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.
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 [...]
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 [...]
Outback challenger getting practice at AMH Automotive Group Rally Of The Bay
Michael Ward Rallysport is looking forward to getting back out in the dirt at the AMH Automotive Group Rally of the Bay. Driver Michael Ward and Co-Driver John Fraser will be using the event to start preparations for this year's Classic Outback Trial scheduled for later this year in November. "It's great to be able to get back into the driver's seat," Ward said. "We're using this event to start our preparations for the last Classic [...]
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 [...]
Midstate Freight Caves Classic Rally on track for 10th of October
In just over two weeks, the Midstate Freight Caves Classic Rally is set for some intense competition in both the MTA NSW Rally Championship and also the East Coast Classic Rally Series. With 37 entries received to date, North Shore Sporting Car Club (NSSCC) are expecting a rush of entries over the next few weeks in the lead up to the second big rally in NSW since the COVID-19 Pandemic led to many event cancellations and [...]
Rally of Oberon Returns to Close Out the 2026 Rally NSW Season
The Rally of Oberon will make its return to the NSW rally calendar on Saturday, 14 November 2026, providing competitors with a new season-ending challenge across the forests surrounding Oberon. Organised by the Rally Car Club, the event will feature approximately 140 kilometres of competitive stages, with crews tackling roads through the Jenolan forests in a traditional roadbook-only rally. The Rally of Oberon will host: Round 5 of the Shamrock Haulage NSW Rally Championship Round 6 [...]
Rally of the Bay – Review Part 2
This is part 2 of our review of the 2020 AMH Automotive Group Rally of the Bay. When we left you in Part 1, the Toyota Team pairing of Harry Bates and John McCarthy had built up a significant lead after three stages to be leading the rally by just over 26 seconds. And it was the other Toyota Yaris, driven by Lewis Bates and Anthony McLoughlin that was sitting in second. Richie Dalton and [...]
2014 Nissan Xtrail – Review
I recently had the opportunity to hire a car for a trip around Queensland so I asked for a Midsize SUV. I was given a Nissan Xtrail and I was quite impressed with it so I thought I’d provide a quick review of the car for those who might be looking to get one. First off, I didn’t really take a lot of notice of the version I was given, but I’m pretty sure it was the [...]
Brinkman and Moscatt Overcome Adversity at 2024 Dakar Rally
Date: 8th January 2024 Al Duwadimi, Saudi Arabia – After three challenging days at the 2024 Dakar Rally, Glenn Brinkman and Dale Moscatt have demonstrated unwavering determination and resilience in the face of a number of setbacks. On the opening day of the rally, the “On the Brink Motorsport” duo showcased their prowess by securing a commendable 16th place finish in the Challenger Division, setting the stage for a promising campaign in their PH Sport [...]
