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.
Fun New 4WD Park in Australia
This Central West 4WD Park in NSW is a short drive from Mudgee and this video gives us the low-down on the fun and activities on offer. Finding quiet undiscovered bush camping sites can be quite a challenge. And when it comes to long weekends, especially Easter, it might just be impossible to find that hidden gem. But we were recently invited to come and check out Jamie Smiths Central West 4WD Park, just south [...]
Redhead and Winwood-Smith Swap Outright Pace for Classic Fun at Rally of the Bay
Photo: Roy Meuronen Photography Josh Redhead and Ray Winwood-Smith will take a very different approach to the 2026 Lazer Rally of the Bay, swapping their front-running Mitsubishi Evo V for a shed-built Datsun Stanza. The pair had hoped to continue fighting at the front of the Shamrock Haulage NSW Rally Championship in Batemans Bay, but with the Evo now undergoing preparation for the upcoming Australian Rally Championship round in Tasmania, Redhead has made the difficult [...]
All in the Family – Brads 1978 Range Rover
This article is the first of our user submitted stories. If you want to be featured, just send us an email or contact us via our Facebook page. Brad Clayton’s 1978 Range Rover is the two door variety and has been affectionately named ‘sofie’ ever since it was registered. The name doesn’t have any real significance other than a reference to the number plate. It’s been a daily drive since it was registered and has been in the family [...]
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 [...]
Hoy Triumphs at 2026 Lazer Rally of the Bay as Sullens Takes Championship Lead Batemans Bay
The forests surrounding Batemans Bay delivered a thrilling day of rallying as the 2026 Lazer Rally of the Bay produced fast competition, dramatic retirements, impressive comeback drives and a major change at the top of the Shamrock Haulage NSW Rally Championship standings. Organised by the North Shore Sporting Car Club, the event hosted Round 3 of the Shamrock Haulage NSW Rally Championship, Round 3 of the NSW Clubman Rally Series and Round 3 of the [...]
Barrington Tops
Spectacular scenery, great four-wheel-drive opportunities, camping options to suit everyone and the ideal getaway close to Sydney - This is the Barrington Tops National Park! Barrington Tops is located about three to four hours north of Sydney in NSW, Australia. The area is rich in natural beauty and boasts some of the most extensive areas of sub-tropical rainforests in the World. There is both a National Park and extensive State Forests within the Barrington Tops [...]
Hatton ‘Super Excited’ As Rallying Returns
Photo: Sydney rally driver JJ Hatton is back in action this weekend. By Team Release JJ Hatton is back behind the wheel of his Hyundai i20 rally car this weekend, when the sport resumes after the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s been a long time between drinks for the Sydneysider, but this weekend’s Batemans Bay based ‘Rally of the Bay’ will finally see him raising the dust against a top class field. The rally is the first round of [...]
4WD Winch Challenge Heats up in Cold Conditions
With overnight temperatures dropping into the negatives, about the only thing hot at the recent round of the Comeup Xtreme Winch Challenge (XWC) series was the winching action! 12 teams lined up on a bitterly cold Friday night at the Springvale property in the small country town of Wallabadah, just south of Tamworth for Round 2 of the popular series. With three stages set to challenge teams in the dark, it would be the Toyota [...]
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 [...]
