Byren Gates and Damian Egan take the Bowes Family Sidecar Cup
Gillman Media 10 February 2026
As predicted the sixth annual Bowes Family Sidecar Cup saw a sixth different winner at Gillman Speedway on Saturday night (7 February), when veteran Mildura rider Byren Gates, and local passenger Damian Egan (celebrating his 30th birthday) led all the way in the final.
The meeting was run over 12 heats, two semi-finals and a final, with the highest two point scorers going straight into the final and the next eight into the semis, with only the winners going into the final.
Gates/Egan, who were one of the pre-meeting favourites, along with Shane Hudson/Jack Spear, were the top scorers with 11 points, and the other direct qualifiers were Josh Pascoe/Dale Knights who, despite running in a new engine, were the second highest scorers with 10 points.
The semi-final winners were Tom Adams/Seth Pascoe and Brian Silvy/Glen Zaworski. Adams won the first semi-final, leading all the way from Shane Rudloff/Jake Doyle, Aaron Silvy/Kane Golding and Darryll Woods/Brady Jarvis, while Brian Silvy had a tougher race in the second semi, passing first Byron Mordaunt/Scott Cameron, and then Kym Menadue/Shane Dolan to come through from third place to take the win. Scott Morris/Jye Siddall were fourth.
Hudson/Spear qualified for the first semi-final but were non-starters due to a damaged bike from an earlier incident. As in the Jim Irwin Cup at the previous meeting Hudson/Spear were amongst the front-runners in the early heats, equal highest scorers with Gates/Egan after winning their first two rides, but their night ended in their third ride after an aggressive race between them and Mordaunt/Cameron. The race, heat 8, was initially restarted after they collided in turn one. In the restart Mordaunt got under Hudson in turn two, Hudson then got under Mordaunt in turn three, and then Mordaunt got back under Hudson at the end the lap to lead going onto lap two. Going into turn three on the second lap, Hudson tried to get back under Mordaunt when there wasn’t really room – Mordaunt was riding with his front wheel on the white line. Mordaunt refused to move off his line and got pushed sideways and in turn four Hudson got caught up with Mordaunt’s bike and rolled. Gates was alongside them when it happened and had to spin off the track. It was obvious Hudson would be excluded but the referee also excluded Mordaunt.
In the final, Pascoe/Knights won the start but were too slow into turn one and Gates/Egan went under them and Adams/Pascoe around them. Gates and Adams were side by side into turn two, and for a moment it looked as if the defending Cup holder, Adams, who had earlier inflicted Gates’ only loss in the heats, was going to take the lead but he had to take a high line and Pascoe got under him down the back straight and into turn three. Adams then went wide in turn four which also allowed Silvy under him. He looked to have some bike trouble and he retired on the next lap with what was explained as a loose kill switch connection. A disappointing end for him but nevertheless a good showing in what was his first appearance of the season after making the trip over from Tasmania where he now lives and works as a paramedic. With Adams/Pascoe out, Gates/Egan were unchallenged for the rest if the race but Pascoe/Knights and Silvy/Zaworski had an exciting tussle for second place, exchanging places several times before Pascoe/Knights were a clear second on the last lap only to go far too wide in the last turn, and Silvy/Zaworski got under them on the run to the line to take second by half a bike length, or 0.064 seconds by the transponder times.
The main support class was the Flat Track Solo handicap races, with the crowd showing much more interest than usual, wondering if it would be the backmarker Harry Sadler, from 60 metres, or second backmarker Tayla Street, 30 metres, who would come out on top and it was Tayla Street. Sadler caught her on the last corner in the first heat, then Street won the next three, before Sadler came forward to 50 metres for the final heat, which Street won by 0.134 seconds. Newcomer John Blenkin took third place in all five heats after some close racing with fellow frontmakers Greg Laanekorb, Con Twist, and Matt Paterson.
In other classes, Kobi Canning had the better of Ruby Chapman in each of the Under 16 250cc Solo races; Lee Banks/Adam Lange (Sidecar) and Darryl Christopher (Solo) were the best in the Classic demonstrations; and Riley Stout won the Under 16 125cc Solo class, with an unbeaten 12 points, ahead of Chase Maul-Dunn (10) and Cooper Karpinski (8).