />
not racing was something that I didn’t think I<br />
could live with. So I hit the reset button and<br />
was like, “let’s give this another solid go.”<br />
That was about probably two years or so ago,<br />
or three years even. It’s crazy how time goes<br />
by so fast. I feel like I’m in the best place I’ve<br />
been in the 450 class right now. So I’m really<br />
glad I decided to race. I don’t think I was ever<br />
going to [stop], but I definitely would have<br />
been very disappointed in myself if I did.<br />
Do you think people write racers off too<br />
quickly?<br />
Yeah, for sure. <strong>On</strong>e hundred percent. Lots<br />
of people wrote me off. A lot. When I went<br />
through those lows and tough times on some<br />
teams, and then didn’t have a ride…they write<br />
you off right away. At the end of the day, it<br />
doesn’t really matter if people write you off or<br />
not because as a rider, as a person, or whatever<br />
you do, you make your own destiny. I was<br />
able to turn that around.<br />
It wasn’t really all that long ago that you were<br />
without a ride, a privateer racing the Monster<br />
Energy Cup...<br />
That’s the biggest thing in this sport. You just<br />
have to believe in yourself. For me, at one<br />
point in time, I lost the fun and lost the belief<br />
a little. So I had to do my own little privateer<br />
thing for a minute, and regroup and get that<br />
good feeling again and believe in myself again.<br />
<strong>On</strong>ce you get that back, it’s on. It’s a very hard<br />
road to take, but for me as a racer, all the<br />
things I’ve been through, it’s not only made me<br />
a better racer, it’s made me a better person. I<br />
really wouldn’t change anything.<br />
You have said that you feel like you’re riding<br />
the best you have in years. What do you think<br />
has been the difference maker there?<br />
There’s a lot of things that changed in my life<br />
since a few years ago. I got married and have<br />
my wife Amber by my side, which is awesome.<br />
It’s just great to have someone that can
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