Barcia Braves Mud to Win East Rutherford AMA Supercross
Justin Barcia, Max Anstie collect first wins of season following weather delay
April 25, 2023
By Keaton Maisano
Saturday was all about patience for Troy Lee Designs Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing’s Justin Barcia, who sat through a thunderstorm delay to end his two-year drought without an AMA Supercross win.
Following a 90-minute weather delay that turned the track into an unusually sloppy environment, the much-anticipated East/West Showdown in East Rutherford, N.J. gave way to results that were as unusual as the event’s conditions. While Barcia took home the 450SX win, Fire Power Honda’s Max Anstie outperformed the Lawrence brothers to claim the first 250SX win of his career.
Through extremely muddy conditions, Barcia led the last 12 laps of the 450SX main event to capture the win. Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Eli Tomac navigated the conditions to take second place and extend his lead in the season standings to 11 points.
Red Bull KTM’s Cooper Webb, who sits behind Tomac in the standings, missed the podium with a fifth-place finish Saturday.
The 250SX East/West Showdown appeared to be a collision course for the Lawrence brothers, who had dominated their respective regions throughout the season. However, the battle between Team Honda HRC’s Jett and Hunter Lawrence was ultimately for silver position as Anstie put together a career night in his first win.
Jett Lawrence finished in second while his brother Hunter rounded out the podium.
The AMA Supercross action continues Saturday in Nashville, Tenn.
