09/10/2026
CORBETT CLAIMS FIRST WIN OF THE SEASON
The 2026/27 NSW V8 Dirt Modified season roared into life last Saturday night at the Hessions Auto Parts Grafton Speedway with the opening round delivering plenty of close racing and an exciting start to the new campaign.
While competitor numbers were down, the seven drivers who rolled through the gates put on a great show for the crowd, with a diverse field featuring two Open Engine competitors, two CT525 competitors and three Sportsman Engine competitors. The night also marked a special milestone, with Jordan Parsons making his debut in the N47 Sportsman V8 Dirt Modified.
The action got underway with hot laps, and it was N48 Chris Corbett who wasted no time showing his intentions for the season, setting quick time with a lap of 14.898 seconds.
As the heat races rolled around, the competition began to heat up. Heat 1 saw Noah Douglas and Taylah Firth lead the field away from the front row, with Firth making an early move to the lead. However, Corbett was on a mission, working his way to the front to claim the opening heat race victory.
Heat 2 saw Joshua Rose and Brock Gardiner share the front row for the eight lap encounter. Rose proved to be controlling the race from the drop of the green flag through to the chequered flag to secure the win and build momentum heading into the feature.
With the heat races complete, it was time for the 15 lap feature, and the stage was set for an entertaining battle at the front of the field.
Chris Corbett and Joshua Rose, both piloting Open Engine machines, led the field to green and immediately set to battle it out for the top spot. The pair showed impressive speed throughout the race, keeping the pressure on as they fought for the ultimate prize.
Further back, CT525 competitors Taylah Firth and Brock Gardiner were locked in their own battle, putting on a great display of close racing as they fought for position. Meanwhile, the Sportsman competitors Brenton Bennie and debutant Jordan Parsons were also keeping the crowd entertained, running side by side through the non stop green to chequered encounter. But out front, Corbett proved too strong, after 15 laps of racing, it was N48 Chris Corbett who crossed the line first to claim his first feature race victory of the 2026/27 season.
Rose followed home in second position, while Firth secured the final spot on the podium in third. Bennie led the way among the Sportsman competitors, taking home the Sportsman honours with a fifth place finish overall.
OFFICIAL FEATURE RESULTS
1st – N48 Chris Corbett
2nd – N52 Joshua Rose
3rd – N15 Taylah Firth
4th – N12 Brock Gardiner
5th – N22 Brenton Bennie
6th – N47 Jordan Parsons
DNS – N72 Noah Douglas
Congratulations to Chris Corbett on a fantastic start to the season and a well earned feature race victory.
The NSW V8 Dirt Modified Club would like to extend a huge thank you to all the drivers and teams, officials, volunteers and the entire promotional team at Grafton Speedway for their efforts in a great race night!
UP NEXT: The NSW V8 Dirt Modifieds head to the Western Sydney Speedway on Saturday, October 24.
Photo: B77 Media
