I've never seen an AGDQ run more disastrous than this American Truck Simulator race – it might be the best 35 minutes in the event's 16-year history: "That's the most yeein'-haw thing I've ever seen"

1. Games
2. Simulation Games
3. American Truck Simulator

I've never seen an AGDQ run more disastrous than this American Truck Simulator race – it might be the best 35 minutes in the event's 16-year history: "That's the most yeein'-haw thing I've ever seen" News By Dustin Bailey published 8 January 2026

"The Etsy witch has saved us!"

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: SCS Software/GDQ) Share Share by:

• Copy link
• Facebook
• X
• Whatsapp
• Pinterest
• Flipboard

Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google

Awesome Games Done Quick 2026 is entering its final days, but it may have already peaked on Thursday, January 7. That's the day that brought us an American Truck Simulator race so off the rails, so absurd, and so utterly chaotic that it seems destined to live forever in GDQ infamy.

You might be wondering exactly how you go about doing a speedrun of American Truck Simulator, an open-ended game without clear objectives that's made up mostly of long, lonesome highways that generally allow you to easily pin the accelerator down. The obvious choice, of course, is to run a point-to-point race for two equally matched truckers beginning at the same starting line.

That's how the AGDQ run started out, with a race from Amarillo, TX to… well, the destination's not really important, for reasons that will quickly become apparent. Runners anarchyasf and Lazlotus, adopting the names Big Ranch and Heavy Chevy, respectively, donned trucker caps and put on their best Mid-South accents as they got commentary support from sapphire_in_ping (Dispatch Diva) and Buffalo Boone (Buffalo Boone) on the couch, and chibicarrera (The Godfather) on hosting duties.

You may like

• AGDQ 2026 has everything from a Clair Obscur: Expedition race to a 70-player Super Mario 64 relay
• GDQ's first ever Games Done Queer event already raises over $11,000 thanks to Donkey Kong and hot dog-making speedruns, with Halo CE and Deltarune still to come
• Death Stranding 2 is the purest expression of "a Hideo Kojima game" yet, and it's got nothing to do with the long cutscenes or esoteric plot

Buffalo Boone in particular has become a minor celebrity in the GDQ circuit thanks to his madcap Texas vibes, and the energy was off the charts from the start of the run. But equally, you could tell from the start that this wasn't going to be an exquisite look at the best in speedrunning tech. That's partly because it was impossible to see anything at all – the in-game clock started in pitch-black night – and partly because Big Ranch landed her truck sideways less than a minute after the race began.

If you're starting to pick up the vibes, I'd recommend just hitting play on the video below, because it's worth letting all this just wash over you as it comes. But somehow, the chaotic energy only escalates. Less than 10 minutes into the race, Big Ranch has another oopsie, checking the map for too long and careening into a roadside guardrail. This, it turned out, absolutely broke the game.

American Truck Simulator by anarchy and Lazlo in 35:18 - Awesome Games Done Quick 2026 - YouTube Watch On

Big Ranch's rig got embedded in that guardrail in such a way that she could not move, but the game believed the truck was still in motion, preventing her from opening the menu to call a tow truck or fast travel to a different location. Minutes passed. Blame was placed upon an Etsy witch who may or may not be real. Everyone scrambled to figure out how to fix the problem, with no solutions presenting themselves. As dawn breaks in-game, the runners, commentators, and audience all break out in a desperate rendition of 'Life Is a Highway.'

Buffalo Boone keeps spirits high by calling for "donies" to be read by The Godfather and calling out "yee-haw" where appropriate. Eventually, Heavy Chevy turns around and drives back toward Big Ranch's location in hopes of ramming her truck and knocking it loose of the physics bug. Several crashes do nothing. The host asks haplessly, "Is this yuri?" But eventually, Heavy Chevy gets some distance, builds up some speed – and crashes directly into the guardrail, getting embedded right alongside Big Ranch. At this, the GDQ audience spontaneously breaks out in a standing ovation.

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

But somehow, this unbreaks the physics, allowing both truckers to call for a tow and break free of their makeshift prison. Buffalo Boone exclaims, "The Etsy witch has saved us!" The drivers settle on a new destination, and resolve to simply ride out their estimated time of 35 minutes to the end.

Now, you'd expect that nothing more ridiculous could happen from here. Surely, there could be no punchline to elevate this run even further into the most chaotic realms of GDQ history. And yet… The run concludes with Heavy Chevy crashing into Big Ranch at such an angle that the latter's truck embeds backwards into the ground and points straight at the sky. The crowd begins to chant, "Trucks! Trucks! Trucks!"

"This is yuri, y'all," The Godfather observes. "This right here is yuri!"

"That's the most yeein'-haw thing I've ever seen I've ever seen in my life," Buffalo Boone concludes. I couldn't agree more.

Here are the best simulator games you can play today.

CATEGORIES PC Gaming PS5 Xbox Series X Platforms PlayStation Xbox Dustin BaileySocial Links NavigationStaff Writer

Dustin Bailey joined the GamesRadar team as a Staff Writer in May 2022, and is currently based in Missouri. He's been covering games (with occasional dalliances in the worlds of anime and pro wrestling) since 2015, first as a freelancer, then as a news writer at PCGamesN for nearly five years. His love for games was sparked somewhere between Metal Gear Solid 2 and Knights of the Old Republic, and these days you can usually find him splitting his entertainment time between retro gaming, the latest big action-adventure title, or a long haul in American Truck Simulator.

Show More Comments

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.

Logout Read more AGDQ 2026 has everything from a Clair Obscur: Expedition race to a 70-player Super Mario 64 relay    GDQ's first ever Games Done Queer event already raises over $11,000 thanks to Donkey Kong and hot dog-making speedruns, with Halo CE and Deltarune still to come    Death Stranding 2 is the purest expression of "a Hideo Kojima game" yet, and it's got nothing to do with the long cutscenes or esoteric plot    I was informed of what seems to be the only game on Steam with this many 100% positive reviews, and I need you to see it with me    Forza Horizon 5 is one of gaming's greatest car modding games, and I'm flying like a Bulleit in my restomod monstrosities    Super Mario 64 speedrunner sets wild new world record following groundbreaking hack: beating the game with one star on a drum kit    Latest in Simulation Games Stardew Valley doesn't have mod support on console for "numerous reasons" says creator ConcernedApe    After dominating 2025 with indie drug dealing sim Schedule 1, developer is looking to expand    Schedule 1 beats Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Dispatch, and Silksong to be the highest rated Steam game of 2025    Stardew Valley creator donates $125,000 with a "monthly commitment" to open-source framework his hit farming sim uses    Stardew Valley's Switch 2 edition sees items going missing thanks to a crafting glitch, but a fix is "coming soon"    "A single word in more than 100,000 words of localization" got a bestselling Switch shopkeeping sim removed from the eShop    Latest in News I've never seen an AGDQ run more disastrous or entertaining than this American Truck Simulator race    Nintendo reveals first set of new Switch 2 Joy-Con controllers, and underwhelming is putting it lightly    Arc Raiders player asking to recycle rubber ducks accused of "blasphemy," and presumably blacklisted by duck collector    After Baldur's Gate 3's famous bear scene, Larian makes a threat or perhaps a promise about Divinity's lizards: "I am doing it right now"    Elder Scrolls Online unveils 2026 roadmap, devs say "new approach" to transparency and more is "key" to the MMO's future    Hytale lead previously told a fan his "dream" feature was just a dream, but a one-word follow-up suggests it's real    GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

1. 1Trails Beyond the Horizon review: "This JRPG's thrilling real-time and turn-based combat evolves Metaphor ReFantazio's hybrid battles, making up for a poorly paced adventure"
2. 2This alt-history board game is still a gold standard for modern strategy
3. 3Skate Story review: "A beautiful and unique skateboarding game with great, stylized visuals set in a grungy underworld"
4. 4Octopath Traveler 0 review: "The strongest entry in this retro-styled JRPG series yet, I love the greater focus on tactical battles"
5. 5Sleep Awake review: "An all-timer horror premise is let down by tired stealth that I feel like I'm sleepwalking through"

1. 1Avatar: Fire and Ash review: "Still a technical marvel, with some of the year's best action filmmaking"
2. 2Five Nights at Freddy's 2 review: "We have waited two years for a Five Nights at Freddy's 1.5"
3. 3Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery review: "Brings Knives Out back to its roots for a sequel that's almost on a par with the original"
4. 4Wicked: For Good review: "Builds to an incredibly cathartic conclusion, but isn't quite as captivating as Part 1"
5. 5The Running Man review: "Some fun action and Glen Powell's star power aren't enough to energize this disappointing Stephen King adaptation"

1. 1Stranger Things season 5 finale review: “Shows off both the best and the worst of Hawkins”
2. 2Stranger Things season 5, Volume 2 review: “All set up for a finale that has so much to deliver”
3. 3Fallout season 2 review: "A hell of a lot of fun despite being overcrowded and convoluted"
4. 4Stranger Things season 5 volume 1 review: “Can the Duffer brothers stick the landing? It’s sure looking like they will”
5. 5Pluribus season 1 review: "Easily one of the year's best dramas"