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.
Winch Truck Challenge
Back in 2012, we produced a DVD on Round 2 of the 2012 Winch Truck Challenge series held in Central Queensland. With over 60 minutes of winch truck action, there are Toyota Landcruisers including 70 series, Nissan GU and GQ Patrols and even Landrovers. The whole DVD has been loaded onto YouTube in crystal clear 1080p High Definition, unlike the DVD which is Standard Def! So sit down and relax and watch the entire DVD [...]
FJ55 Land Cruiser – The Ugly One
Loved and Hated. The FJ55 Land Cruiser was a 4WD that divided 4WD enthusiasts. It looks and styling was loved by some, hated by others! Toyota's 4WD production started way back in 1941 when the Japanese Army took a Jeep, that they had acquired during the occupation of the Philippines, and sent it back home and ordered Toyota to make something similar. Then in the 1950's, the US Army commissioned Toyota to make 100 vehicles similar [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
O’Malley Prepares for Rally of Bathurst After Breakthrough Season
Pictures by Roy Meuronen. After a standout first full season in the Shamrock Haulage NSW Rally Championship, James O’Malley is preparing to return to the stages in 2026, beginning with the upcoming Shamrock Haulage Rally of Bathurst. O’Malley enjoyed a strong campaign in 2025, securing first place in the NSW Rally Championship for the 1601–2000cc two-wheel-drive class, finishing third in the outright two-wheel-drive standings, and placing sixth outright. The results marked an impressive milestone in [...]
Palm Valley – NT
An oasis in a scorching land. Palm Valley is out of the ordinary with a gorge full of Cabbage Palms in a dry and inhospitable desert landscape. Located in the centre of Australia, this magnificent location is one of the most spectacular 4wd destinations in the Northern Territory. It is an ancient location and a unique form of palms grows abundantly within the valley. The Red Cabbage Palms are tall and tower above the river [...]
Windus’ Rebuilt Subaru’s lighter and faster for 2020 season
Victorian Rally Champion, Arron Windus, will finally get his season underway on Saturday when he competes in the Rally of the Bay in NSW. The COVID-19 pandemic has put the sport on hold this year, and with no events in Victoria until at least September, Windus and co-driver Daniel Brick have been forced to head to the NSW coast to get their first motorsport fix of the year. Windus' Western Victorian Crane Trucks team will field [...]
COMEUP Xtreme Winch Challenge Series Round 2 – 2016
The second round of the 2016 Comeup Xtreme Winch Challenge series was held on the last weekend of June in what turned out to be a very muddy and cold three-day event. The winching competition was held at Mt Borah, 18km north west of the small township of Manilla in central New South Wales. With temperatures lucky to reach double digits and snow falling in the surrounding localities, seven teams lined up to start the [...]
After-Dark Shakedown Added to the 2026 Lazer Rally of the Bay
Competitors at the 2026 Lazer Rally of the Bay will have the opportunity to test their cars under both daylight and night-time conditions, with entries now open for the event’s official Friday Shakedown. The Shakedown will be held on Friday, 24th July, from 2:30 pm until 6:30 pm, ahead of the third round of the Shamrock Haulage NSW Rally Championship in Batemans Bay on Saturday. With the session continuing after sunset, the Lazer Rally of the [...]
