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.
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 [...]
Winch Challenge Bites Teams
Seven teams started, but only four finish. One of the best Comeup Winch Challenge Competitions yet! Round 4 of the 2019 Comeup Extreme Winch Challenge Series was held at the Springs 4x4 Park in south east Queensland, just south of Warwick. Stage one was a speed stage that would get competitors ready for the other nine full on stages and get the blood pumping. Paul Semmens and Nathan Mills of Team Ranga were the first [...]
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 [...]
Toyota Prado 2003 Review
The second hand 4wd market is huge in Australia and today we’ll be reviewing a 2003 Toyota Landcruiser Prado Grande. In 2003, Toyota introduced this new model and it was a significant upgrade to the previous version and featured new styling from a design out of Toyotas European Design Studio. In addition to the styling, this 4WD comes packed with many other features, but not all the features of the Grande are available on the [...]
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 [...]
Ruggles Motorsport start Clubman Assault at AMH Automotive Group Rally of the Bay
The Ruggles Motorsport Team are planning a full assault on the 2020 Techworkz Automotive NSW Clubman Rally Series in their Group 4 specification Triumph TR7 V8. It’s an all family affair for the team with lead engineer and major sponsor Ben Ruggles heading up the team, Matt Ruggles driving and son Guy Ruggles in the co-drivers seat. They also have their adopted brother, ‘Pommy’ Paul Beaston on the Service Crew. Matt is no stranger to rallying, [...]
Classic Escort Ready to Fight Modern Rally Cars at Bathurst
Photos: Roy Meuronen Photography Queensland rally driver Tom Dermody will bring classic rallying heritage to the forests of New South Wales when he lines up at the Shamrock Haulage Rally of Bathurst this weekend in his striking red 1978 Ford Escort Mk2. Dermody and Sydney-based co-driver Eoin Moynihan will again represent DMR Motorsport, continuing a partnership that has now spanned more than a decade in Australian rallying. The pair have been rallying together for twelve [...]
Ultimate Rock Sports
Ultimate Rock Sports = Ultimate Action! Some amazing 4x4 Buggies take on some gruelling terrain in the heart of NSW, Australia. Just south of Mudgee in the Central West of New South Wales, The Ultimate Rock Sports Two Car Challenge took place. Designed for highly modified four-wheel drives and buggies, this event puts drivers and machines to the test over some amazingly tough terrain. Chris Tierney is part of the organizing team and we caught up [...]
Arnhem Land – NT
By John McCredie In the North of Australia is a land area called Arnhem Land. It is an Aboriginal reserve that covers almost 100,000 square kilometres and has some of the most remote communities in Australia. You could say that the Aboriginal people own this land and whilst that is essentially true, the idea of ownership has quite a different meaning in their culture. Recently I was privileged enough to be able [...]
