PUEBLO, Colo. — The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Exactly the case these days as the PBR Camping World Team Series prepares to double down in the state of Missouri ahead of this weekend’s PBR Teams: Outlaw Days.

The No. 1 Carolina Cowboys are still very much in the driver’s seat courtesy of their hot 12-2-1 start. But after dropping a game last weekend to the hometown Missouri Thunder, they’re just two games ahead of the No. 2 Kansas City Outlaws.

RELATED: Missouri Thunder upset Carolina Cowboys, 260.25-89.25, to win final game of PBR Teams Thunder Days in Springfield

Arguably the hottest team on tour right now, the orange and black contingent went 2-1 on the weekend as they continue to chase down the season-long league-leaders.

They are very much championship contenders once again, likely one of the first teams that will secure a spot inside T-Mobile Arena for the 2024 PBR Teams Championship. But first, they’ll try their best to enjoy their own homestand this weekend inside the glorious T-Mobile Center.

From there, the season-long race is absolutely WIDE open once again, as teams ranked No. 3 to No. 10 are separated by just two games, with the No. 3 Florida Freedom rocking an 8-8 record and the No. 10 Arizona Ridge Riders sitting at 6-10.

Two teams have eight wins (both Florida and the Austin Gamblers at 8-8).

Four teams have acquired seven victories so far (with the Texas Rattlers, Nashville Stampede and New York Mavericks sporting matching 7-9 slates, alongside the Missouri Thunder, now 7-10).

Finally, two squads sit at six wins apiece, albeit the Oklahoma Wildcatters having a slight advantage at 6-9-1 compared to the Ridge Riders’ 6-10 start.

Drama is quite literally an understatement at this point.

This kind of parity is nearly impossible to script.

It’s just an ode to the grind these cowboys endure week in and out, continuing to give all they’ve got in exchange for a chance to add a gold buckle to their resume. The shiniest, largest and most coveted buckle out there these days.

So, while we’ll save some of the specifics for each of this week’s team-based rankings, it’s easy to say this has already become the most riveting regular season race in PBR Teams history.

The crazy part?

We’ve got five more action-packed showdowns before the Sin City surprises begin. So, strap in and get ready for one of the most memorable stretches of fun the camaraderie-driven league has seen yet!

With the eighth of 12 regular season showdowns quickly approaching, the epic 5-on-5 action continues this weekend inside T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Missouri, with all of this summer’s action set to air on Merit Street and the Merit+ App, continuing Friday night at 8 p.m. CT.

Fans can stay tuned to the league’s official 2024 PBR Camping World Teams Series standings here throughout the action-packed season and are encouraged to share their own rankings with us on @PBR social media channels!

No. 1: Carolina Cowboys (Week 7 Rank: No. 1) Officially 12-2-1 on the season, they are still the league’s most sincere contenders when it comes to championship aspirations. But a closer look reveals the once-immortal Carolina Cowboys are just 2-2 in their last four games. Mostly in part to the team finally coming back down to earth a bit after their insane start. Typically used to producing two or three rides on the regular, Jerome Davis’ squad has logged just one qualified ride in three of their last four matches. The other game? A perfect 5-for-5 effort, the team’s second of the season. Most importantly for the checkered-flag squad, they’ve been able to stay healthy so far in 2024 for the most part, which will be key for the contingent to make a run next month in Las Vegas. While they may need to keep an eye on the rearview mirror, with the surging Kansas City Outlaws serving as their biggest threat to date, they are the safest bet to become the first team to clinch a postseason berth. Which could happen here any given week with another couple of wins! With four Top 16-ranked guys in the PBR Teams MVP race heading into Week 8, we have a feeling they will be just fine here in the second-half stretch.

No. 2: Kanas City Outlaws (Week 7 Rank: No. 2) Producing a healthy 2-1 record last weekend, which included a big win over their in-state rival Missouri Thunder during a Show Me State Showdown battle, Cassio Dias and his Outlaws are the definition of trending right now. They may have seen their electric six-game winning streak come to an end Saturday, dropping a 253.25-174.25 final to the Florida Freedom. Ensuring they found their way right back into the win column on Sunday, the orange and black unit is 8-2 over the course of their last 10 matchups. That’s the best slate in the league during that window, which includes one more win than six of the league’s 10 teams have managed all season.

Perhaps even more insane than how talented this team is revolves around the fact that Sandro Batista is technically 4.5 aggregate score points ahead of his fellow Brazilian in Dias as the duo occupy the No. 3 and No. 4 spots in the MVP race, respectively. Koltin Hevalow, now 9-for-17, is sitting in the No. 10 spot, making Kansas City the only squad with three Top 10-ranked riders.

No. 3: Austin Gamblers (Week 7 Rank: No. 3) If they look, ride and vibe like a middle of the pack team, shouldn’t they be closer to the actual middle of the pack? Well, at just 8-8 for the season as they continue to piece things together, the Austin Gamblers are technically just two games (and a few tie-breakers) from the basement of the league’s standings. Not exactly a spot Michael Gaffney’s gang is used to operating in after winning each of the first two PBR Teams regular season titles. They just haven’t been the typical, dominant Gamblers we’ve seen in the past, which is quite odd, as the team seems to be healthy and present. The vibes up on the chutes just seem a little off. They cheer for each other, but it just feels a bit more like several individuals with the same shared goal rather than guys actually riding for each other. That may be far from reality, as the Austin-based talents may just be that locked in when it comes time to work. But for the amount of talent this squad rosters, they should be a bit above the .500 mark instead of sitting right in the middle of it. At the same time, we’ve never been one to bet against Leme, thus their mainstay in the Top 4 here once again.

No. 4: Florida Freedom (Week 7 Rank: No. 5) It’s between the Outlaws and the Florida Freedom in regard to which team is the hottest in the league right now. Rightfully so, as John Crimber and company have been on their grind lately.

Victorious in four of their last five matchups, they were 2-0 back in Austin before recording a 2-1 slate last weekend in Springdale. Dropping three in a row prior to this new-found success, Crimber’s teammates may have enjoyed watching the youngster show off, but it’s been nice to see the entire team string some rides together lately. And if Joao Henrique Lucas, Elizmar Jeremias, Joao Lucas Campos and Alex Cerqueira can take turns finding the ride column alongside the 19-year-old superstar, they will remain a competitor throughout these final five showcases.

No. 5: Texas Rattlers (Week 7 Rank: No. 6) Speaking of second-half trends, the Texas Rattlers have won five of their last seven showdowns as Cody Lambert’s squad continues to drum up some momentous belief. They are the defending Champs for a reason, right? That reason is grit, exactly what the team has displayed in their crazy 2024 campaign. Securing an extremely tight 174.25-173.5 final to the aforementioned Freedom, it was another encouraging sign during their tight rope walk of a season, delicately balancing some close calls with sincere finishes. Eventually falling to the Arizona Ridge Riders on Saturday, they still managed to keep their team’s two-ride streak alive, having recorded at least two rides in each of their last seven games. Two rides doesn’t always lead to a win these days. But when it produces a victory in five of seven, it’s safe to say that’s the mark Texas, and each of the circuit’s contenders, should be aiming for at the least.

Brady Fielder is the definition of red-hot right now, securing qualified rides in six of his last seven outs, now 9-for-15 on the year and ranked No. 6 in the MVP race. Exactly what this team needs should they hope to defend their title.

No. 6: Nashville Stampede (Week 7 Rank: No. 4) Drawing the Kansas City Outlaws is never an easy task, specifically the case when they’ve won eight of their last 10 games. But Justin McBride is rarely concerned with who his Nashville Stampede are competing against. He’s worried about the men in his locker room doing their jobs.

Which hasn’t been too often lately, unfortunately, as the Stampede have now dropped four-straight games since establishing a favorable 7-5 start to the season. Two rides can keep a team competitive, 100%. But that goes out the window when playing either of the league’s top dawgs in Kansas City or Carolina. Silvano Alves and Kaiden Loud teamed up for a pair of conversions during said showdown but the Outlaws were able to produce three, thus taking the contest. The concern began to creep in on Friday night, though, as the team managed just one qualified ride during their 176.5-89.5 loss to the Oklahoma Wildcatters. There isn’t a perfect formula out there for any given team. But Nashville needs to cook up something here in the next few weeks if they want to stay out of the Ride In Round next month.

No. 7: Missouri Thunder (Week 7 Rank: No. 7) The Missouri Thunder were heading in the right direction as they prepared to host each of the league’s other nine teams last weekend. However, when things were said and done, they managed just a 1-2 record despite having some additional crowd support throughout the three-day showcase. Now 7-10 on the season, they’re sitting in the No. 8 spot in the official league standings. But after seeing Boudreaux Campbell throw down one of the rankest rides of the weekend, it’s hard not to put the Thunder on the top of this third tier of teams.

Teaming up with Dawson Gleaves and Paulo Eduardo Rossetto to pick up their biggest win of the season, as they knocked off the No. 1 Carolina Cowboys, Campbell’s 90.25-point dance with Baldy stands out in a big way. For Campbell himself and the Thunder in general. Going 2-for-4 on the weekend, he was a welcome sight for Thunder fans and Head Coach Ross Coleman alike. But it’s his Brazilian teammate in Rossetto who has shined brightest this season. If he can continue his elite 9-for-17 start, which has earned him a No. 9 spot in the MVP race heading into Week 8, he will keep the Missouri competitive more nights than not.

No. 8: Oklahoma Wildcatters (Week 7 Rank: No. 6) Each of these bottom-4 teams, currently slated to duke it out inside South Point Casino Hotel & Spa during next month’s Ride In Round, are pretty much competing on even ground at this point. Similar records but differing rosters. Which is why it’s been so hard to figure out what’s been going on for the up-and-down Oklahoma Wildcatters.

Having started their inaugural season in the fast lane, they’ve cooled off over the past month-plus. So, while their 1-1 record at Thunder Days didn’t hurt their odds of a bounce back, it didn’t help their case in the standings either, currently occupying the No. 9 spot in the official league standings. That said, they have too much youth and talent, overall, to not be higher up at this point. With General Manager Brandon Bates announcing their star Clay Guiton would be missing a few weeks after being moved to the team’s Injured Reserve, Head Coach J.B. Mauney knows he needs to get more out of his guys should they want to find themselves competing inside T-Mobile Arena. Just 2-for-10 as a collective unit last weekend, they need to be more consistent as a squad if they want to begin their ascension up the standings.

No. 9: New York Mavericks (Week 7 Rank: No. 8) While the other seven teams in the six, seven or eight-win bucket likely aren’t too thrilled with their results at this point, the New York Mavericks aren’t viewing their 7-9 record as a bad thing, as they have given all they’ve got in order to string together said efforts. Starting the season in historically slow fashion, losing four in a row and five of seven in total, they’re now 5-5 since the lagged started, which is damn fine for this ever-competitive landscape. They haven’t been flashy or consistent, but they’re getting the job done one win at a time. Losing a Sunday afternoon draw against the Arizona Ridge Riders didn’t exactly help their odds of seeing the postseason, but the idea that they’re currently ranked No. 7 while bringing an identical record as the No. 5 and No. 6-ranked squads means they are keeping their name in the playoff hat. Kody Lostroh and company have likely learned a lot this season, and it’s been showing, one weekend at a time.

No. 10: Arizona Ridge Riders (Week 7 Rank: No. 10) The Arizona Ridge Riders remain one of the biggest mysteries from the third series of summer fun. Just one of two teams with 10 losses on the season, joining the Missouri Thunder, via their 6-10 record, the black and white contingent has the fourth-highest team aggregate score yet remains in the league’s basement as they’ve run into the wrong teams at the wrong time. Dropping several close contests throughout the first half of the season, they’ve been finding the 8, but either end up getting scored a bit lower than their opponents or keep coming up just short in the ride count, which was exactly the case once again Friday night as they dropped a one-score game to the Austin Gamblers. Returning to the chutes with a vengeance on Sunday after a bye game, they made it clear they’re determined to keep the grind going strong and turn things around.

It’s been a group effort for Arizona in 2024, with rookie JaCauy Hale stirring up the pot with a perfect 2-for-2 weekend. Now 3-for-6 on the season, there’s a chance we see more of the youngster after he danced with Bookers Bandit for matching 87.5-point scores. Overall, there are too many talented veterans in this locker room to assume them out of anything right now. Even if they have to endure a warm-up night of Ride In Round action, they'd likely be favorites to be one of the two teams moving on from the "win or go home" showdown.

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Fans are encouraged to share their feedback and power rankings of their own by tagging @PBR social media channels!

Summer supporters can also stay tuned to PBR.com and Merit Street platforms as we dive into the league’s power rankings, one week at a time!

Photo courtesy of Todd Brewer/Bull Stock Media