WHEELING, W.V. – In front of a sold-out WesBanco Arena for the second consecutive night, Andrew Alvidrez (Seminole, Texas) surged up the leaderboard to win the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour’s (PWVT) PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Wheeling, brought to you by Oglebay Resort.

After bucking off Bullet (Just For Kicks/J-M/DD) in 3.21 seconds on Friday, Alvidrez roared out of the gates on Time For Religion (Dana White/DD Bucking Bulls) for 82 points to begin his perfect Saturday.

Now in top form, the veteran of the Missouri Thunder in the separate PBR Camping World Team Series thundered out of the chutes on Kephart’s Lego Armor (G&H Cattle) for a round-winning and event-high tying 86.5 points to overtake the lead.

This is Alvidrez’s second consecutive Velocity Tour event win, as he took the title at PBR Bangor in Maine the weekend prior.

The Texan returns home from Wheeling with a critical 125 Velocity Global points, maintaining his position in the Top 15 of the Velocity Global standings.

In second place was veteran Michael Lane (Tazewell, Virginia).

Lane was kept off the leaderboard on Friday after bucking off Mongo (TC Bucking Bulls) in 6.03 seconds.

Knowing he needed to rally in his eighth stop at WesBanco Arena, Lane rode Lil Larry (Dustin Denning Bucking Bulls/Burnt Chimney Bucking Bulls) for 84.5 points in Round 2 to punch his ticket to the championship round.

There, the veteran covered Brutilizer (Campbell Cattle Co/Cannon Cattle Co) for 83 points to move into second in the event standings.

The silver finish netted Lane 85.5 Velocity Global points.

Ramon de Lima (Rio Branco, Brazil) was the final rider to go a perfect 2-for-2 on Saturday, finishing third.

Unseated by Eternal Inferno (K-C Bucking Bulls) in the first round in 7 seconds, the Austin Gamblers’ veteran proved his mettle, covering Artic Lights (Halpain Bucking Bulls) for a round-winning 85.5 points in Round 2.

Sitting in second entering the championship round, Lima hung on to Pretty Boy (Tumbling Run Ranch) for 79 points to take the last spot on the podium.

The third-place finish garnered the Brazilian 72 Velocity Global points.

The final rider to go 2-for-3 was Claudio Montanha Jr. (Ribeirao dos Indios, Brazil), who finished fourth.

The Brazilian started strong on Friday, topping Bad Intentions (K-C Bucking Bulls) for 81 points, tying him for fifth entering the second day of competition.

After being shed by Smoke Show (BMC Bucking Bulls/Jenkins Cattle Co.) in 3.77 seconds in Round 2, Montanha became the only rider to make the 8 on both days by riding Chainsaw (Just For Kicks/J-M/DD) for 83 points in the championship round.

He left WesBanco Arena with 53 Velocity Global points Saturday evening.

Rounding out the Top 5 was Round 1 winner Jake Morinec (Mokena, Illinois).

Paired with Dip Stick (Cornwell Bucking Bulls), Morinec roared out of the chutes for a round-winning, event-high tying 86.5 points in the opening round.

Unfortunately for the Illinois cowboy, he was shut out on championship Saturday, as Yum Yum (CIL Cattle Co) unseated him in 2.92 seconds in Round 2 and Bueno (Dustin Denning Bucking Bulls/Burnt Chimney Bucking Bulls) dispatched him in 4.54 seconds in the final round.

In addition to besting his cowboy counterpart, Bueno earned the Bull of the Event title for his buck off of Morinec, marked 43.5 points.

The fifth-place finish netted the Illinoian 45 Velocity Global points.

Velocity Global points contribute to the Velocity Global Standings and determine which new riders are added to the elite Unleash The Beast throughout the season. The Top 3 Velocity Global riders who have not already qualified are also invited to the PBR World Finals in May.

While the elite Unleash The Beast takes over Little Rock, Arkansas, this weekend, the Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour action continues in Palm Springs, California.

PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour PBR Wheeling, brought to you by Oglebay Resort WesBanco Arena – Wheeling, West Virginia Event Leaders (Round 1-Round 2-Round 3-Event Aggregate-Event Points) 1. Andrew Alvidrez, 0-82-86.5-168.50-125 Points. 2. Michael Lane, 0-84.5-83-167.50-85.5 Points. 3. Ramon de Lima [2], 0-85.5-79-164.50-72 Points. 4. Claudio Montanha Jr., 81-0-83-164.00-53 Points. 5. Jake Morinec, 86.5-0-0-86.50-45 Points. 6. Dustin Herman, 85-0-0-85.00-30 Points. 7. Alvaro Ariel, 84.5-0-0-84.50-23 Points. 8. Leandro Zampollo, 81.5-0-0-81.50-21 Points. 9. Eli Byler [1], 81-0-0-81.00-18.5 Points. 10. Christian Clay Oliveira, 78-0-0-78.00-7 Points. Andy Bohl, 0-0-0-0.00 Ramon de Lima [1], 0-0-0-0.00 Brandon Chambers, 0-0-0-0.00 Tyler Manor, 0-0-0-0.00 Zane Cook, 0-0-0-0.00 Justin Ethridge, 0-0-0-0.00 Ueberson Duarte, 0-0-0-0.00 Josh Stepp, 0-0-0-0.00 Max Castro [1], 0-0-0-0.00 Max Castro [2], 0-0-0-0.00 Paulo Rodriguez, 0-0-0-0.00 Cash Keeling [1], 0-0-0-0.00 Cash Keeling [2], 0-0-0-0.00 Eder Barbosa [1], 0-0-0-0.00 Eder Barbosa [2], 0-0-0-0.00 Tyler Crank, 0-0-0-0.00 Elizmar Jeremias, 0-0-0-0.00 Cole Devlin, 0-0-0-0.00 Eli Byler [2], 0-0-0-0.00 Bennie Shetler, 0-0-0-0.00 Matt Oliver, 0-0-0-0.00 Cody West, 0-0-0-0.00 Joshua Spears, 0-0-0-0.00 Michael Phillips, 0-0-0-0.00 Winston Speicher, 0-0-0-0.00 Brylee Smith, 0-0-0-0.00 Kyle Toth [1], 0-0-0-0.00 Kyle Toth [2], 0-0-0-0.00 Eli Hershberger, 0-0-0-0.00 Hagen Braswell, 0-0-0-0.00

Photo courtesy of James Reuff