Club Spotlight
Texoma Off Road Club
The Texoma Off Road Club, based in Wichita Falls, Texas, is a small, family-oriented off-road club that mainly consists of rockcrawlers from mild to fully-built buggies. As a club we travel to different areas to wheel, such as the Superlift ORV Park; Clayton, Oklahoma; and Katemcy, Texas. We love to get together and wheel or just hang out. Our families are heavily involved in the club, so we are used to having kids in our rigs who enjoy what we do as much as we do.
In December we have an annual fundraiser called Rock Crawl for Kids that raises money for a charity called Operation Santa Claus, which benefits local children at Christmastime. Our club partners in the event with Rock & Roll Offroad, a local off-road accessory store. We place large rocks and cars in front of R&R Offroad's store, and people donate money to let our club members drive them over the rocks and cars. The kids love it. It's a full day in which we gather toys and cash to help those less fortunate. Hot dogs and drinks are served throughout the day, as well as candies for the kids. We'd like to be considered for your Club Spotlight, not just because it would be really cool to be in your magazine, but also to give other clubs and idea for the same type of event to help those in need.
-Justin Browning
Editor's note: What's your 4x4 club up to? This is the place to share news about trail cleanups, charity runs, raffles, trail rides, and other events going on in your neck of the woods. Email the info and some high-resolution photos to 4wheeloffroad@sorc.com, or you can send them to Club Spotlight, 4-Wheel & Off-Road magazine, 6420 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048. Sorry, but we can't return photos.
This Just In
* Barely a week after his Third Place overall in Dakar, Robby Gordon drove his Chevy Silverado Trophy Truck to an overall win at the 15th Annual SCORE Laughlin Desert Challenge in Nevada.
* Ford and Navistar have ended their long-standing feud, reaching (in the careful words of the PR statement) "an agreement to restructure their ongoing business relationship and settle all existing litigation between the companies." The companies were suing each other over warranty claims having to do with the diesel engines Navistar supplied to Ford. Additionally, Navistar sued Ford over the proposed light-duty diesel engines to be installed in F-150s. The agreement terminates the diesel engine supply deal between them at the end of the year, though Navistar will continue to supply parts for PowerStroke engines. The two companies will continue to work together in the South American market.
* Mahindra is taking its show on the road. Global Vehicles, the U.S. distributor for the Indian trucks and SUVs, is planning a series of displays and events to introduce Mahindra to America this fall. So far more than 300 dealers have been signed to sell the vehicles, and plans call for the diesel-powered pickup to go on sale later this year. The Mahindra SUVs will come in 2010.
* In Its Fight To Stay Out of bankruptcy, GM has dissolved its High Performance Vehicle Operations unit, which built lots of the fun stuff, like the V-8 Colorado and SS versions of the HHR and Cobalt. Those engineers have been reassigned to more mundane projects. We hope this is temporary.
Earth Watch
* SEMA reports that the U.S. Senate recently passed legislation to add more than 2 million acres to the National Wilderness Preservation System. The wilderness designation is consequential since no mechanized activity is permitted on such lands. The legislation bundles more than 160 separate initiatives that had been introduced in Congress in recent years. The bill would designate wilderness in nine states-California, Colorado, Idaho, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia-and establish several new national parks, monuments, and conservation areas. The House of Representatives is expected to ratify the legislation quickly and send it to President Obama for his signature.
* SEMA also submitted comments to the Department of Defense and U.S. Marine Corps regarding a potential expansion of the Marine Corps Combat Center at Twenty-nine Palms, near Johnson Valley, California. The Marine Corps contends that it needs additional land for training and may seek to incorporate the 189,000 acres in Johnson Valley. SEMA believes the loss of this area to OHV enthusiasts would have a serious negative impact on the OHV market, the enthusiast's community, and the local economy. SEMA recommended that the Marine Corps reassess the need for expansion or expand into other adjacent areas that are not currently used for OHV events. If OHV lands must be vacated, SEMA suggested that other nearby sites controlled by the Bureau of Land Management be considered or private lands be purchased for OHV use.
* We were contacted by an organization called Rock Crawlers for the Preservation of Future Access (RCPFA). The group is committed to preserving both public and private lands in the mid-Atlantic region to continued off-road vehicle access. Crozet, Virginia, near the University of Virginia, serves as the RCPFA's primary base of operations. It consists of roughly 100 acres of private land, which is maintained by RCPFA. Its location is sufficiently centralized in the region for wheeling events. RCPFA offers guided four-wheeling for nonmembers wishing to become actively involved in both legal and responsible off-roading. Information on joining RCPFA or reserving its playground for club events can be found at the group's website (www.rcpfa.com).