Dustin Martinez won Round 1 of the 2022 PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Finals, presented by Coastal Bend Chevy Dealers, courtesy of a monstrous 90-point ride
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – As action got underway for the first-ever PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Finals, presented by Coastal Bend Chevy Dealers, in Corpus Christi, Texas, the fearless riders of the organization left it all on the dirt as they continued to battle for crucial world points and a berth to the 2022 PBR World Finals in Fort Worth, Texas.
Brandon Davis (Cabot, Arkansas) was runner-up in the opening round of competition at American Bank Center Arena to overtake the No. 1 rank in the race for the 2022 PBR Velocity Tour Championship and accompanying $50,000 bonus. Meanwhile, Dustin Martinez (Canjilon, New Mexico) delivered a monstrous 90-point ride to surge to an early lead in the fierce battle to win the event title.
As one of the final riders to erupt from the chutes, Davis readied to go head-to-head against Quick Trigger (Groundshakers Team/CG Bucking Bulls). In near-picture-perfect form, the Arkansas reached the requisite 8 for 89.5 points.
The score earned Davis eight world points, allowing him to leapfrog Griffin Smeltzer (Claresholm, Alberta, Canada) for the No. 1 rank in the PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour standings. Entering the expansion series’ season-end event 1.5 points behind Smeltzer, Davis now leads the young Canuck by 6.5 points.
Smeltzer was unable to answer Davis’s score, bested by Twisted Chin (Braun Bucking Bulls) in 4.86 seconds.
On the final day of the 2022 PBR Velocity Tour season, Davis will face Tiger (Blake Sharp/Henry Wilson) in Round 2, while Smeltzer will look to rebound when he climbs aboard Big Worm (Barryman/Coleman/Ogden/Hart).
Atop the event leaderboard, Dustin Martinez was unrivaled, delivering a cheer-inducing 90-point ride to win Round 1.
Marking the 25-year-old’s second 90-point ride of the season, Martinez went the distance aboard True Religion (Dennis & Jan Owens) for 90 points. The score earned him 15 world points.
Martinez is now not only No. 1 in the battle to win the 2022 PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Finals, but he also rose to No. 12 in the tour standings. He will begin Championship Saturday 26 points behind No. 1 Davis.
The New Mexico native will look to remain perfect when he attempts Sky Walker (Berger/Scott Cattle Co.) in the second round of competition Saturday evening.
Locked in a fierce battle atop the world standings for the 2022 PBR World Championship, both world No. 1 Joao Ricardo Vieira (Itatinga, Brazil) and No. 2 Daylon Swearingen (Piffard, New York) competed Friday evening in Corpus Christi.
However, both Vieira and Swearingen failed to deliver a qualified ride, remaining a mere 32.34 points apart.
Vieira was dispatched by Gangster Time (Classic Jack Cattle/Viducic Bucking Bulls) in 2.44 seconds, while Swearingen was upset by High Heat (Braun Bucking Bulls) in 2.43 seconds.
In Round 2 they will attempt Out of the Blue (Viducic Bucking Bulls/White Trash Buckers/Wyatt Bridge) and Aces & Eights (Paradigm/Hilton Bull Co.), respectively.
Should Vieira earn his first gold buckle at season’s end, he would become the oldest PBR World Champion in history. Currently 37, Vieira would surpass Adriano Moraes, who won his third title in 2006 at age 36.
Seeking a record of his own, 2002 PBR World Champion Ednei Caminhas (Indaiatuba, Brazil) inched closer to becoming the oldest rider ever to qualify for the PBR World Finals at 46, tying for fourth in Round 1 of the Velocity Tour Finals to collect 3.5 world points. The record was set by Wallace Vieira de Oliveira in 2020 who qualified to the World Finals by way of the Velocity Tour Finals at the age of 41.
Caminhas covered Old School Cool (Tom Baker/Chase Foutch) for 85.5 points. He will next attempt Back Time (Young Cattle Co.) inside American Bank Center Arena.
Cody Jesus (Window Rock, Arizona) was third in Round 1 compliments of an 87-point effort on Blue on Black (Tom Baker Bucking Bulls).
The Navajo sensation netted seven world points for the bronze showing and will next look to cover Johnny Rocket (Rick Carr/Gene Baker).
Rounding out the Top 5 and tying for fourth alongside Caminhas was Josh Frost (Randlett, Utah).
Frost recorded his 85.5-point ride on Out of the Blue to earn a matching 3.5 world points.
Looking down the leaderboard, an additional five riders covered their opening round draws.
Leading 2022 PBR Rookie of the Year contender Bob Mitchell (Steelville, Missouri) was sixth, riding Desert Twister (Richard & Teri Braun/Jenkins Cattle) for 85 points to net two world points. He was followed by Koltin Hevalow (Smithville, Missouri) in seventh, who covered Money Shaker (Groundshakers/CG Bucking Bulls/Big Rafter) for 84 points to earn one world point.
The other riders to convert were Alisson de Souza (Taubate, Brazil) in eighth for his 82.5-point score on Big Baller (XTB Cattle/Cade Foutch); and Dener Barbosa (Paulo de Faria, Brazil) and Dakota Louis (Browning, Montana) who tied for ninth after riding Chicken Snake (Todd Brown/Chase Foutch) and Lighthouse Keeper (XTB Cattle/Caden Foutch), respectively, for 82 points.
The 2022 PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Finals from Corpus Christi, Texas, and American Bank Center Arena concludes on Saturday, May 7 with Round 2 and the championship round. Action gets underway at 6 p.m. CST.
Saturday’s event will include the crowning of the 2022 PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Champion, who will earn a $50,000 bonus.
Additionally, via the PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Finals, five riders will earn a berth to the PBR World Finals, scheduled for May 13-22 in Fort Worth, Texas, at Dickies Arena.
PBR RidePass on Pluto TV will offer re-airs and on-demand replays of the 2022 PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Finals. PBR RidePass is available on desktops, laptops and mobile devices via www.pluto.tv. Tune to channel 720 for the latest programming schedule, and click here for on-demand PBR programming.
PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour
PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Finals, presented by Coastal Bend Chevy Dealers
American Bank Center Arena – Corpus Christi, Texas
Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Round 3-Event Aggregate-Event Points)
1. Dustin Martinez, 90-0-0-90.00-15 Points.
2. Brandon Davis, 89.5-0-0-89.50-8 Points.
3. Cody Jesus, 87-0-0-87.00-7 Points.
4. Josh Frost, 85.5-0-0-85.50-3.5 Points.
(tie). Ednei Caminhas, 85.5-0-0-85.50-3.5 Points.
6. Bob Mitchell, 85-0-0-85.00-2 Points.
7. Koltin Hevalow, 84-0-0-84.00-1 Points.
8. Alisson De Souza, 82.5-0-0-82.50
9. Dener Barbosa, 82-0-0-82.00
(tie). Dakota Louis, 82-0-0-82.00
João Ricardo Vieira, 0-0-0-0.00
Daylon Swearingen, 0-0-0-0.00
Luciano De Castro, 0-0-0-0.00
Eli Vastbinder, 0-0-0-0.00
Mason Taylor, 0-0-0-0.00
Eduardo Aparecido, 0-0-0-0.00
Manoelito de Souza Junior, 0-0-0-0.00
Lucas Divino, 0-0-0-0.00
Ramon de Lima, 0-0-0-0.00
Clayton Sellars, 0-0-0-0.00
Matt Triplett, 0-0-0-0.00
Brady Oleson, 0-0-0-0.00
Silvano Alves, 0-0-0-0.00
Alex Marcilio, 0-0-0-0.00
Adriano Salgado, 0-0-0-0.00
Conner Halverson, 0-0-0-0.00
Alex Cardozo, 0-0-0-0.00
Casey Coulter, 0-0-0-0.00
Lane Nobles, 0-0-0-0.00
Griffin Smeltzer, 0-0-0-0.00
Boudreaux Campbell, 0-0-0-0.00
Taylor Toves, 0-0-0-0.00
Francisco Morales, 0-0-0-0.00
Elijah Mora, 0-0-0-0.00
Tye Chandler, 0-0-0-0.00
Marcos Gloria, 0-0-0-0.00
Michael Lane, 0-0-0-0.00
Dawson Branton, 0-0-0-0.00
Paulo Ferreira Lima, 0-0-0-0.00
Blake Smith, 0-0-0-0.00
Fernando Henrique Novais, 0-0-0-0.00
Grayson Cole, 0-0-0-0.00
Trace Brown, 0-0-0-0.00
Cladson Rodolfo, 0-0-0-0.00
Wyatt Rogers, 0-0-0-0.00
Hunter Ball, 0-0-0-0.00
By PBR Press Release
Kacie Albert
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