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.
Brinkman and Beckwith Locked In for Rally Queensland WRX Battle with KickAss Support
Queensland rally ace Glenn Brinkman and his Western Australian co-driver Scott Beckwith are set to take on the Subaru WRX Challenge this weekend at the 2025 Accent Benchtops Rally Queensland, held in Gympie from July 4–6. The reigning WRX Challenge champions of the one-make series return with serious intent and some serious competition. Proudly backed by KickAss Products, the pair will once again pilot their Subaru WRX in what’s shaping up to be a fierce contest. And while they [...]
The Mav – Ford Maverick Winch Truck
Peter Bannister competes in a 1992 model Ford Maverick, affectionately call “The Mav”. He and Navigator Josh Flynn were last seen competing at round 1 of the 2016 COMEUP Xtreme Winch Challenge series, but due to a few issues on Friday night and Saturday, could only manage to finish 7th outright. The Mav has a Ford badge on it, but is essentially a Nissan Patrol after Ford rebadged the model for sale in Australia back [...]
Narooma Forest Rally – Live Blog
🕒 Update at 14:08 - 04.06.26 Josh Redhead and Ray Winwood-Smith are building nicely into the next big one 👌 After a solid run in Queensland, the pair will tackle Bega this weekend before turning their attention to Narooma on 27 June, where the next round of the NSW Rally Championship also doubles as a round of the Australian Rally Championship 🚗💨 With Richie Dalton leading the NSW title race and a big field expected, Narooma should be on from [...]
New Isuzu D-Max X-Terrain Impresses
By John McCredie After taking the D-Max LSU for a drive last week, this week we are having a drive of the top of the range D-Max X-Terrain. The X-Terrain features coloured guard flares and matching coloured grille. It also has a nicely matched and sleek Aero bar on the back with a roller tooneau cover. The tub also comes lined, but as we’d find out after our off road trip, the roller cover and [...]
Behnke Rallying to be back in the driver’s seat
Following a five-year hiatus from being behind the wheel, the Rally of the Bay on the 4th of July is set to see the return to the driver’s seat for Canberra rally competitor Mike Behnke. Over the past few months, Mike’s revitalised Honda Civic, which is undergoing a ground up refurbishment, has rapidly taken shape thanks to the help of members of the Light Car Club of Canberra and the Qirx Motorsports team. The group of [...]
FJ45 V8 Landcruiser Farmtruck Winch Machine
The COMEUP Xtreme Winch Challenge is a winching competition held in NSW and Queensland and we are featuring a few of the trucks that have competed at previous events. One fine example is the 1973 modified Landcruiser of Dave Burrows. Dave has been competing in these winching events for many many years with some great results. The 45 Series, affectionately known as the “Farm Truck” has a fuel injected 308 Holden motor stroked to 330cc. [...]
Reeves to return to Yarra Valley Stages
Leading Victorian rally driver Brendan Reeves will return to the gravel later this month at the Yarra Valley Stages Rally. After a successful run at last year’s Western Victoria Crane Truck Yarra Valley Stages rally, Leading Victorian rally driver Brendan Reeves will return to the event later this month. With co-driver Ben Searcy sitting in the co-drivers seat, the pair are likely to be at the pointy end of the field in a MK2 Ford Escort. [...]
Toyota Hilux 1998 Review
When buying a second hand four wheel drive, if it’s a Ute you’re after then it’s likely that you’ll have included the Toyota Hilux on your list of Utes to go and have a look at. If you’re looking for a bargain, then the 1998 2.7 litre petrol Dual Cab could be just the one for you. It’s a very capable off-road machine and probably one of the most easily modified vehicle on the market. [...]
Jackson Long to Drive Brinkman’s WRX Challenge Car at Adelaide Hills Rally
After an impressive performance at the 2025 Accent Benchtops Rally Queensland, rising rally star Jackson Long has been provided a major opportunity. He will pilot Glenn Brinkman’s Subaru WRX Challenge car at the upcoming Adelaide Hills Rally, a round of the Bosch Motorsport Australian Rally Championship. Brinkman, who is committed to running his iconic Ford Escort Cosworth in the South Australian Rally Championship, made the decision to keep his WRX Challenge car on the road [...]
