OLYMPIC PARK SPEEDWAY: MOON AND LOVELL WIN THE MONSON TROPHY
by Brendon Gledhill
All photos by: Judy Mackay… Tyler Moon and Adam Lovell.
An assault from Townsville, Queensland was required to lift the Mildura Truck Centre, 2026 Victorian Sidecar Championship and a win the third Warren Monson Memorial Trophy for the popular, Tyler Moon and Adam Lovell, after they won every aspect of a tough night of racing at Mildura’s Olympic Park Speedway, Saturday night, March 14.
The sensational, Moon and Lovell, showed their speed early when they won the regular, pre-meeting Exposed Signage & Apparel, “Dash for Cash,” conducted amongst the full field of competitors to contest the Victorian Championship, ahead of the start of the title meeting. During the whole event, they continued scoring good points against top company, scoring ten points for the first four heat rides until in heat 19, they “touched the tapes” prior to the start and were correctly excluded from the heat. This was disaster for the Townsville team as it meant that ten points would not get them an automatic start into the title event.
Moon and Lovell qualified second in the “B” Final behind Kiwi visitors Taylor Green / Callum Innes, but had to contend also with fellow FNQ riders, Brodie Cohen / Jesse Headland and former multi Australian champion, Justin Plaisted / Brian Anthony, with the winner only progressing to the State Title event.
A quality field of twelve teams from around all states had been selected with the last four qualifying teams being appointed after a pre-event and cut-throat “One Lap Dash” decided the remaining places in the sixteen team event. The tough qualification for the title event was deemed necessary as there had been a excess of nominations, without time to determine actual qualification in a structured way, so the hard and fast rule needed to be applied.
The meeting got underway with the often seen nervousness which applies to major events and mechanical and judgmental issues seemed to arise, so by the time two rounds of the Title had been run, there were three teams already out of the running. However the display which would eventuate would be one to excite.
The eventual winners, Moon / Lovell, started the meeting in great style when they accounted for four times National Champions, Mark Plaisted / Ben Pitt in heat one. Headland / Raynor clearly took heat two while the visiting Kiwis, Taylor Green / Callum Innes, being the only finishers, won an incident packed heat three. Plaisted / Anthony spun out whilst trying to pass the other FNQ team of Cohen / Headland causing the race to be stopped. The next start, minus the team which had been excluded, only lasted two laps until Cohen lost his passenger going into turn two, so the heat had to be stopped again. The third start with only two teams engaged, then saw the Adelaide pair of Byron Mordaunt / Scott Cameron excluded for an infield excursion, which left the Kiwis to complete the journey for an easy three points with their opening ride. Heat four was great for the locals as Byren Gates / Damian Egan outplayed Hudson / Spear to win heat four quite comfortably and be in equal lead with three other teams.
Heat five was eventful once again which suited the New Zealand team as two teams of reserves were already engaged and Adelaide’s Menadue / Dolan had mechanical problems causing them to retire from the event giving the NZ pair an unbeaten score with two heats done.
Plaisted / Pitt got on with a good win in heat six whilst Gates / Egan won again in heat seven, relegating Moon / Lovell, making them unbeaten after two heats. Headland / Raynor added to the unbeaten list with a win over Cohen / Headland and Hudson / Spear. Round two, like the opening round, had been eventful with a lasting impact on some riders’ Title chances.
Hudson / Spear got a win in heat nine, as did Cohen / Headland with a huge win over local hero Gates / Egan and Plaisted / Pitt, who dropped two points off their scoreline in the next.
Tyler Moon / Adam Lovell got back on terms with a good win over Headland / Raynor and Green / Innes in heat eleven and Max Howes / Riley Commons scored over Plaisted / Anthony to bring a much more settled round three to a close.
Round four was eventful as Cohen / Headland won again and Plaisted / Pitt accounted for Headland / Raynor in heat fourteen, but the best was yet to come. Justin Plaisted / Brian Anthony dominated the heat, leading from the start, while Hudson / Spear had got away well riding ahead of Moon / Lovell until Moon realised that he could get around the SA rider and made a brilliant outside pass over about half a lap against the usually aggressive Hudson who did not venture outwards. The large crowd in attendance had just witnessed one of the best actions to be seen in Sidecar speedway . . . . a clean outside pass. The whole crowd and meeting officials warmly applauded the FNQ team’s great action, which was “One for the ages”. Gates / Egan completed the round with a win over the NZ team taking them to eleven points from their four heat rides.
Plaisted / Anthony led Headland / Raynor while Gates / Egan retired from the race, leaving them on eleven points but still with hope of an “A” Final finish as they had recorded three heat wins. Plaisted / Pitt won against the Green / Innes, NZ team and kept Hudson / Spear with a night that they would rather forget.
Drama struck in heat nineteen as Moon / Lovell, who had the advantage of their first start from gate one, blew all their chances with an unexpected tape touch. It appeared that Cohen / Headland, in gate two, had edged the clutch, which caused Moon to let go, but he touched the tapes. The Referee showed the Red light and rightly excluded the Queenslander, who pleaded his case to no avail, then left the arena still with work to do should he do well in the “B” final. Mordaunt / Cameron took a heat win to more than double their previous score to complete their rides.
The “B” final was set to be a great challenge as all participants had a sad story to tell as to why they were featuring in the minor final. Gates / Egan had claimed the third spot in the “A” final on a countback from the Green / Innes team, who were first into the “B” final. Their gate one choice was expected as was the gate two pick from Moon / Lovell. Cohen / Headland selected gate three and the fortunate Plaisted / Anthony, were left with gate four after they had relegated Darren Howse / Lance King to eighth place after being so placed on countback to the former Australian Champion.
Moon / Lovell got away well as did the other Australian riders, leaving the NZ pair in their wake. Moon made the most of his opportunity as Cohen / Headland and Plaisted / Anthony raced hard against each other, which allowed Moon to get further ahead without any interference. Moon / Lovell were delighted with their win as it was a great recovery, especially considering the opposition which had lined up for the minor final.
The “A” final to decide who would get their name on the Warren Monson Memorial Trophy saw Plaisted / Pitt select the favoured Gate one with Headland / Raynor in gate two. The local star, Gates / Egan had picked gate three which left gate four to the “B” final winner, Moon / Lovell. Times were tough from the start which saw Gates / Egan slide inside the infield line and take an exclusion right from turn one, but it had been Moon / Lovell from the outside who capitalised in a good drive from the line. Moon carried wonderful corner speed to drive around both Plaisted and Headland and the FNQ team drove strongly down the back straight in front of the other three teams.
By half race distance the race was settled with Moon, Plaisted and Headland until Headland dropped off having been disadvantaged by Gates, leaving the top two teams to continue to the finish. An elated Tyler Moon / Adam Lovell realised that they had won the Victorian Title after the most difficult of circumstances and understood that they would have their names join both Treloar / Cox and Plaisted / Pitt, as the third team to be so honoured, by winning the Warren Monson Memorial Trophy and have the Trophy presented by Trevor Monson, Warren’s father and Marg Tegart, both members of the Full Noize Race Team.
Moon / Lovell had had a most indifferent night being required to win both the “B” and “A” Finals to take the Monson Trophy, a most unusual but powerful circumstance.
The unique Trophy was initiated by Mildura Motor Cycle Club in perpetuity to celebrate the life of the late Warren “Wazza” Monson, a nine times Victorian Sidecar Champion who passed in April 2023. Warren’s legacy to the sport is substantial and his memory has been honoured by the Mildura Club who is custodian of the perpetual Trophy, but who present the Victorian Sidecar Title trophies each year.
Next event at Mildura’s Olympic Park speedway will be the conduct of the 2026 Mildura Sidecar Spectacular to be held on Easter Sunday night, 5th April, which will be part of the Easter Power Sports Promotion. The Club does not have an operational Arena Motorcross facility which is currently under lights, so the Club will conduct the Sidecar Spectacular as part of the Mildura Easter Power sports weekend.
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