10th Place – Armando Castro - 2026 Monster Truck Racing Open Championship
Armando Castro makes the Top Ten for the 2nd time in the past 3 years, posting a career best 20 wins in a career high 72 brackets. He had the 5th most points of all drivers with 10,095, marking the first time in his career that he pased the 10,000 threshold.
It was a busy season for Armando as he competed in 100 events for the 2nd time in his career. The season started a bit slow for Castro on the Monster Jam Arena West tour where Blake Granger and Alex Bardin were winning a lot of the earlier rounds. He had 5 wins through mid-March and was down in 21st place, which would be his lowest rank of the year. But starting in Vancouver on March 28th, Castro went on a rampage winning 13 of the final 17 events on tour including 8-in-a-row in Southaven, Mississippi; Huntsville, Alabama; and Lincoln, Nebraska! That incredible streak brought him all the way up to 10th place by June.
Armando added two more wins in Savannah to reach the 20 win mark for the first time in his career, but many of the summer events were timed racing and did not count for points, so he had fewer opportunities to gain ground. He ended the season with a semi-final round showing at the Stadium Series event in Seattle. That was his first Monster Jam Stadium event since last fall, but continued his streak of scoring points in 5 consecutive Stadium events.
In horn-to-horn match-ups, Castro was 13-12 against Alex Bardin, 9-15 against Blake Granger, 19-0 against Carson Williams, 11-6 against Tim Hall Jr, 10-4 against Matt Cody, 10-2 against Cliff Turner, 4-0 against Angelina Nock, 2-2 against Kayla Blood, 3-0 against Mike Pagliarulo, 2-1 against Dalton Widner, and 0-3 against Camden Murphy. Armando finished the season with a record of 98-52 with 2 bye runs.
===== ARMANDO CASTRO 2026 SEASON SUMMARY =====
10/4 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Fall Stadium @ Arlington, TX = Lost in quarter-finals (115 pts)
10/11 Sat Aft : Monster Jam Fall Stadium @ Syracuse, NY = Lost in semi-finals (236 pts)
10/18 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Fall Stadium @ Houston, TX = Lost in semi-finals (226 pts)
10/25 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Fall Stadium @ Glendale, AZ = Lost in quarter-finals (119 pts)
1/2 Fri Ngt : Monster Jam Arena West @ Salt Lake City, UT = RunnerUp (212 pts)
1/3 Sat Aft : Monster Jam Arena West @ Salt Lake City, UT = Lost in semi-finals (103 pts)
1/3 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Arena West @ Salt Lake City, UT = RunnerUp (206 pts)
1/4 Sun Aft : Monster Jam Arena West @ Salt Lake City, UT = Lost in first round (0 pts)
1/9 Fri Ngt : Monster Jam Arena West @ Reno, NV = Lost in semi-finals (106 pts)
1/10 Sat Aft : Monster Jam Arena West @ Reno, NV = Lost in semi-finals (106 pts)
1/10 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Arena West @ Reno, NV = Lost in first round (0 pts)
1/11 Sun Aft : Monster Jam Arena West @ Reno, NV = Lost in first round (0 pts)
1/11 Sun Ngt : Monster Jam Arena West @ Reno, NV = Lost in first round (0 pts)
1/16 Fri Ngt : Monster Jam Arena West @ Tacoma, WA = Lost in semi-finals (106 pts)
1/17 Sat Aft : Monster Jam Arena West @ Tacoma, WA = Lost in first round (0 pts)
1/17 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Arena West @ Tacoma, WA = *** WINNER *** (318 pts)
1/18 Sun Aft : Monster Jam Arena West @ Tacoma, WA = Lost in first round (0 pts)
1/18 Sun Ngt : Monster Jam Arena West @ Tacoma, WA = RunnerUp (206 pts)
1/23 Fri Ngt : Monster Jam Arena West @ Sacramento, CA = RunnerUp (212 pts)
1/24 Sat Aft : Monster Jam Arena West @ Sacramento, CA = *** WINNER *** (318 pts)
1/24 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Arena West @ Sacramento, CA = Lost in semi-finals (106 pts)
1/25 Sun Aft : Monster Jam Arena West @ Sacramento, CA = Lost in first round (0 pts)
1/31 Sat Aft : Monster Jam Arena West @ Fargo, ND = Lost in semi-finals (106 pts)
2/1 Sun Aft : Monster Jam Arena West @ Fargo, ND = Lost in first round (0 pts)
2/6 Fri Ngt : Monster Jam Arena West @ Denver, CO = (non-points event)
2/7 Sat Aft : Monster Jam Arena West @ Denver, CO = (non-points event)
2/7 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Arena West @ Denver, CO = (non-points event)
2/8 Sun Aft : Monster Jam Arena West @ Denver, CO = (non-points event)
2/14 Sat Aft : Monster Jam Arena West @ Oklahoma City, OK = Lost in first round (0 pts)
2/14 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Arena West @ Oklahoma City, OK = RunnerUp (206 pts)
2/15 Sun Aft : Monster Jam Arena West @ Oklahoma City, OK = RunnerUp (206 pts)
2/21 Sat Aft : Monster Jam Arena West @ Wichita, KS = Lost in first round (0 pts)
2/21 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Arena West @ Wichita, KS = Lost in semi-finals (103 pts)
2/22 Sun Aft : Monster Jam Arena West @ Wichita, KS = Lost in first round (0 pts)
2/27 Fri Ngt : Monster Jam Arena West @ Portland, OR = RunnerUp (206 pts)
3/6 Fri Ngt : Monster Jam Arena West @ Fresno, CA = Lost in first round (0 pts)
3/7 Sat Aft : Monster Jam Arena West @ Fresno, CA = *** WINNER *** (309 pts)
3/7 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Arena West @ Fresno, CA = Lost in first round (0 pts)
3/8 Sun Aft : Monster Jam Arena West @ Fresno, CA = Lost in first round (0 pts)
3/13 Fri Ngt : Monster Jam Arena West @ Nampa, ID = *** WINNER *** (309 pts)
3/14 Sat Aft : Monster Jam Arena West @ Nampa, ID = Lost in semi-finals (103 pts)
3/14 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Arena West @ Nampa, ID = Lost in first round (0 pts)
3/15 Sun Aft : Monster Jam Arena West @ Nampa, ID = Lost in semi-finals (99 pts)
3/20 Fri Ngt : Monster Jam Arena West @ Tucson, AZ = Lost in first round (0 pts)
3/21 Sat Aft : Monster Jam Arena West @ Tucson, AZ = *** WINNER *** (309 pts)
3/21 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Arena West @ Tucson, AZ = Lost in semi-finals (103 pts)
3/22 Sun Aft : Monster Jam Arena West @ Tucson, AZ = Lost in first round (0 pts)
3/22 Sun Ngt : Monster Jam Arena West @ Tucson, AZ = Lost in first round (0 pts)
3/27 Fri Ngt : Monster Jam Arena West @ Vancouver, BC = Lost in semi-finals (92 pts)
3/28 Sat Aft : Monster Jam Arena West @ Vancouver, BC = *** WINNER *** (276 pts)
3/28 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Arena West @ Vancouver, BC = *** WINNER *** (276 pts)
3/29 Sun Aft : Monster Jam Arena West @ Vancouver, BC = Lost in first round (0 pts)
4/11 Sat Aft : Monster Jam Arena West @ Des Moines, IA = *** WINNER *** (309 pts)
4/11 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Arena West @ Des Moines, IA = *** WINNER *** (309 pts)
4/12 Sun Aft : Monster Jam Arena West @ Des Moines, IA = RunnerUp (206 pts)
4/17 Fri Ngt : Monster Jam Arena West @ Southaven, MS = *** WINNER *** (309 pts)
4/18 Sat Aft : Monster Jam Arena West @ Southaven, MS = Lost in first round (0 pts)
4/18 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Arena West @ Southaven, MS = *** WINNER *** (309 pts)
4/19 Sun Aft : Monster Jam Arena West @ Southaven, MS = *** WINNER *** (309 pts)
4/24 Fri Ngt : Monster Jam Arena West @ Huntsville, AL = *** WINNER *** (309 pts)
4/25 Sat Aft : Monster Jam Arena West @ Huntsville, AL = *** WINNER *** (309 pts)
4/25 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Arena West @ Huntsville, AL = *** WINNER *** (309 pts)
4/26 Sun Aft : Monster Jam Arena West @ Huntsville, AL = *** WINNER *** (309 pts)
5/2 Sat Aft : Monster Jam Arena West @ Lincoln, NE = *** WINNER *** (252 pts)
5/2 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Arena West @ Lincoln, NE = *** WINNER *** (252 pts)
5/3 Sun Aft : Monster Jam Arena West @ Lincoln, NE = Lost in first round (0 pts)
7/4 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam WF25 @ Salt Lake City, UT = Lost in Round-of-16 (120 pts)
7/11 Sat Aft : Monster Jam Arena @ Cincinnati, OH = (non-points event)
7/11 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Arena @ Cincinnati, OH = (non-points event)
7/12 Sun Aft : Monster Jam Arena @ Cincinnati, OH = (non-points event)
7/18 Sat Aft : Monster Jam Arena @ Charlotte, NC = (non-points event)
7/18 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Arena @ Charlotte, NC = (non-points event)
7/19 Sun Aft : Monster Jam Arena @ Charlotte, NC = (non-points event)
7/25 Sat Aft : Monster Jam Arena @ Pensacola, FL = (non-points event)
7/25 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Arena @ Pensacola, FL = (non-points event)
7/26 Sun Aft : Monster Jam Arena @ Pensacola, FL = (non-points event)
7/31 Fri Ngt : Monster Jam Arena @ Savannah, GA = *** WINNER *** (258 pts)
8/1 Sat Aft : Monster Jam Arena @ Savannah, GA = Lost in first round (0 pts)
8/1 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Arena @ Savannah, GA = Lost in semi-finals (86 pts)
8/2 Sun Aft : Monster Jam Arena @ Savannah, GA = *** WINNER *** (258 pts)
8/2 Sun Ngt : Monster Jam Arena @ Savannah, GA = Lost in semi-finals (84 pts)
8/8 Sat Aft : Monster Jam Arena @ Orlando, FL = (non-points event)
8/8 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Freestyle Mania @ Orlando, FL = (non-points event)
8/9 Sun Aft : Monster Jam Freestyle Mania @ Orlando, FL = (non-points event)
8/14 Fri Ngt : Monster Jam Freestyle Mania @ Tampa, FL = (non-points event)
8/15 Sat Aft : Monster Jam Freestyle Mania @ Tampa, FL = (non-points event)
8/15 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Freestyle Mania @ Tampa, FL = (non-points event)
8/16 Sun Aft : Monster Jam Freestyle Mania @ Tampa, FL = (non-points event)
8/22 Sat Aft : Monster Jam Arena @ Sunrise, FL = (non-points event)
8/22 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Arena @ Sunrise, FL = (non-points event)
8/23 Sun Aft : Monster Jam Arena @ Sunrise, FL = (non-points event)
9/5 Sat Aft : Monster Jam Arena @ Jacksonville, FL = Lost in semi-finals (93 pts)
9/5 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Arena @ Jacksonville, FL = Lost in semi-finals (93 pts)
9/6 Sun Aft : Monster Jam Arena @ Jacksonville, FL = Lost in first round (0 pts)
9/12 Sat Aft : Monster Jam Arena @ Duluth, GA = (non-points event)
9/12 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Arena @ Duluth, GA = (non-points event)
9/13 Sun Aft : Monster Jam Arena @ Duluth, GA = (non-points event)
9/13 Sun Ngt : Monster Jam Arena @ Duluth, GA = (non-points event)
9/19 Sat Ngt : Monster Jam Stadium @ Seattle, WA = Lost in semi-finals (214 pts)
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