COLUMBUS, Ohio (October 10, 2010) - Over the past nine years, Zack Brown has made some big rides on the Built Ford Tough Series.
He’s recorded 12 that were scored 90 points or more, and he’s won eight events, including four last season. But Sunday afternoon in Columbus, Ohio, he’ll settle for just two qualified rides of any score to go with the 85.25 points he earned Saturday night.
“I got a job to do,” he said.
Brown is hoping to qualify for his third straight PBR World Finals – the fourth of his career.
Currently, he’s 42nd in the qualifier standings and needs to make up a little less than $3,000 on Stormy Wing for the final spot in the draw.
Wing came down early in the opening round of the Cooper Tires Invitational, as did Caleb Sanderson, who is positioned between Wing and Brown.
Brown’s 85.25 points has him 11th in the average with the two rounds to go this afternoon. With only 14 qualified rides on the leader board, at least one rider will be able to make it back to the short round with one score.
However, the 31-year-old Brown is less concerned about points and more interested in his payday.
“The more talk about the money, the more stress, it seems like,” Brown said last night. “I know what I have to do here. So far I’m taking advantage of the opportunity that’s been presented to me this weekend.
“Happy that I made a good ride. It’s not over with, and tomorrow I need to stay just as focused.”
Brown, who was out of the sport for the better part of two years after nearly losing his life in a 2005 wreck, was on his way to a career year in 2009 before hurting his groin in Round 1 of the Finals.
The Hawaiian native, who now makes his home in Texas, was unable to complete the event and finished the season ranked eighth in the world standings.
It was disappointing ending, and after missing the first two BFTS events of 2010, the disappointment continued when he was cut after Winston-Salem, N.C. He has now made six random appearances as an alternate.
“As far as this season goes, the way it’s been going, it’s very disappointing to me,” he said. “I don’t understand it.
“I know that it’s definitely a mental game, and it’s something that I’ve had a lot of trouble with, sorting out, but it seems like everything is starting to—my focus is coming back and I’m looking forward and I’m excited about next year.”
But before he turns his attention to 2011, there are a few more bulls to ride in 2010.
He’s definitely going to Las Vegas one way or another, but the difference between two bulls and eight bulls there is the difference between being in the draw and being an alternate.
“That’s true,” Brown said. “I love going to Vegas to compete, so going there as an alternate would be disappointing to me. I want to go there as a contestant – one that’s qualified and deserves to be there – and to do that I need to stay on the next two bulls that I get on.”
NEWS AND NOTES
Live Event Center: Follow all the action from this week’s BFTS event in Columbus, Ohio, by logging on to the Event Center at www.pbr.com/live. The multimedia center provides live scoring, live photos, live blogging and event-related interviews.
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