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EMIG: Confidence Key To Barcia’s Rise
SPEED.com's Jeff Emig is fast becoming a believer in Justin Barcia.
Jeff Emig  |  Posted March 16, 2012   Indianapolis, IN
PROGRAMMING NOTE: Round 11 of the Monster Energy Supercross Championship from Indianapolis, IN will air LIVE on SPEED Saturday, March 17 at 7:30pm ET. #SXonSPEED

Justin Barcia has grown tremendously as a rider and as a man in the last year (and I’m not referring to the 'stache he’s been sporting). No doubt that the time on the 450 for Factory Honda last summer in the AMA Pro Motocross Championship was good for him, and I feel that he proved to himself that the possibility of making a successful jump to the premier class is possible. And in doing so, he changed his perception of himself.

Now, he truly believes that he is a premier rider in the AMA, and is making believers out of the rest of us every week. This type of attitude is paramount in a rider’s development but it does not come easily. Justin obviously is putting in the required amount of hard work and dedication to his craft to enable himself to ride with more confidence than the next guy.

I also see that he is doing a couple of things differently on the track this season compared to previous years. First, he is not 'over-revving' the engine like he used to. Each week, I would see him riding with so much intensity, and really, he was simply over-riding the bike, hurting his lap times while using too much energy. However, this season, he is trusting the power of the GEICO Honda and using his momentum to carry the obstacles and turns.

Second, Justin has obviously prepared himself better than ever before. He is working with former Supercross champion Jeff Stanton. Jeff has a wealth of knowledge and coaching ability and 'Bam Bam' looks to be applying it to his own program.

If Justin goes undefeated this season -- and he’s halfway there -- he will enter the premier class with a great deal of confidence. Let me tell you first hand, in Supercross, confidence is the name of the game. Without it, you are just a talented rider who will underperform and not reach your potential.

Only time will tell if Justin Barcia becomes part of the Supercross elite, but if the first four Eastern Regional races are any indication, we may be seeing a future legend in the making.
The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEED.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or SPEED
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