LAS VEGAS (October 21, 2010) - For the second night in a row, Renato Nunes brought the Thomas & Mack Center to its feet with one of his trademark back flips off the bucking chutes.
The 29-year-old Brazilian continues to close the space between the Top 3 riders in the world standings.
“I think I have a couple more to do,” he said with a smile.
Thursday night, his was one of 10 qualified rides when he covered Chicken on a Chain for 89 points. He finished fourth in the round, and with his 250 bonus points, closed in on Austin Meier, by 339 points.
Both Meier and J.B. Mauney came down early in the second round of the 2010 PBR World Finals. Mauney is competing with a mild right shoulder separation,
Mauney remains 326.75 points behind Meier, and Nunes is now within 608.25 points of the No. 1 spot in the world. Four rounds remain in the next three days before the PBR crowns a new World Champion.
As Meier readied himself in the chute, Mauney stopped by Nunes on his way to the sports medicine room to congratulate him on another successful ride on Chicken.
“I want the best rider here in Las Vegas to be the World Champ,” said Nunes, after watching Meier’s matchup on a television monitor at the bottom of the Hall of Champions.
Valdiron de Oliveira won the round with a 91.5-point ride on Spit Fire. He is fourth in the world standings, but is still 1,144 points off the lead.
In five previous matchups, Nunes had ridden Chicken on a Chain four times. Each was for 91 points or more, including a 95.75-point effort in St. Louis back in 2008. This was the fourth time they’ve met in 2010.
Nunes is second in the event average with 178 points on two bulls. He’s just three-quarters of a point behind Ned Cross, who finished second in the round with a 91-point ride on Black Pearl.
After his ride, Nunes said, “I have more to do. That won’t be enough, and I think I have to ride all the bulls here to get where I want.”
What he wants is what every professional bull rider in Las Vegas wants – to wear the gold buckle of a World Champion.
Round 3 begins Friday night at 6 p.m. PT.
