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.
COMEUP Xtreme Winch Challenge Series Round 2 – 2016
The second round of the 2016 Comeup Xtreme Winch Challenge series was held on the last weekend of June in what turned out to be a very muddy and cold three-day event. The winching competition was held at Mt Borah, 18km north west of the small township of Manilla in central New South Wales. With temperatures lucky to reach double digits and snow falling in the surrounding localities, seven teams lined up to start the [...]
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. [...]
Roads of the Victorian High Country
The Victorian High Country has plenty to offer the adventurous types. Spectacular views, fantastic camping opportunities and for the 4WD enthusiast, some of the best and in many cases challenging roads in Australia. In the video below, we're going to show you some of the roads we used on a recent trip up into the Alps, and to start off the journey, we need to cross the mighty Murray River from NSW into Victoria. The [...]
The Oodnadatta Track South Australia
The Oodnadatta Track follows the route of the old Ghan Railway line and runs from the North of the Flinders Ranges starting in the town of Maree through to the small town of Marla on the Stuart Highway in South Australia. Typically most tourists travel from the south eastern states through to the Northern Territory on the bitumen roads, but the alternative is to use this gravel track and skirt around the bottom of Lake [...]
Alpine Rally Partners with Breakthrough Ride
Media Release: By Event Media The organising Committee of the Alpine Rally of East Gippsland is delighted to announce that we are partnering in 2019 with The Breakthrough Ride to help raise awareness of PTSD in our emergency services personnel. “We have worked closely with all the Emergency Services in East Gippsland and have a number of long standing and valued relationships with many of the members of those services. This is a great way that our event can [...]
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 [...]
NSW 2WD Championship Leaders Ready for Narooma Challenge
N SW two-wheel-drive championship leaders James O'Malley and co-driver Jono Forrest are preparing to take on some of Australia's best rally competitors when they contest this weekend's Toyota Gazoo Racing Narooma Forest Rally. The Tumut Toyota-backed crew head into Round 2 of the Shamrock Haulage NSW Rally Championship full of confidence after an impressive performance at the season-opening Bathurst Rally, where they finished sixth outright and claimed the honours as the event's leading two-wheel-drive crew. While [...]
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 [...]
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, [...]
