Western Australian teenager Lacey Sines is our Young Street Machine of the Year winner for 2026 with her hot-pink HJ Holden ute. Lacey scored $4200 in cash and prizes thanks to our awesome sponsors, Hare & Forbes Machineryhouse.

Lacey’s dad, Steve Sines, is a dead-set legend in the WA burnout scene, and her HJ was a father-daughter project that they debuted at Motorvation 39 early last year, when Lacey was just 14 years old.

While we’re sure Steve’s notoriety didn’t hurt when it came to Lacey getting the word out about the ute on the socials, we reckon her big win has far more to do with the fact that few things say ‘Aussie street machining’ like a tough Holden ute that’s as neat as a pin but built to do skids.

Congratulations on winning YSMOTY 2026, Lacey! Have you got your licence yet?

I’m on my L-plates, but I did get to drive the car around the track at Gazzanats Darwin.

You didn’t do any skids in it, though?

No, Dad was entered in the burnout competition. I did want to go a bit harder around the track, but Dad wouldn’t let me. I was mostly getting used to going through the gears and getting the feel of the car. I’ve driven around the Perth Motorplex a fair bit, but we’ll go to Collie soon and go on the burnout pad.

I guess it was inevitable that you’d end up doing burnouts – you’ve basically grown up with it.

Yep! Dad has photos of me at Summernats with my LeapFrog taking photos of the burnouts from the grandstand when I was really young.

When we featured the ute last year (SM, Sep ’25), it ran a 6.0-litre LS2, but it looks like that’s not the case now?

Dad is putting his KINGER HZ back on the road so we can cruise it again as a family, so the engine is going in that. He built a dry-sumped engine for the ute in time for Gazzanats, but now he wants to bump the compression up and is putting new pistons in, so it doesn’t have a motor at the moment.

Your mum and dad have known about your YSMOTY win for a week – did you have any inkling that you’d won? 

Absolutely none! They kept the secret really well!

So, what are you going to spend your prize money on?

I’m going to put it towards my first car.

Your first boring car, you mean?

Yeah, something to get around in. If I had my way, it would be a VS Commodore, but it’ll probably be something small and economical.

2026 Hare & Forbes Machineryhouse Young Street Machine of the Year winners:

• 1st Place: Lacey Sines – HJ Holden ute
• 2nd Place: Jake Matheson – Mazda RX-4
• 3rd Place: Anthony Crouch – XP Falcon ute