MELLOR Brook racer John Holden continued his golden summer to increase his lead at the summit of the Formula Two British Sidecar Championships.

Holden and passenger Andy Winkle were in tip-top form again, just a fortnight after swooping to collect a couple of fourth place finishes at the Isle of Man TT.

With two, 12 lap races over the 1.9 mile Donington Park Grand Prix circuit, Holden and Winkle were banking on another successful weekend on their 600cc Suzuki powered machine.

But with 19 outfits competing, the pair did not have it all their own way, qualifying in third for the two races.

However, they switched up another gear from race one and from the start they stamped their authority on the field leading from the first bend.

Averaging 92mph on the famous Leicestershire track they finished five seconds ahead of Bradford’s Conrad Harrison and Lee Patterson.

Sunday’s race was held in wet and testing conditions and it proved tough going for the racers.

Again, Holden and Winkle enjoyed a great battle with the eventual winners, Harrison and Patterson, swopping the lead on several occasions, before finishing three seconds behind them.

“The track was very greasy in Sunday’s race, and we were losing lots of grip in the final laps,” said Holden.

“But we picked up more precious points and that’s another big boost and keeps the pot boiling.”

It has proved a tremendous start to the campaign for Holden, who has already raced into the sidecar record books this year.

He is now the driver with the most wins in the British Formula 2 600cc championship – his long time passenger already holding this record for a passenger.

The next round is in Anglesey in July.