NASHVILLE, Tenn. (August 18, 2010) - One of Luke Snyder’s streaks ended this season. He doesn’t want to make it two.
Snyder, battling the toughest campaign of his 10-year career, stands in 54th place in the qualifier standings with earnings of $28,907. Only the Top 40 qualify for the Built Ford Tough World Finals. The 2001 PBR Rookie of the Year said he’s confident he’ll make up the ground he needs to qualify for his 10th-straight Finals since winning his Las Vegas debut in 2001.
“There are plenty of events and if I do what I should, it shouldn’t be a problem,” he said.
Snyder, who has won more than $1 million in his career, has another opportunity to pad his 2010 earnings this weekend in Memphis, Tenn. He bucked off both of his bulls this past weekend in Nashville, Tenn. The 27-year-old has struggled mightily at premier events this season. His best finish was 18th in New York and his biggest paycheck was $1,000 in St. Louis.
After his PBR-record 275 consecutive appearances in Built Ford Tough Series events went to the history books in February, Snyder broke the C-7 bone in his neck in April. He was sidelined for nearly three months.
“This was the first time I really had to deal with a major injury,” Snyder said Sunday from the Jack Daniel’s Invitational.
“I’m just now kind of getting back in the swing of things and I’m feeling good. So I’m just going to have to turn it on.”Snyder made a triumphant return to competition in June when he won the PBR World Challenge Final in Sydney, Australia. His $13,937 paycheck was his largest of the year. Ben Jones, who captured his first Built Ford Tough Series contest Sunday, was second.
“It was a good little springboard back into action,” Snyder said.
Snyder is entered in all the upcoming big-money Challenger Tour events.
“I’ve turned it on late toward the end of the season sometimes, so that’s just what I’m going to do – keep going and try to turn on the afterburners going into the Finals.”
