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The Pacific Northwest’s version of Mad Max: Fury Road, surprisingly, isn’t all about the battle wagons. Founded in Oregon in 2014, the Gambler 500 calls on car and conservation enthusiasts to collect trash on public lands while racing on backroads in customized stock cars, which culminates in a party in Central Oregon. Naturally, the craft beer industry wasn’t going to sit this one out.
In the early days, Gambler vehicles were primarily stock cars used year after year with a little spray paint and stickers applied. Over time, customization became more common, but the goal remains to spend no more than $500 on a junker and make sure to bring a few spare tires. “The whole purpose is to repurpose a car that was going to get crushed anyway,” says Gambler participant and Proper Pint Taproom owner Sean Hiatt.
Hiatt’s rig, a 2004 Chrysler PT Cruiser outfitted with a draft system fashioned out of an old camp stove and go-kart roof rack named named Proper Pint Crusher, helped him and his team pick up about 500 pounds of garbage over 48 hours this past June.
“You try to drive in as many forest roads as possible and, on the way, try to pick up as much trash as possible using an app that lays out dumpsters along the way,” Hiatt says. Each night, they’d camp out and race around the woods in the go kart while attempting to keep the PP Crusher running smoothly.
“We got AAA for it, so if and when it does break down we don’t have to just leave it somewhere,” Hiatt adds.
The adventure concluded in a two-day camping experience behind the Deschutes County Fair & Expo Center in Redmond called “Gamblertown,” where organizers provided food and drink and hosted a rally race. “It’s like redneck Burning Man,” says Hiatt. “The whole premise was so cool, and hopefully this whole experience will draw more people into it,” Hiatt says.
In the end, the 2022 Gambler 500 disposed of 1,100 pounds of trash, 26 vehicles and six boats, and the PP Crusher made it home in one piece. Next year, Hiatt and his pit crew hope to add more suspension and turbo power—maybe even a few more tap lines.