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.
FJ40 Modified Landcruiser Winch Truck
One of the most popular choices of Winch Truck, with both competitors and spectators is the Toyota FJ40. It's tough, it's extreme and it turns heads wherever it goes! Rod and Russell Rathbone have been stalwarts of the Xtreme Winch Challenge series and have shown their consistency and skill over the years in their Wyong Automatics Toyota FJ40 Landcruiser Comp Truck. At Round 1 of the 2016 COMEUP Xtreme Winch Challenge Series, Rod and Russell [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Mitsubishi Triton 2011 Review
When buying a second hand car, the Mitsubishi Triton is a popular choice for the four wheel drive enthusiast and we’re going to take a quick look at this very impressive Ute. That’s what we call them in Australia, so if you’re from elsewhere, you might know this off-road warrior as a utility or pickup truck. Today we are looking at a pre-loved 2011, GLX 2.5 Diesel MN model. With its curved lines and wide [...]
Victorians looking to impress at the AMH Automotive Group Rally of the Bay
Victorians Adrian Stratford and Kain Manning will be debuting a fully rebuilt Ford Fiesta ST at the AMH Automotive Group Rally of the Bay. The car was purchased late last year and completely stripped down, with many improvements made to make it ready for the 2020 Till Hino Victorian Rally Championship (VRC). In addition to the VRC, the team were also hoping to enter at least three Australian Rally Championship (ARC) rounds, however the COVID-19 pandemic [...]
Redhead Ready for Redemption at the 2025 Lazer Rally of the Bay
After a tough start to the season, young gun Josh Redhead and experienced co-driver Ray Winwood-Smith are looking to bounce back in a big way at the 2025 Lazer Rally of the Bay, one of the most anticipated rounds of the Shamrock Haulage NSW Rally Championship. Redhead has shown flashes of serious speed in 2025 but has also had more than his fair share of bad luck. At Round 1 in Canberra, he banked some points early but saw [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
