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.
Green Light for AMH Automotive Group Rally of the Bay
The 2020 running of the AMH Automotive Group Rally of the Bay has now received a ‘Green Light’ from Motorsport Australia. The final approval was given to North Shore Sporting Car Club (NSSCC) based on the event falling within the Motorsport Australia ‘Return to Race Strategy’, which is approved by the NSW State Government. Whilst NSSCC has been pushing ahead with plans for the Rally, there was always the possibility that further restrictions could have been [...]
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 [...]
O’Malley’s Narooma nightmare: Inside the single-pin fault that cost a championship charge
PHOTOS: Roy Meuronen Photography James O’Malley and co-driver Jono Forrest will head to Batemans Bay with plenty to fight for when they contest the 2026 Lazer Rally of the Bay on Saturday, 25 July. The single-day event is the third round of the Shamrock Haulage NSW Rally Championship and will provide the O’Malley Rally Team with an important opportunity to recover from a disappointing result at the previous round in Narooma. O’Malley and Forrest completed [...]
O’Malley Bounces Back with Career-Best Pace at the 2026 Lazer Rally of the Bay
PHOTOS: Peter Norton After the disappointment of an early retirement at the previous round in Narooma, James O'Malley and co-driver Jono Forrest responded in the best possible way with a composed and determined performance at the 2026 Lazer Rally of the Bay, finishing fifth outright and first rear-wheel-drive crew home in their Toyota 86. The result was the reward for a measured drive that built momentum throughout the day as the pair adapted to the [...]
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 [...]
National Title starts at AMH Automotive Group Rally of the Bay
PHOTO: Roy Meuronen NSW based competitors who aspire for an Australian Rally Championship (ARC) award, can now register and score points towards the ARC4 award by competing at the Batemans Bay based, AMH Automotive Group Rally of the Bay event. Motorsport Australia has updated the Sporting and Technical Regulations for the RSEA Safety Motorsport Australia Rally Championship and the ARC4 award includes the Rally of the Bay. The ARC4 award is open to competitors who are [...]
Glenbawn Dam Camping – NSW
State Parks are a great alternative to bush camping with a range of facilities and numerous choices all over NSW. On this occasion, we check out Glenbawn Dam. Looking for somewhere to go camping where you can take your boat, go fishing, do some bike riding or just unwind and relax? Then Glenbawn Dam should certainly be on your list. Located just to the west of Aberdeen on the New England Highway, it’s an easy spot [...]
Wiedman Takes Victory in a Thrilling Opening Round of the Shamrock Haulage NSW Rally Championship
The Shamrock Haulage NSW Rally Championship kicked off in spectacular fashion over the weekend at the Toyota Gazoo Racing Rally of Canberra, delivering intense competition across the field. Queenslander Josh Wiedman and co-driver KJ Miller emerged as the standout performer, taking the overall victory and establishing Wiedman as a serious contender for the 2025 NSW Rally Championship. Having initially been overlooked as a NSW competitor due to an event administrative error, Wiedman’s speed and consistency [...]
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 [...]
