Justin Barcia escaped major injury following a scary opening-lap crash at Anaheim 1, the 450SX veteran revealing that he is “extremely beat up” after a dramatic start to his debut aboard the Ducati Desmo450 MX.
Barcia was on the pace early in the evening, taking third place in his heat race and signalling a strong start with Ducati’s new machine. However, lady luck deserted him in the main event when Malcolm Stewart doubled the first triple in heavy traffic, leaving the 33-year-old with nowhere to go. The resulting collision sent both riders violently to the ground, ending both riders’ nights prematurely.
In a nearly two-minute video update, Barcia detailed the aftermath. “What’s up, guys? I hope everyone is well. Just wanted to get back to everyone. Scary night yesterday. It was tough practice sessions, the qualifier went better, and then the main event wasn’t good. Unfortunately, someone rolled the triple, I was already committed, and I’m pretty sure that’s about all I remember from there – a tough one. I am happy to say I was able to walk out of the hospital under my own power. I got extremely lucky. God was looking after me yesterday. It was a really scary one, it really shows you one minute everything can be going good, and the next minute it can be gone like that. I’m extremely beat up.”
Barcia reflected on the severity of the crash: “I’ve throughout my career had some heavy hits, but this one is the heaviest of them. I’ve never been so sore in my life. I can’t really move my neck, and my back hurts really bad. That was a big worry for us, my back and I got away with it. I only broke a little wing on my back so no surgery. My spine is stable. Everything’s really good so I just need to recover from here on out.”
He added, “But I’m thinking my body’s feeling okay. Obviously, it’s really sore. I think the next few days will show a lot more stuff. But all in all, I think we’re good. I appreciate everyone reaching out to me, sticking behind me. I haven’t seen the crash yet and I don’t think I really want to see it. I heard it was pretty bad.”
Barcia concluded on a positive note, looking ahead to recovery and the season: “Thank you, everyone, very much. I appreciate it. The first race on Ducati was going good, and unfortunately, these things happen and looking forward to getting back out with my team. Thank you and see you soon.”
Malcolm Stewart also shared his thoughts on the incident via social media, writing, “First and foremost, sending prayers to the Barcia family. I’m gutted by how this situation unfolded and truly hope he’s okay. I did sustain a shoulder injury and will update you all after further evaluation. I’m going to do everything I can to be back out there. Appreciate all the love and support.”
With both riders attending to their injuries, the focus now shifts to recovery and preparing for the next round of the 2026 AMA Supercross Championship, where Barcia will aim to resume his debut season with Ducati.
