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.
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 [...]
The Accent on Working Dogs at Bonalbo
It was a completely new event to all at the 2019 Accent Benchtops Working Dog Rally. A joint MTA NSW Rally Championship, Queensland Championship and East Coast Classic Rally Series event that saw 49 cars and crews take to the stages around the small northern NSW town of Bonalbo on a crisp July Saturday morning. The battle for the MTA NSW Rally Championship in particular was rejoined, as championship leaders Richard Shimmon and co driver [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Quinn Wins Opening Round of NSW Rally Championship
Former Australian Rally Champion Nathan Quinn in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution has won the opening round of the NSW Rally Championship by the smallest of margin, just 4.7 seconds. Quinn won both heats of the rally and dedicated the win to his co-driver, Ray Winwood-Smith, who was working off pace notes for the first time. Quinn, from Coffs Harbour and Winwood-Smith from Bathurst, won four of the seven stages, but didn’t take the lead until [...]
Marco Jansen adds AMH Automotive Group Rally of the Bay to his bucket list
The Central Queensland pairing of Marco Jansen and Cameron McIntosh are making an epic 19-hour journey to compete at the AMH Automotive Group Rally of the Bay. Jansen has been competing in rally events for many years, starting in a Golf Mark 1 and progressing through VW competition cars until purchasing his current car, an ex-works VW Polo. Having now owned this car for several years and with work commitments that have kept him out of [...]
Redhead and Winwood-Smith Swap Outright Pace for Classic Fun at Rally of the Bay
Photo: Roy Meuronen Photography Josh Redhead and Ray Winwood-Smith will take a very different approach to the 2026 Lazer Rally of the Bay, swapping their front-running Mitsubishi Evo V for a shed-built Datsun Stanza. The pair had hoped to continue fighting at the front of the Shamrock Haulage NSW Rally Championship in Batemans Bay, but with the Evo now undergoing preparation for the upcoming Australian Rally Championship round in Tasmania, Redhead has made the difficult [...]
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 [...]
