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.
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 [...]
Patrols Dominate at COMEUP XWC Round 3 – 2019
It’s been nearly ten years since the Comeup Xtreme Winch Challenge has ventured north into Central Queensland, but on the weekend of July 12-14, it was back with an action-packed weekend of extreme 4WD winching action. Seventeen Central Queensland based teams lined up on Friday night to tackle the first of three stages, set in the Seeonee Park grounds on the outskirts of Rockhampton. It would be a pair of Nissan Patrols taking the first [...]
Rally of the Bay Videos
The 2026 Lazer Rally of the Bay delivered another fantastic day of competition through the forests surrounding Batemans Bay, with plenty of drama, close battles and memorable performances from across the field. We've brought together all of our event coverage in one place, including interviews with the leading crews, championship contenders, rising stars and some of the personalities that helped make this year's event one to remember. Whether you're catching up on the action you [...]
Hill’s Unique Subaru H6 Set for Rally of Bathurst Debut
One of the most intriguing cars set to debut at the upcoming Rally of Bathurst will be the unique Subaru H6-powered rally car of Woolgoolga driver Sam Hill, who will team up with his daughter Mikayla Cooling for the event. Originally planned to run alongside Australian rally champion Molly Taylor, Hill will instead share the car with Mikayla, creating a special father–daughter pairing for the car’s first competitive appearance. The Rally of Bathurst will mark the [...]
Comeback Success in Safari for McCredie and Maude in Holden Jackaroo
After a 20-year break from competitive rally driving, John McCredie and Nick Maude returned to rallying taking on the 2022 Local Legends Sunraysia Safari Cross Country Rally in an ex-Bruce Garland Holden Jackaroo. The 2022 event was shortened significantly due to wet weather, with Day 2 and Day 3 cancelled. The first day of competition started with a 100km stage, followed by the shortened Tarcoola 25km test. The final day was just one stage, but [...]
After-Dark Shakedown Added to the 2026 Lazer Rally of the Bay
Competitors at the 2026 Lazer Rally of the Bay will have the opportunity to test their cars under both daylight and night-time conditions, with entries now open for the event’s official Friday Shakedown. The Shakedown will be held on Friday, 24th July, from 2:30 pm until 6:30 pm, ahead of the third round of the Shamrock Haulage NSW Rally Championship in Batemans Bay on Saturday. With the session continuing after sunset, the Lazer Rally of the [...]
Ultimate Rock Sports
Ultimate Rock Sports = Ultimate Action! Some amazing 4x4 Buggies take on some gruelling terrain in the heart of NSW, Australia. Just south of Mudgee in the Central West of New South Wales, The Ultimate Rock Sports Two Car Challenge took place. Designed for highly modified four-wheel drives and buggies, this event puts drivers and machines to the test over some amazingly tough terrain. Chris Tierney is part of the organizing team and we caught up [...]
Stanford Motorsport to contest Clubman Series at AMH Automotive Group Rally of the Bay
Stanford Motorsport are preparing their Datsun Stanza and getting ready for the Techworkz Automotive NSW Clubman Rally Series, which kicks off this weekend at the AMH Automotive Group Rally of the Bay. Driver Dennis Stanford from West Nowra will be joined by Sydney based Co-Driver, Tim Woods for the 2020 running of the Rally of the Bay and the team are hoping for a good result in their first event for the season. “We won the [...]
Rally NSW Introduces Fast Track Documentation
Rally NSW is proud to unveil Fast Track Documentation, an innovative and near-contactless documentation checking process aimed at improving safety and efficiency for both competitors and event organisers. The Rally NSW Fast Track Documentation system has been under development for some time, with Rally NSW volunteers tasking themselves with developing a system that makes life easier for competitors entering events and reduces event organisers’ workloads. The scheme is voluntary. Competitors who choose to use the scheme [...]
