Portsmouth brothers make stunning return to competitive motorsport

Ricky Stevens and Jonny Allum with their podium trophies at Snetterton

They lined up at a very windy Snetterton for round two of the Molson Group British F1 Sidecar championship.

Havant’s Ben Holland and team-mate Jed Pilmoor-Brady, who are Kawasaki colleagues of Stevens and Allum, also competed.

That was despite the duos having revealed three weeks earlier they would not be racing this year due to a major sponsor pulling out because of the pandemic.

Ben Holland and Jed Pilmoor-Brady in action at Snetterton

Both pairs missed the opening round at Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire, but Stevens and Allum returned to bag two podium positions – both third places - in Norfolk.

Up to this year Stevens had been competing with national title-winning partner Ryan Charlwood, while Allum assisted Tommy Philp to the Bemsee sidecar title in 2019.

In the first of two races at Snetterton, Stevens and Allum were fourth when the red flag came out after six laps as race leaders Todd Ellis and Charlie Richardson put their machine on its roof.

Holland and Pilmoor-Brady were 12th at the time.

Stevens and Allum - who run a motorcycle repair shop in Upper Swanmore - were third again the following day, jumping straight up to seventh in the championship despite missing the first two races.

Holland and Pilmoor-Brady were forced to retire with mechanical issues.

The next round is at Knockhill this weekend, with Holland having won three times at the Scottish track in 2016.

Stevens, twice a British champion, said: ‘I never expected to be competing again this year so I was over the moon to actually be in contention this weekend.

‘Two third places were totally unexpected, but to do it with my brother was brilliant.’