Monster Jam returns to Fresno with Armando Castro as El Toro Loco driver
California native Armando Castro can’t wait to arrive at the Save Mart Center in a couple of days to show off his Monster Jam driving skills to Central Valley residents.
Castro was at the Staple Center July 23-25 driving the El Toro Loco truck, his first time back after being off for 1½ years when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down preforming venues though out the world.
That 24-year-old Castro, who was born in Montebello and raised in Whittier, did five shows that weekend, taking the overall award on the first show on Sunday, July 25.
“It took a lot,” Castro said. “I am just glad to be back. It’s been way too long.”
Last year, Monster Jam was one of the last events that took place at the Save Mart Center in 2020 before concerts and events were postponed, cancelled or rescheduled at the venue in northeast Fresno.
Castro said they don’t get to practice which is kind of shocking to some people, mostly because of the “crazy moves we are able to do.”
Castro, who started competing in 2017, said when he and others want to try something new or come up with new tricks, they pretty much do that during the shows.
“If it works, it works. If don’t, then don’t,” Castro said, adding that doing the pandemic he tried to eat right and do some workouts at his house since gyms were closed to keep everything going.
Castro said during the pandemic it was kind of easy to get lazy around the house, but he watched videos of himself driving the truck to keep moving since he couldn’t be on a truck.
Getting back in front of a crowd last month, Castro said it was “something that I just can’t describe. Just the feeling of just being in the area, at 100 percent capacity in Los Angeles.” During the shows in Los Angeles in July, Castro said a lot of Latinos were presents.
“It was just amazing. The crowd by far was the loudest crowd ever performed in front of,” Castro said. “It was just electrifying, and just able to see the fans again, that is something we all missed, just to be able to bring smiles to their faces.”
“Seeing them with El Toro Loco mask, with the horn in the air, it was just emotional,” Castro said. “It’s just an awesome feeling for sure.”
Switching easily from English to Spanish, Castro said “es un honor y orgullo de manejar una troca hispanica. (It is an honor and pride to drive a Hispanic truck.)”
Castro, who was only 6 years old when he attended his first Monster show in Anaheim, will be the only Latino when Monster Jam comes to the Save Mart Center for four shows Aug. 20-22.
“So, I need the support of all my people,” Castro said, adding that people would be at the edge of their seat with the action pack from start to finish.
Castro remembers being amazed by the big trucks when attending his first show as a kid and fell in love with the sport without giving up his dream of being the driver behind the steering wheel of one of those trucks.
Castro said he was in the right place at the right time when he got the opportunity to audition and drive a monster truck in Illinois and the rest is history.
“I am honored to be back in Fresno. I had great success there at the Save Mart Center,” Castro said, adding that since Fresno is not far from home, he would be driving brining his “A game for sure.”
“It just a great honor to be able to represent all mi gente latina (my Latin people) and of course being a great role model for the young kids,” Castro said as he encourages young Latino children. “If you got a dream, work hard and everything is possible in this world.”
María G. Ortiz-Briones: 559-441-6782, @tuvalletusalud
Esta historia fue publicada originalmente el 13 de agosto de 2021, 1:07 p. m..
