What to Watch For: Door is Cracked Open for Pacheco to Close the Gap in World Title Race in Deadwood

By: Justin Felisko

PUEBLO, Colo. – Yes, the 2021 World Championship is most likely not going to be decided in the regular season now that world No. 1 Jose Vitor Leme has a partially torn right groin.

Yes, world No. 1 Jose Vitor Leme is still the presumptive favorite even despite his injury.

And, yes, there is essentially no realistic way for No. 2 Kaique Pacheco or No. 3 Cooper Davis to take over the world No. 1 ranking during the final five Unleash The Beast regular-season events before the 2021 World Finals on Nov. 3 in Las Vegas.

The door, though, cracked open for Pacheco and Davis to try to set themselves up for an improbable comeback in the 2021 World Championship race at the 2021 World Finals in Las Vegas (Nov. 3-7) the moment Leme’s groin popped during his 90.75-point ride on Slingin Tears in Newark, New Jersey.

Pacheco heads into this weekend’s PBR Monster Energy Invitational, presented by Cooper Tires, in Deadwood, South Dakota, 866 points behind Leme in the world standings, while Davis is 914 points behind.

Pacheco has drawn Drago (18-2, UTB/METC) for the 15/15 Bucking Battle (Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on CBS national television) and Shootist (0-0, UTB) for Round 1 (8:45 p.m. ET on RidePass on Pluto TV). Davis will take on I’m Busted (24-3, UTB/METC) in the 15/15 and Not Today (2-4, UTB) in Round 1.

Pacheco is averaging 45.06 world points per Unleash The Beast event. If he stays on that pace, the 2018 World Champion could pick up 225 points before the World Finals, cutting the deficit between himself and Leme into a much more manageable 641 points.

With a few more event wins – Pacheco is second behind Leme for the PBR lead with four in 2021 – and a few more round victories, there is the possibility Pacheco could alter the world title picture.

Of course, this would depend upon Leme missing multiple events, and there is no timetable currently set for exactly when he may return to competition. There is even the possibility Leme could miss only a few events and be back before the Finals.

 
The main thing is for Pacheco and Davis, who averages 48.02 world points per UTB event, is to make sure they don’t let this opportunity pass them by because Leme certainly is going to be chomping at the bit to return very soon and finish out his pursuit of a second consecutive world title. Once Leme learned of his injury, he was immediately planning a daily rehab program with the help of Dr. Tandy Freeman and was at Fit-N-Wise Rehabilitation and Performance Center bright and early on Wednesday morning.

One rider can earn a maximum of 1,094 points at the World Finals by winning every round (80 points per round win) and the event average (540 points) and posting six 90-point rides.

The odds are certainly against Pacheco and Davis, but there is still a mathematical opportunity for them to close the gap.

TOP 30 RIDERS OUT OF COMPETITION

No. 1 Jose Vitor Leme (partially torn right groin)
No. 4 Dener Barbosa (right shoulder)
No. 11 Rafael Henrique dos Santos (broken ribs)
No. 16 Paulo Lima (right groin)
No. 18 Alex Cerqueira (Returned to Brazil – personal decision)
No. 20 Colten Fritzlan (left shoulder surgery)
No. 27 Cole Melancon (lower back)

ALTERNATES

No. 31 Ezekiel Mitchell
No. 34 Thiago Salgado
No. 35 Conner Halverson
No. 38 Lucas Divino
No. 39 Fernando Henrique Novais
No. 47 Dakota Louis

SWEARINGEN DOWN TO LAST GUARANTEED EXEMPTION

No. 37 Daylon Swearingen is down to his final injury exemption as he looks to crack the Top 35 of the world standings. Following Deadwood, he will be subject to the standard alternate entry procedures, which this weekend would have qualified him for Deadwood as an alternate if he had no exemptions.

Swearingen is a mere 20.5 points behind No. 35 Conner Halverson in the race to qualify for the 2021 PBR World Finals. Swearingen has drawn Gray Smoke (3-2, UTB) for Round 1.

 

CODY CASPER & MANOELITO DE SOUZA JUNIOR ARE PWVT INVITES

There will be two Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour invites competing in Deadwood.

No. 59 Cody Casper is in the draw courtesy of his victory at the PBR Tri-Cities Classic in Kennewick, Washington, on Sept. 10. Casper went a flawless 3-for-3, but he will arrive in South Dakota coming off an 0-for-2 showing at the Buckin’ at the Rock PWVT event in Church Rock, New Mexico.

Casper is 110.5 points behind the Top 35 and is competing at his fifth UTB event this year. Casper is 0-for-6 on the UTB. He has drawn Goodnight Robicheaux (34-5, UTB) for Round 1.

Meanwhile, No. 40 Manoelito de Souza Jr. is in the draw as a PWVT standings invite, seeing as No. 1 Michael Lane is out with a groin injury.

Souza went 1-for-3 in Church Rock for a second-place finish. Souza is only 33.5 points outside of the Top 35. The 26-year-old is 2-for-8 in five UTB events, and he will take on Safe Cracker (1-0, UTB) on Saturday night.

ROUND 1 REMATCHES

Austin Richardson vs. WSM’s Sun Country (2.38 seconds in Big Sky, Montana)
Cody Jesus vs. Forbidden Fruit (4 seconds in Ivins, Utah)
Keyshawn Whitehorse (1-1; 88 points last year in Tulsa, Oklahoma)

Follow Justin Felisko on Twitter @jfelisko

Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media

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