NMTORC Club Info


Additional Information

The New Mexico Tech Offroad Club (NMTORC) was established in the Spring of 2002 as a chapter of the New Mexico Tech Automotive Racing Club (NMTARC).

The Founding Officers were: Jake Scarbrough, James Kearney, Bryan Mitchell, and Jordan Warton, all of whom have graduated NMT.

By the Fall of 2003, it was apparent that NMTORC needed to be its own club, so we split off and formed the NMTORC we all see today.

Our primary goal has always been to provide students - and everyone else - with an environment essential for safe and fun four-wheeling, whether it be Rockcrawling, Mudbogging, or Baja Racing. We make it a goal to know our local trails, help develop new ones, and inform people of the four-wheeling opportunities that are available in the greater Socorro area. We organize Trail Runs nearly every weekend - the usual time is Saturday mornings. Anyone - student or not - is invited to attend Trail Runs, Trail Maintenance, Meetings, or Wrenching Parties.

Our members are also skilled fabricators. We also like to educate people on basic fabrication skills. The satisfaction of designing and fabricating modifications for your vehicle is much greater than a bolt-on product, and we try to provide the necessary tools and experience to do so. Interested people can learn to use everything from your basic hammer, wrench, hacksaw or die grinder, to more advanced items such as: chop saw, angle grinder, drill press, band saw, cutting torch, welder, plasma torch, mill, and a lathe.

NMTORC provides automotive tools and member knowledge to aid members with vehicle maintenance, repairs, or bolt-on modifications ranging from simple tasks like changing engine oil, to more advanced projects such as a new Power Steering pump, new lift-springs, custom trail armor, locking differentials, etc.

NMTORC works closely with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to keep our trails well-maintained and make sure they stay open. We are currently working with the BLM and other members of the Off-Highway Vehicle (mountain-bikes, dirt-bikes, ATVs) community to formalize all the trails in the Gordy's Hill OHV Area East of Socorro in the Quebradas. This project consists of GPS mapping, naming, and rating of trails, along with reinforcing existing land boundaries.

Aside from our weekly trail runs, NMTORC organizes and hosts the NMT Mudbog each April. Started in 1998 by Jason Kemp, the NMT Mudbog is one of the larger gatherings in the city of Socorro with an estimated 300-600 attendants from all around NM.

The trails we call home are in Gordy's Hill OHV Area east of Socorro in the Quebradas. We have been wheelin' these trails for the last decade, and will continue to develop and wheel new ones. We also frequent the Magdalena Mountain range, which is about 12 miles west of Socorro for the North Baldy and Water Canyon trails. Most of our members have visited other trails around the rocky mountain region, and some have even visited Moab, UT, the 4x4 Mecca of the World.

To get involved with the NMT Offroad Club, stop by one of our meetings (Thursdays at 9pm in Workman 101) and introduce yourself, or register and post on the forums, or send an email to the club president.


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