TULSA, Okla. (July 19, 2010) - Now that the Express Classic is over and Renato Nunes has left Oklahoma with his third Built Ford Tough Series win of the year, the No. 1 rider in the world looked relieved.
“I feel better than two months ago,” he said.
Nunes referred to his 17th-place finish in Wichita, Kan., when Austin Meier won his fourth event and reclaimed the top spot in the standings. Since then, Nunes has won back-to-back BFTS events for the first time in his career.
When asked why it took a second win in a row to make him feel so good, he responded, “Because I was behind somebody, and now somebody is behind me, and I feel much better.”
In reality, every other card-carrying PBR member across the world is behind him.
“I know, I know,” he said, laughing. “I feel much better.”
After bucking off his first bull of the weekend (Kat Hour), Nunes reeled off three straight qualified rides in an event that had been dominated by reemerging Zack Brown until Sunday afternoon.
Nunes took Fat Lip with the 21st pick in the bull draft for Round 2, and after receiving a re-ride option, put his first 86.75 points of the event on the board after making the whistle on Texas Blues. Brown had won both rounds at that point, but Nunes then split first and second in the third round with Cody Nance.
Fellow Brazilians Silvano Alves and Valdiron de Oliveira were the only riders to cover their first three, but Nunes managed to earn the fifth pick in the bull draft for the fourth and final round. He took MoeBandy.com.
Well into the 8-second ride, the bull stumbled down onto its belly, but never lost its momentum. Nunes earned a mere 83.25 points with an option for his second re-ride of the weekend. However, after spurring himself in the buttocks, he declined.
The strategy paid off.
“After the first round, I said I have three more bulls,” recalled Nunes, who despite the win was disappointed that he “fell inside the spin” back in the opening round.
His win this weekend more than doubled his lead over Meier, who now trails by 1,585.5 points.
Including Nunes, only three of the Top 10 riders in the world qualified for the short round: Oliveira, who is now fourth in the standings, and Mike Lee were the other two. Four of the others – Travis Briscoe, Guilherme Marchi, Robson Palermo and Ryan McConnel – are out with injuries.
Oliveira, who came into the weekend sixth, moved up two spots with a third-place finish, which was his ninth Top 10 showing in 16 events. He still trails Nunes by 2,440.5 points.
While Nunes and Oliveira were both 3-for-4 this weekend, the rest of the Top 10 riders were a combined 2-for-14. Both Meier and McKennon Wimberly were 0-for-the-weekend.
“[Nunes] showed everybody what he’s made of this weekend, just because he’s got all the pressure on him being number one,” said Shane Proctor, who is 410.25 points out of the Top 10. “And then winning this first event back, he’s shown that he’s definitely riding good and that he wants the gold buckle.”
Nunes added, “Everybody knows that 39 guys have to ride better than me to take my buckle.”
Nunes now has a dozen Top 10 finishes, including three BFTS event wins, which doubles his career total prior to 2010. He’s improved his career-high riding average to 64.2 percent.
“I have to try hard to win the World Championship,” he added. “If those guys want to beat me they have to ride those bulls, ‘cause I’m going to try and ride all of them.”
NEWS and NOTES
Is there a doctor in the house?: By the end of the weekend, six of the 41 riders at Tulsa were unable to finish the event because of injuries. Three of the biggest names to go home early – Travis Briscoe, Guilherme Marchi and Ryan McConnel – are ranked in the Top 10.
Marchi, who underwent surgery at the onset of the summer break, wasn’t quite ready to return to competition, and Dr. Tandy Freeman estimated that he will likely miss the event in San Antonio before retuning in Nashville, Tenn. Briscoe and McConnel are both undergoing further evaluations on their necks this week.
McConnel, who has complained of stiffness recently, may have incurred the injury a month ago when he bucked off a practice bull. Briscoe landed awkwardly on his head in the opening round at the BOK Center. It’s an unprecedented fifth time this season that Briscoe has been unable to finish an event because of injuries.
Luke Snyder, Ned Cross and Wagner Luciano were the other three who were unable to compete throughout the weekend.
In and out: The riders weren’t the only athletes doctoring out of this weekend’s Express Classic. Paycheck, who was among the top bulls slated for the short round, was also a last-minute scratch from the draw. After being unloaded into the back pens, he was seen favoring one of his feet. A closer look revealed that he had stepped a small piece of wire that was stuck between two toes.
He was kept out of the competition because the injury was still tender, but is expected to compete this coming week at a Touring Pro event in Cheyenne, Wyo.
Time out: Not one, but two riders – Silvano Alves and Cody Campbell – missed Saturday’s bull draft for the second round of the Express Classic.
Alves’ was one of only nine qualified rides on Friday night, and earned him the second pick in the draft, but a miscommunication left the non-English speaking Brazilian stranded at the hotel in downtown Tulsa. The draft was held 20 minutes away at the PBR Fan Zone in the parking lot of a Bass Pro Shop.
Campbell overslept and arrived at the draft only minutes after missing his turn in the selection process. He would have had the 14th pick in the draft, but instead was shuffled to the bottom of the order for the second time this season.
