GATES SIDECAR CUP THRILLER HEADS TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Trent Headland and Jaxon Raynor have taken out the prestigious Outback Lawn Care 2026 Gates Sidecar Cup, delivering a calculated and commanding performance at Mildura’s Olympic Park Speedway on Sunday night.
The South Australian pairing finished ahead of fellow former Australian champions Justin Plaisted / Brian Anthony, local favourites Byren Gates / Damian Egan, and Queensland’s Tyler Moon / Adam Lovell in a high-quality field of sixteen teams.
A strong crowd witnessed an outstanding night of racing, with twenty action-packed heats and two finals keeping fans entertained throughout the evening. Despite the extreme heat conditions, the slickly run program maintained momentum and excitement, as teams battled for vital pre-Australian Title track time.
With competitors remaining safe, the event concluded ahead of schedule — though the intensity only built as the night progressed, culminating in a spectacular four-team Gates Cup Final that proved to be the race of the night.
Headland / Raynor completed the heats with a perfect score, while Plaisted / Anthony finished just one point behind, their only defeat coming against Headland in heat four. Tyler Moon / Adam Lovell qualified third with twelve points, pushing locals Gates / Egan (eleven points) into the B Final.
Three teams were locked on nine points and required a countback to determine gate selection. Broken Hill’s Max Howse / Riley Commons earned second choice ahead of New Zealand visitors Taylor Green / Callum Innes, with Zac Campbell / Jason Williams close behind.
Determined to make their mark, Gates and new passenger Damian Egan dominated the B Final from the outset, securing a convincing win and booking their place in the main event. Howse / Commons finished second, ahead of Green / Innes, while Campbell / Williams rounded out the field.
Anticipation was high as the Gates Cup Final loomed, with strategic thinking playing a key role even before the tapes rose. With first choice, Headland elected to start from gate two, believing it offered the best launch opportunity — a bold decision that left the traditionally favoured inside gate one vacant. Plaisted selected gate three, often dubbed the “graveyard,” while Moon chose gate four. Interestingly, all gate selections had been made prior to the B Final, where Gates had demonstrated the effectiveness of gate one.
When the final got underway, Headland / Raynor exploded from the blue gate, charging through turns one and two to claim the lead down the back straight. Plaisted / Anthony settled into second as Gates / Egan and Moon / Lovell battled fiercely behind them.
Headland controlled the race at the front, fully aware that even the smallest mistake could prove costly with another Australian champion in pursuit. Mid-race, Gates applied relentless pressure to Moon before breaking free and setting his sights on Plaisted. The crowd sensed something special as Gates / Egan closed rapidly, particularly through turns three and four.
While Headland / Raynor were clear winners, the fight for second went right to the wire. Gates launched a final challenge off turn four on the last lap and appeared visibly quicker. The finish was too close to call, but transponder timing confirmed Plaisted / Anthony had edged Gates / Egan by just eight one-thousandths of a second, with Moon / Lovell also closing fast.
A strong Classic Sidecar field supported the event, producing excellent close racing and reinforcing their importance to the Olympic Park sidecar program. The Classics will continue to feature prominently in future meetings.
Next up is the Mildura Sidecar Shootout on 28 February, featuring the Dudley Bradshaw Memorial Trophy. The season will conclude with the 2026 Australian Sidecar Championship, held over the Anzac Day weekend, with qualifying on Friday 24 April and the title decided on Saturday night, 25 April.
