RBM Goes North of the Border
After a weekend of hard earned wins in Greensboro the Randy Brown Motorsports team headed north of the border to Toronto, Ontario for a surprise visit to the Rogers Centre. The team was originally scheduled to perform at the Metrodome in Minneapolis but record snowfalls in December left the stadium damaged following the collapse of the roof, forcing the cancellation of their Monster Jam event. The Monster Jam organizers decided to give the fine folks of Toronto a special treat as they added Joe Parnell and El Toro Loco to the already large field of competitors, while Randy Brown and Grave Digger would perform a special tandem freestyle with fellow Grave Digger driver Charlie Pauken.
The two days of events started off on Saturday night as Joe Parnell would get his first chance to perform in a major stadium event, as well as his first time piloting El Toro Loco in a Chicago-style racing course. The unique two show stadium weekend presented a great learning opportunity for Parnell as he continues to improve in his rookie campaign. In racing Parnell was eliminated early by Rap Attack in round one. Parnell returned in freestyle to tackle the largest course he’d seen in his short career, as he learned how to attack the larger jumps and carry momentum from hit to hit. The run lasted past regulation time and through bonus time as Parnell would score a respectable 21 for his efforts.
While the rest of the trucks competed through the night, Randy Brown and Grave Digger 19 remained hidden in the back, awaiting their opportunity to hit the floor. The fans were still unaware that Brown was even in the building, until Charlie Pauken and Grave Digger 23 went to the back after just one jump on the course. Brown and Pauken then emerged from the back, side-by-side as the two took to the track in unison. The two veteran drivers put together a spectacular performance, as the Digger-duo flew all over the course. On their final jump the two drivers attempted to jump the bus together, but got a little too close as the trucks collided in mid-air. Both drivers were able to settle the trucks down upon landing avoiding a major crash. The crowd roared with delight as the tandem freestyle closed out the night.
After an action packed day one in Toronto, it was on to the second day inside the Rogers Centre. In racing Joe Parnell and El Toro Loco would take out fellow rookie Scott Buetow and Iron Man in the first round, before falling to Maximum Destruction in round two. Despite the early exit in racing, Parnell was clearly more confident as he took to the track in freestyle. Parnell carried more speed around the course, getting more air over the jumps, and even attempting a few slap wheelies, before he ended his run with a donut. Although an obvious improvement from the previous night, the score would be the same, as Parnell earned a score of 21.
Once again, Randy Brown and his Grave Digger were tucked away during the duration of the show, as they were to surprise the Sunday afternoon crowd with Charlie Pauken and Grave Digger 23. Like the previous night, Brown was set to join Pauken after his first jump, but things didn’t go exactly to plan, as Pauken’s first jump resulted in a rollover back onto all four tires. While Pauken managed to limp the wounded Digger to the back to retrieve Brown, it was all up Brown to carry the torch in a solo run. Downtown Randy Brown had no problem delivering as he put together a fantastic run, filled with big air leaps, donuts, and even a slap wheelie to the crowd’s delight.
From Toronto, it’s back to the states as the Randy Brown Motorsports team visits Greenville, South Carolina’s Bi-Lo Center for a three show weekend.
