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.
4WD Tyre Review – Kumho AT51’s on the Pajero and Defender
I often get asked what tyres I run on my four-wheel drive, so I thought it was about time I shared with you what I have and what I think. I have the Kumho Road Venture AT51’s on the Pajero and this is my second set of these All Terrain tyres. So straight up, for me to have bought them a second time, there must be something good about them. And based on my recommendation, we [...]
Turon River – NSW
Not far from Sydney is an ideal camping location with everything you could possibly want for an easy weekend adventure. There's a beautiful river, views, four-wheel-driving, fishing and a whole lot more. Turon National Park is located just west of Capertee, NSW. The main feature of this National Park is the Turon River which flows through the heart of this rugged and yet beautiful landscape. Camping within the National Park is free and there are [...]
NSW Development Rally Series – Datto Wins!
Michael and Erin Valantine achieved first outright in the 2017 Techworkz Automotive New South Wales Development Rally Series – or DRS. The MV Solar team of Father and Daughter, started out on a high, with a win at the first of the six-round series in their 2WD Datsun Stanza. The Singleton Automotive Caves Classic rally was the opening round, and a win here was exactly the start to the season Valantine was looking for. Suffering from [...]
National Title starts at AMH Automotive Group Rally of the Bay
PHOTO: Roy Meuronen NSW based competitors who aspire for an Australian Rally Championship (ARC) award, can now register and score points towards the ARC4 award by competing at the Batemans Bay based, AMH Automotive Group Rally of the Bay event. Motorsport Australia has updated the Sporting and Technical Regulations for the RSEA Safety Motorsport Australia Rally Championship and the ARC4 award includes the Rally of the Bay. The ARC4 award is open to competitors who are [...]
Need a Rally Fix? Here Are the Events Left for 2025!
If you’re a rally tragic, you’re in luck... there’s still plenty of high-octane action left before the year wraps up. From iconic coastal stages and flat-out forestry sprints, to multi-day endurance marathons and grassroots club challenges, the rest of 2025 is packed with unmissable events. You can expect: Sweeping forest stages that demand precision and bravery. Fast, flowing gravel roads where commitment pays off. Technical mountain climbs that test both driver and machine. Coastal blasts [...]
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 [...]
After-Dark Shakedown Added to the 2026 Lazer Rally of the Bay
Competitors at the 2026 Lazer Rally of the Bay will have the opportunity to test their cars under both daylight and night-time conditions, with entries now open for the event’s official Friday Shakedown. The Shakedown will be held on Friday, 24th July, from 2:30 pm until 6:30 pm, ahead of the third round of the Shamrock Haulage NSW Rally Championship in Batemans Bay on Saturday. With the session continuing after sunset, the Lazer Rally of the [...]
Redhead Motorsport Shows Plenty of Heart Despite Cruel End at the 2026 Lazer Rally of the Bay
PHOTOS: Roy Meuronen Photography Sometimes a rally result tells only half the story. For Josh Redhead and Ray Winwood-Smith, the 2026 Lazer Rally of the Bay wasn't about where they finished. It was about dust, noise, opposite lock, plenty of laughs, and proving that even a 50-year-old Datsun Stanza can still put on a show. After contesting the previous round in their Mitsubishi Evolution V, Redhead Motorsport elected to leave the faster car at home [...]
Stanford Motorsport to contest Clubman Series at AMH Automotive Group Rally of the Bay
Stanford Motorsport are preparing their Datsun Stanza and getting ready for the Techworkz Automotive NSW Clubman Rally Series, which kicks off this weekend at the AMH Automotive Group Rally of the Bay. Driver Dennis Stanford from West Nowra will be joined by Sydney based Co-Driver, Tim Woods for the 2020 running of the Rally of the Bay and the team are hoping for a good result in their first event for the season. “We won the [...]
