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 [...]
80 Series Landcruiser – stuck in a tree!
With Round 2 of the COMEUP Xtreme Winch Challenge series coming up on the 24th of June, we thought we'd take you back to round 1 for a quick re-cap. In this video, Luke McNicol gets stuck into the Saturday stages. Unfortunately he gets a bit too "stuck" and ledges himself onto a tree. The only way to escape the clutches of the undergrowth was to enlist the help of event organiser David Metcalfe and [...]
Extreme 4WD Winching – 2018 XWC
The 2nd round of the 2018 COMEUP Xtreme Winch Challenge saw plenty of great action, with the winner finishing with the truck ON FIRE, literally! The 2nd round of the Comeup Xtreme Winch Challenge kicked off on a cold and clear Friday night on the Springate property just south of the small township of Limbri, in the Tamworth area of NSW. There were 11 purpose built 4WD’s, all fitted with winches capable of pulling these [...]
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 [...]
Rally Queensland 2025: Gympie Set to Host Mid-Season ARC Thriller
The gravel roads around Gympie are about to come alive, as the 2025 Accent Benchtops Rally Queensland gets set to host Round 3 of the Bosch Motorsport Australia Rally Championship from July 4 to 6. With the championship heating up and a bumper entry list now locked in, this year’s event promises to deliver some of the most exciting action of the season, both on and off the stages. Building on the momentum of previous years, Rally [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
MacDonald Valley – NSW
The MacDonald valley is an easy trip close to Sydney with some great scenery and simple river crossings. Suited to any type of 4wd, and even the adventurous 2wd, the track follows the MacDonald River from St Albans. There are a number of crossings of the MacDonald River along the way and some of these are bridges, whilst towards the end they become open sand based river crossings. I would certainly not attempt this trip [...]
