Portsmouth's Jonny Allum set for Molson Group British Sidecar Championship wildcard debut alongside Tommy Philp at Thruxton

Portsmouth’s Allum, 32, has partnered the former British Supersport Championship rider to 17 wins from 18 races in the Bemsee F1 Sidecar Championship this term.

That stellar form – in 24-year-old Philp’s debut season – has prompted British Superbike race director Stuart Higgs to hand them four wildcards for the British Sidecar Championship.

And those outings begin this weekend at Thruxton.

Philp and Allum will take to the north Hampshire track for three races in their Brian Gray Powerbiking Race Team LCR 600 Yamaha.

They will be joined on the grid by team boss Brian Gray and Portsmouth passenger Jason Pitt, who currently sit seventh in the championship.

The duo are in no doubt of the mammoth task they face as they go up against some of the best sidecar crews in the country – and in some cases the world.

But they will be happy if they can make the top 10 in this meeting on the fastest circuit in the series.

Their lap times in round six at Snetterton would have seen them place eighth among their British Sidecar Championship rivals. 

Philp and Allum’s fine performances in the Bemsee F1 Sidecar Championship has put them in pole position for the title.

In the only round they were defeated, the pair were in front when an unscheduled pitstop to put the brakes on their progress.

They rejoined and clocked the fastest lap but could only make their way back up to fourth spot.

Thruxton practice and qualifying starts on Friday with further qualifying and races on Saturday and Sunday.