Queensland duo Tyler Moon and Adam Lovell are the 2026 Australian Speedway Sidecar champions after an epic performance at Olympic Park Speedway in Mildura on Anzac Day.

The pair’s maiden Australian championship came after a slick move underneath Justin Plaisted/Brian Anthony on lap three of the final, as two nights of spectacular sidecar action reached a thrilling crescendo.

Victory for Moon carried plenty of emotion, too, coming 35 years after his late father Gary Moon won the speedway sidecar title in Newcastle.

Plaisted/Anthony, who had produced a blemish-free scorecard in the heats, held on for second ahead of Mark Plaisted/Ben Pitt, while FIM Oceania champions Trent Headland/Jaxon Rayner were excluded after hitting a rut early and crossing into the infield.

Mildura also hosted the return of the Australian Junior Speedway Sidecar Championship for the first time since 2022, won by siblings Bailey and Sienna Carpenter.

Related: Australian speedway roll of honour

Moon and Lovell make their decisive move on Plaisted and Anthony

Mildura produced high-quality action across both nights, with seven teams progressing from qualifying on Friday to join the nine seeded teams in the Saturday championship decider backed by the RCA Civil Group.

After 20 hard-fought heats in front of a huge crowd on Saturday – with hundreds more glued to the livestream coverage – Plaisted/Anthony (15pts), Moon/Lovell (13pts) and Headland/Rayner (13pts) progressed straight to the final, while defending champions Plaisted/Pitt claimed the last spot after winning the B-final from young chargers Nate Headland/Harry Hearne, Brodie Cohen/Jesse Headland and local stars Byren Gates/Damian Egan.

After their blistering form in the heats, Plaisted/Anthony selected gate two for the final, sandwiched between Headland/Rayner (gate one) and Moon/Lovell (gate three). Plaisted/Pitt started from gate four.

Plaisted/Anthony controlled the final from the outset before Moon/Lovell eventually locked onto their tail and made their winning move on lap three, improving two positions from their 2025 finish.

In the Australian Junior Speedway Sidecar Championship, held on April 24, the Carpenters – Bailey and Sienna – were crowned ahead of Jessie Johnstone/Imogen Williams and Hayden Pascoe/Jett Plaisted in the seven-team field.

Australian junior speedway champions Bailey Carpenter and Sienna Carpenter

Images: Judy Mackay