Friday, July 14 kicks off the 2023 Gambler 500, three days of playing “pavement is lava” while collecting trash, camping post-apocalyptic style in Oregon’s woods, and driving weird, cheap cars. This is the world’s largest competitive trail cleanup, and it’s a great time.
Sign up at www.gambler500.com, and keep reading to learn more about the Mad Max-esque fun!
The Gambler 500
Tate Morgan, principal of the Gambler and founder of Sons of Smokey (SOS), started the event in 2014 with buddies, the OG Gamblers, as a navigational rally: 500 miles in $500 cars. As time went on and more people caught wind of the event, the rally evolved from a navigation challenge into a wilderness cleanup.
Morgan and the Gamblers have removed tons of trash and dumped items from the woods: boats, tires, mattresses, cars … sadly, the list goes on. Their work keeps lands clean and open, and it also helps the U.S. Forest Service.
“It’s shocking to see how much does get dumped on public lands. It’s a challenge for us to manage it,” said Lauren DuRocher, public affairs officer with the U.S. Forest Service, to The Oregonian. “We don’t have a dedicated trash removal team. An event like this is just extremely helpful.”
Approximately 8,000 participants will take to the backroads July 14-16. Most will be in 2WD junkers –– it’s a gamble if they’ll make it, says Morgan –– but nearly anything goes. Along with finding waypoints and trash using the Sons of Smokey app, expect a car show, awards, bands, minibike trail runs, food trucks, and RC car racing in Gamblertown.
Head over to the website to register, see start details, and find all the other info you need to get out there and have some fun defending the wilderness. If you can’t make it this year, follow along on Instagram (#sonsofsmokey and #gambler500) for some awesome and impractical rigs … and watch Bronco Nation for a SOS Sport build!
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