The gate is spring loaded.
As I am going to be racing the car, I felt that something other than the stock shifter was absolutely necessary. The side-throw was way too little for me, and I was afraid of missing a shift. Couple that with the lack of positive engagement/feel, no self-centering, etc. and it wasn't hard for me to make the decision to do something else.
The racing shop working on my car did the actual cable install but from what I recall of our discussion, it was fairly straightforward. You probably need to source the connecting clevis(es) or fabricate your own.