GLENDALE, Ariz. – With the 2024 PBR Camping World Team Series Championship just two weeks away, Ridge Rider Days in Glendale, Arizona, is the final chance for teams to make their mark in the regular season.

The top half of the standings are decided, with five teams having clinched a berth in T-Mobile Arena on Oct. 18-20: the No. 1 Carolina Cowboys, No. 2 Kansas City Outlaws, No. 3 Florida Freedom, No. 4 Texas Rattlers and No. 5 Austin Gamblers.

Now, the real race is on for the No. 6 ranking.

This year, the four bottom teams in the standings at the end of the regular season will have to compete in the Ride-In Round at the South Point Arena on Oct. 17. The four teams will compete in a game, and the two highest-scoring teams will earn the last two spots at the Championship in T-Mobile Arena.

The other two go home.

The stakes are higher than ever this weekend, and it couldn’t be a closer race. At the beginning of the day on Friday, the No. 6 Missouri Thunder and No. 7 Nashville Stampede had identical records of 11-15, with the No. 8 Oklahoma Wildcatters just half a game behind at 10-15-1 and the No. 9 New York Mavericks at 10-15.

The first game of Ridge Rider days saw the Thunder and the Stampede square off, automatically creating some room for the winning team regardless of the outcome.

The Thunder took the edge, 170.75-168, but head coach Ross Coleman wasn’t spending much time thinking about the stakes.

“I really haven’t thought much about it,” Coleman said. “All I want is solid reps for these guys – solid reps and more experience. Yes, if we make it there, that’s all good. I like to win. So, no matter if we’re here today or Sunday or Friday or Tuesday, we try to win. Try to be winners and hang around winners. Talk positive things about it. So if we continue that, positive things will happen. The atmosphere of all these guys is just super, super positive.”

Even more positive now that they’re alone in the No. 6 slot with two games remaining in the regular season.

Missouri’s hottest rider, Paulo Eduardo Rossetto, got things going in the Thunder’s opening out with 87 points on Martini Houdini. Closer Andrew Alvidrez then turned in an 83.75-point effort on Thriller to walk it off in the bottom of the fifth.

Rossetto has unquestionably been the star of the Thunder’s season, going 17-for-28 (60%).

“Paulo’s been killing it,” Coleman said. “He’s been smoking them both hands, and he’s been riding a lot more bulls than a majority of our guys. But he’s come to his spot. He was kind of a redshirt last year. He was wanting bulls and stuff, but he wasn’t ready yet. But he’s ready now, and he’s kicking some butt.”

But the real story for the Thunder has been the contributions from every rider on the roster.

“They’re all playing their role, and they’re ‘we before me,’ and we’re all team players,” Coleman said. “They’re all riding good, every one of them. I’m happy to have them.”

The Thunder are one win away from tying their best record in franchise history. In 2022, the team went 13-15, finishing sixth in a field that was then eight teams. 2023 was a rougher go, as the squad turned in an 8-20 showing before going on a Cinderella run at the Teams Championship, finishing fourth overall.

So even a sixth-place finish with 12 wins in 2024 would be a huge improvement year over year, and the vibes in the Thunder locker room are accordingly high.

“Boudreaux did it to us, too, by the way,” Coleman said, referring to the Thunder trading for Boudreaux Campbell from the Carolina Cowboys in February. “Boudreaux brought in that new vibe this year, of something positive, upbeat, funny, wild, goofy, hilarious storytelling. Some stuff not so good for camera, maybe, but some stuff’s okay. But it’s just awesome. I love it. I love having fun with these guys. It’s so important.”

The Thunder bring the party wherever they go, and Coleman makes sure to foster their passion and appreciation for what they’re doing.

The Thunder are on the first flight to the event each weekend and the last flight out. They attend content shoots, autograph signings, and TV interviews with a smile.

“And I never knew how to really take it, back in the day, until I finally learned – that stuff’s a privilege,” Coleman said. “It’s a privilege to get to go to that Merit studio, or if our whole team gets to go in there and do that photoshoot like that. Many years ago, when I got done riding, I found out what the real world’s all about. And I was like, ‘You know what? Don’t take a day for granted when you’re in the world of being a first-class bull rider.’ And that’s what I try to teach these guys, to always just be very blessed and happy, pumped to be here.”

The Thunder will look to keep their momentum rolling in the desert heat following a bye on Saturday (9 p.m. ET on Merit Street). On Sunday afternoon (3 p.m. ET on Merit Street), they’ll face off against the hometown No. 10 Arizona Ridge Riders in the very last game of the regular season.

Win or lose, you can be sure the Thunder and their head coach will be enjoying the ride.

“It’s my passion now, too,” Coleman said. “With my kids at home, too, it’s hard for me to miss football games on Friday nights. It’s hard for me to miss football games on Saturdays. But every time we sit around and have dinner with the family, all we talk about is the Thunder. They love these guys. They’re great role models, and it’s just so much fun. It really is. We love it.”

Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media