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.
Championship Battle Heats Up in the Barossa: Price vs Brinkman Set for Showdown
The gravel roads of the iconic Barossa Valley are set to rumble once again as the 2025 MSS Safety Rally Barossa brings South Australia's premier gravel competitors together for Round 2 of the South Australian Rally Championship (SARC). After a thrilling season opener at the Shannons Rally SA – Rally of the Heartland, all eyes now turn to the vineyards and valleys of Rowland Flat, where an epic battle is brewing. This night–day format rally, known for its mix [...]
Patrols Dominate at COMEUP XWC Round 3 – 2019
It’s been nearly ten years since the Comeup Xtreme Winch Challenge has ventured north into Central Queensland, but on the weekend of July 12-14, it was back with an action-packed weekend of extreme 4WD winching action. Seventeen Central Queensland based teams lined up on Friday night to tackle the first of three stages, set in the Seeonee Park grounds on the outskirts of Rockhampton. It would be a pair of Nissan Patrols taking the first [...]
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. [...]
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 [...]
O’Malley and Forrest Claim 2WD Victory at Rally of Bathurst
Photos: Roy Meuronen Photography James O’Malley and co-driver Jono Forrest delivered an impressive performance at the Shamrock Haulage Rally of Bathurst, claiming two-wheel-drive honours while finishing sixth outright in the NSW Rally Championship field and ninth outright in the overall event. Competing in their Toyota 86 against a strong field that included some of Australia’s top rally crews and a fleet of high-powered four-wheel-drive machinery, O’Malley and Forrest produced a consistent drive across the fast [...]
Reeves to return to Yarra Valley Stages
Leading Victorian rally driver Brendan Reeves will return to the gravel later this month at the Yarra Valley Stages Rally. After a successful run at last year’s Western Victoria Crane Truck Yarra Valley Stages rally, Leading Victorian rally driver Brendan Reeves will return to the event later this month. With co-driver Ben Searcy sitting in the co-drivers seat, the pair are likely to be at the pointy end of the field in a MK2 Ford Escort. [...]
Richie Dalton Ready to Fly on Favourite Stages at the 2025 Lazer Rally of the Bay
Irish-born rally star Richie Dalton, alongside co-driver Mac Kierans, is heading to Batemans Bay full of confidence and excitement as he prepares to take on the 2025 Lazer Rally of the Bay in his Toyota GR Yaris AP4. The car will be prepared and serviced by the renowned Neal Bates Motorsport team, a name synonymous with rallying success in Australia. Their technical expertise and championship-winning experience will be key in extracting every ounce of performance from Dalton’s GR Yaris [...]
Irish Rally Icon Frank Kelly to Join Lazer Rally of the Bay Field in Spectacular Australian Return
The 2025 Shamrock Haulage NSW Rally Championship just got a serious dose of international flavour, with Irish rally legend Frank Kelly confirming he will contest the Lazer Rally of the Bay on August 2, bringing his legendary 1977 Ford Escort Mk2 “Baby Blue” to the forests of Batemans Bay. This exciting development follows Kelly’s standout visit to Australian rallying at the Forest Rally in Western Australia, where he competed in Round Two of the EROAD [...]
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 [...]
