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.
Toyota Hilux 1998 Review
When buying a second hand four wheel drive, if it’s a Ute you’re after then it’s likely that you’ll have included the Toyota Hilux on your list of Utes to go and have a look at. If you’re looking for a bargain, then the 1998 2.7 litre petrol Dual Cab could be just the one for you. It’s a very capable off-road machine and probably one of the most easily modified vehicle on the market. [...]
Toby Price Ticks Sunraysia Safari Off the Bucket List With Outright Win
Toby Price came to the 2026 Sunraysia Safari with one more Australian off-road event he wanted to tick off the bucket list. Four days later, he left Wentworth as the outright winner. Price and co-driver Ben Searcy have won the 2026 Sunraysia Safari after more than 1,000 kilometres of competitive running across some of the toughest country the event could throw at them. And they did it in perhaps one of the more unlikely outright-winning cars in [...]
Jackson Long Set to Defend Junior Cup Lead at Rally Queensland
Young gun Jackson Long is ready to take on one of his biggest tests yet as the 2025 Accent Benchtops Rally Queensland roars into Gympie this weekend. Currently leading the ARC Junior Cup with 190 points, Long is eyeing another strong result to extend his advantage over closest rival Jaidyn Gluskie, who sits on 90 points. After taking maximum points at the Forest Rally in Western Australia and his strong performance with a heat win at the Rally of [...]
Rally of the Bay – Review Part 1
PHOTOS: Roy Meuronen The 2020 running of the AMH Automotive Group Rally of the Bay was a very different event to previous years. With a worldwide pandemic closing borders and restricting travel, the Rally of the Bay needed a comprehensive COVID plan in place before it could even start. With rallying and other forms of motorsport in a forced break, the event attracted a seriously competitive field of over 80 cars. Headlining the entry list [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
New Brinkman–Newell Pairing to Debut at Possum Bourne Memorial Rally
On the Brink Motorsport will debut an exciting new driver and co-driver pairing at the Possum Bourne Memorial Rally on 21 March, with Australian competitors Glenn Brinkman and Kaylie Newell joining forces for the first time on the renowned New Zealand gravel stages. While the pairing is new, both Brinkman and Newell are well known within Australian rallying circles. The two regularly compete in separate teams within the Australian Rally Championship and NSW Rally Championship, bringing [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
