Gumball 3000 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Gumball 3000
The Gumball 3000 Rally in Budapest, 2023
Country	Various
Years active	(1999–present)
Inaugurated	1999
Founder	Maximillion Cooper
Previous event	Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) to Singapore Grand Prix (September 2024)
Next event	Istanbul to Ibiza (September 2025) https://gumball3000.com/pages/istanbul-ibiza-2025
Activity	Motor rally
Website	Gumball3000.com

The Gumball 3000 is a famous brand known for its yearly Gumball 3000 Rally. This event is an international road trip for celebrities and car fans. It takes place on public roads around the world. Maximillion Cooper, an English entrepreneur, started the brand in 1999. His idea was to mix cool cars, music, fashion, and popular culture.

About the Gumball 3000 Rally

The Gumball 3000 Rally brings together about 120 special vehicles. They travel about 3,000 miles (4,800 km) across many countries over six days. Sometimes, the cars even fly on cargo planes to cross continents!

Drivers use all kinds of vehicles, from classic cars to super-fast hypercars. Each night, participants go to a special party or dinner. Along the way, there are exclusive stops for lunch and overnight stays in big cities. Often, main roads are closed so the rally cars can pass through.

Maximillion Cooper first started the rally in 1999 as a fun road trip with his friends. The people who organize the event always say it's a road trip, not a race. Their slogan is: "It's a rally, not a race."

People who want to join the rally pay a fee. This fee is only told to those who are chosen to take part. The participants are called 'Gumballers'. Each year, about half of the drivers are new, and half have done the rally before.

History of the Gumball 3000 Rally

Early Years: 1999-2004

The very first Gumball 3000 rally happened in 1999. Maximillion Cooper and his friends wanted to drive their amazing cars across Europe. They called it a 3,000-mile rally. It was mostly for Cooper's friends, and they had to use their own cars.

The first Gumball 3000 rally, 1999.

The idea for the rally came from old racing events. For example, in 1933, a motorcycle racer named Erwin Baker drove across the United States very quickly. He was called "Cannonball." Later, other "Cannonball" events happened, and some even gave a gumball machine as a prize. This might be how the Gumball 3000 got its name.

The first rally in 1999 started in London, went to Rimini, Italy, and then returned to London. Cooper planned fun events like parties and dinners each night. Many famous people, like Kate Moss and Kylie Minogue, joined, which made the rally very popular in the news.

After the first rally's success, the second one in 2000 began in London. The cars flew to Spain and then drove through cities like Bilbao, Cannes, and Milan. They also visited famous race tracks before returning to London.

In 2001, a TV show filmed the cars for a special episode. This episode became very popular. Famous people like Formula One champion Damon Hill and comedian Vic Reeves took part in the rally that year.

In 2002, the Gumball 3000 crossed the United States from New York City to Los Angeles. They stopped at famous places like the White House and the Grand Canyon. Fashion designer Donna Karan and actor Matthew McConaughey were among the participants.

A movie about the rally, Gumball 3000: The Movie, came out in 2003. It was narrated by Burt Reynolds.

The fifth rally in 2003 went from San Francisco to Miami. It passed through places like Las Vegas and New Orleans. Skateboarder Tony Hawk and other TV personalities joined this rally. In 2004, the rally started at the Eiffel Tower in Paris. It went through Spain and even crossed the sea to Morocco, then returned to Europe, ending in Cannes.

Growing Bigger: 2005-2009

In 2005, Formula One driver Jenson Button started the Gumball 3000 rally. It went from London to Monte Carlo, passing through cities like Prague, Vienna, and Rome. Celebrities like singer Jay Kay and musician Ken Block joined the fun.

A Ferrari Enzo at the Gumball 3000, 2007

The 2006 rally started in London and went through Vienna and Belgrade. Then, the cars flew to Thailand, driving through Phuket and Bangkok. Finally, they flew to Salt Lake City and ended with a party in Los Angeles. Musician Travis Barker and actress Martine McCutcheon were among the participants. A movie called 3000 Miles was also made about this rally.

The 2007 rally was planned to go from London to Istanbul. It would pass through 16 countries. However, during the event, an incident occurred in North Macedonia. Out of respect for those involved, the rally organizers decided to cancel the rest of the event.

In 2008, the rally traveled from San Francisco to China, ending at the Beijing Olympics. It went through Los Angeles and Las Vegas. The rally even spent a night in North Korea to see the Mass Games.

A New Decade: 2010-2019

More than 100 cars joined the 2010 rally, which went from London to New York. It passed through cities like Amsterdam, Copenhagen, and Toronto. Actor Michael Madsen and musician Idris Elba were among the participants. It was during this rally that Maximillion Cooper met rapper Eve, whom he later married.

David Hasselhoff at the Gumball 3000 in London, 2014

The 2011 Gumball 3000 rally started in London and ended in Istanbul. It drove through Paris, Barcelona, Monaco, and Venice. David Hasselhoff, Eve, and Tony Hawk were some of the famous people who took part.

In 2012, the rally was an "across America" trip from New York to Los Angeles. It stopped in Toronto, Indianapolis, and Las Vegas.

In 2013, a film company bought the rights to make a movie about the Gumball 3000 rally.

The 2014 rally started in Miami, USA, and went through Atlanta and New York City. Then, the cars flew to Europe, driving from Edinburgh through London, Paris, and Barcelona, before finishing on the island of Ibiza. During this rally, a DJ named deadmau5 drove a very unique Ferrari.

In 2015, participants followed a route from Stockholm to Las Vegas. They drove through Norway, Denmark, and Germany. In the US, they drove through Death Valley before reaching Las Vegas. Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton joined the last part of the rally.

Dolph Lundgren and Mathew Pritchard at the 2015 rally

The 2016 rally went from Dublin to Bucharest. David Hasselhoff waved the start flag in Dublin. The route included Edinburgh, London, Prague, and Budapest. Other famous people like F1 drivers David Coulthard and Jean Alesi, rapper Eve, and DJ Afrojack took part. A special 'Batmobile' car also joined the rally. Over one million fans watched the rally in 2016.

In 2017, the rally began in Riga, Latvia, and traveled through Warsaw, Budapest, and Dubrovnik. It ended in Mykonos, Greece, for two days of celebration.

The 2018 rally brought back intercontinental travel. It started in London, went through France and Italy, then the cars and participants flew to Japan. From Osaka, they drove to Kyoto and Nanao, finishing in Tokyo.

The 2019 Gumball 3000 Rally took place in June. It started in Mykonos, Greece, and finished on the Spanish island of Ibiza. The rally passed through Thessaloniki, Montenegro, Venice, Monaco, and Barcelona. DJ Afrojack drove two Bugatti cars with a cool blue camouflage design.

Recent Rallies: 2020-Present

The 2020 Gumball 3000 Rally was planned to go from Toronto, Canada, to Havana, Cuba. However, it was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This was the first time a full rally had been canceled. It was then postponed again to May 2022.

In May 2022, the postponed 22nd Annual Rally finally happened. It went from Toronto, Canada, to Miami, United States. The rally started with a free concert in Toronto, featuring rapper Bun B and deadmau5. David Hasselhoff returned to wave the start flag. The rally then traveled through Indianapolis, Nashville, and Atlanta. It finished at a football stadium in Miami, where a charity football match took place.

David Hasselhoff waves the start flag of the 2022 Gumball 3000 'Toronto-Miami' Rally.

For the first time, Gumball 3000 held two rallies in one year in 2022. The 'Middle East' rally took place in November. It started in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and traveled through Oman, visiting places like Jebel Akhdar and Salalah. It finished in Abu Dhabi, where participants enjoyed the Formula One Grand Prix. New celebrities like Michael Dapaah and French Montana joined this rally.

YouTubers DailyDrivenExotics in Edinburgh for the start of the 2023 Gumball 3000 Rally.

In June 2023, Gumball 3000 returned to Europe for the first time in four years. The rally began in Edinburgh, Scotland. It then went to London, Amsterdam, Verbier, Venice, and Budapest, before finishing in Porto Montenegro.

In September 2024, Gumball 3000 celebrated its 25th Anniversary Rally in South East Asia. The rally started in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It then went through Cambodia, Thailand, and Malaysia, finishing in Singapore for the Singapore F1 Grand Prix. Many online personalities and stars like Patrice Evra and IShowSpeed joined this rally. In Cambodia, the Gumball 3000 Foundation held a charity auction at Angkor Wat. This event raised over $600,000 to help children around the world. The rally also set a Guinness World Record for the largest display of supercars at a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The 26th Gumball 3000 Rally is planned for September 2025. It will go from Istanbul, Turkey, to Ibiza, Spain. The route includes stops in Bucharest, Belgrade, Florence, Nice, and Valencia.

Gumball 3000 Foundation

The Gumball 3000 Foundation was started in 2013. Its goal is to help young people who don't have many opportunities. They do this by supporting education and building fun places for kids around the world. The foundation wants to make sure the Gumball 3000 leaves a positive and lasting impact.

Rally Routes Over the Years

See also

In Spanish: Gumball 3000 para niños