ABOUT US
ON THE DIRT was created as a YouTube channel back in the first year that YouTube came into being, 2007. In those days, it was the personal YouTube account of John McCredie with a few little videos of some 4WD trips he had done with family and friends. John had always had a passion for gravel rallying and even won the Australian Rally Championship for pocket rockets in the front wheel drive 0-1300cc category. From there, this passion extended to four-wheel-driving and in 2009 John and his two sons Nathan and Jacob filmed their first 4WD Winch Comp.
The YouTube Channel soon started to grow in both popularity and size (number of videos) and was changed from the name OHM26 to ON THE DIRT. With more videos being produced and more 4wd and rally content being uploaded, the channel now has over 14,000 subscribers and almost 5 million views.
Motorsport Australia Launches New Licence Structure to Boost Rally and Off Road Participation
From July 1, 2025, it’s going to be easier, and more affordable than ever to get behind the wheel in Australian rally and off road events. Motorsport Australia has unveiled a fresh set of licence options aimed squarely at growing participation at the grassroots and state level. Whether you're chasing a club-level podium or giving rallying a go for the very first time, the new licence structure provides flexible, low-cost pathways into the sport we all love. Under the [...]
New contenders to take on Penultimate Round of the East Coast Classic Rally Series
Round 7 of the East Coast Classic Rally Series (ECCRS) will be held on the 19th of October in conjunction with the final round of the MTA NSW State Rally Championship at the Kosciuszko Automotive Monaro Stages Rally. There is already a good number of classic cars entered, but the more interesting part of the entry list are the new contenders taking on the penultimate round of the series. Heading the list of new Classic hopefuls [...]
Thrilling Result for the Lazer Rally of the Bay
The Lazer Rally of the Bay has ended in thrilling circumstances with a dead heat declared for the top step of the Podium. The Mitsubishi Lancer team of Clayton Hoy and John Allen shared the event win with the Shamrock Motorsport team of Richie Dalton and Mac Kierans. The roads in the Eurobodalla Shire are in the best condition they have been in for several years and driving conditions were ideal with a small amount [...]
Mitsubishi Pajero NP 2002 Review
The Mitsubishi Pajero is a very popular four-wheel drive in Australia, and whilst many of them are just glorified wagons to pick up the kids from school, as an off roader, they go alright. Today, we’re going to take a look at the very first NP model Pajero as a second-hand buy. And the model we’re reviewing is a 3.5 litre, Petrol, top of the Range, very late 2002, Exceed. Mitsubishi designed a monocoque body for [...]
Marco Jansen adds AMH Automotive Group Rally of the Bay to his bucket list
The Central Queensland pairing of Marco Jansen and Cameron McIntosh are making an epic 19-hour journey to compete at the AMH Automotive Group Rally of the Bay. Jansen has been competing in rally events for many years, starting in a Golf Mark 1 and progressing through VW competition cars until purchasing his current car, an ex-works VW Polo. Having now owned this car for several years and with work commitments that have kept him out of [...]
Irish Rally Icon Frank Kelly to Join Lazer Rally of the Bay Field in Spectacular Australian Return
The 2025 Shamrock Haulage NSW Rally Championship just got a serious dose of international flavour, with Irish rally legend Frank Kelly confirming he will contest the Lazer Rally of the Bay on August 2, bringing his legendary 1977 Ford Escort Mk2 “Baby Blue” to the forests of Batemans Bay. This exciting development follows Kelly’s standout visit to Australian rallying at the Forest Rally in Western Australia, where he competed in Round Two of the EROAD [...]
Windus’ Rebuilt Subaru’s lighter and faster for 2020 season
Victorian Rally Champion, Arron Windus, will finally get his season underway on Saturday when he competes in the Rally of the Bay in NSW. The COVID-19 pandemic has put the sport on hold this year, and with no events in Victoria until at least September, Windus and co-driver Daniel Brick have been forced to head to the NSW coast to get their first motorsport fix of the year. Windus' Western Victorian Crane Trucks team will field [...]
Taylor Gill Battles the Rally of Gods to Take Second in Junior WRC
They don’t call it the Rally of Gods for nothing. The EKO Acropolis Rally is one of the most brutal tests in the World Rally Championship, and in 2025 it proved once again why it has earned its legendary status. With scorching heat, tyre-shredding rocks, and mountainous stages north of Athens, it pushed competitors to the edge. But for Aussie rising star Taylor Gill, it was a rally that tested his patience, precision, and perseverance, and he walked away [...]
Middle of the Road – Hyundai Tucson Active 2.0 litre Auto
By Jon Thomson At some point in our evolutionary history our DNA was corrupted and as a race we decided that SUVs were a better proposition for personal transport than small hatches or wagons. It must have been a quirk of evolution, because, if you apply logic, there could be no reason why we would swap smaller more efficient cars with ones that are heavier, offer no more space internally and have a higher centre of [...]
