The spirit of the Gumball Rally has inspired road rally enthusiasts to create local versions of the Gumball in individual states. There are annual Gumball Rallies in Michigan, Florida, and California. The rules of these races are more stratified than the movie, and speeding or demented driving is discouraged. But anyone who can afford the comparatively modest entry fee and acquire sponsors can enter any sort of vehicle in the competition. Like a road rally, the state Gumballers have to pass through checkpoints over the course of the race, which runs for an entire weekend. There is an elaborate formula not known to the competitors for determining the winner of the Rally. Part of the Rally's mission seems to be to promote state attractions and businesses, but the idea still seems to be having a great deal of fum while doing so.
An international version of the Gumball called the Gumball 3000 was created by a Briton, Maximillion Cooper, as a 3000 mile race through multiple countries. How one enters and what the rules may be are not clear, though it appears checkpoints are involved. However, most of the drivers appear to be celebrities of various sorts, and the entry fees are rumored to be substantial. The Rally often partners with charities such as the Wounded Warrior Project as a fundraising event.The one thing that the Gumball 3000 has in common with the original Gumball Rally is that any sort of vehicle can be entered. Past entries have included a Blower Bentley similar to the one driven by John Steed in The Avengers, to a 1965 Aston Martin DB5, to a Winnebago RV, to an ex-New York Police Department Ford Crown Victoria in NYPD livery. Prizes are awarded for best time, most original car, for special actions during the race, and to whomever best exemplifies the good-hearted spirit of the event, the coveted "Gumball Spirit Trophy."
In 2010, a rally similar in concept to the Gumball 3000 but confined to the State of Texas called the Texas Outlaw Run was conducted. As of 2013, it has not been repeated.
At Disneyland and Disney World, once a year Disney fans hold what is called the MiceChat Gumball Rally. The objective is simple: to ride as many rides in Disneyland as possible in a single day. The winning teams are presented with medals and have bragging rights forever after; and the grand prize is a gumball machine topped by Cinderella's Castle, obviously inspired by the movie's Gumball Trophy.