In the absence of Toby Martyn who is still not fully fit to compete, Jack Peace (Sherco) took a major step forward to claiming the Trial GB title when he won round four which was held at the Inch Perfect Trials Centre in Lancashire on Sunday. In one of the closest fought contests in recent years, the lead changed three times during the thirty-six section course.
After the initial opening lap of twelve sections, Billy Green (Scorpa pictured) held a slender one-mark advantage over Peace and Harry Hemingway (Beta). However, the eldest Hemingway brother then posted the best lap of the day with just eleven marks on his second tour to edge into a single point lead from Green and two ahead of the eventual winner as they sped off into the wooded area with less than forty-five minutes to complete the final lap.
By his own admission, Green slipped off the pace- in Observation terms - on the final lap when he incurred four failures, two of which were in sections three and eight which he had cleaned on previous visits.
Hemingway arrived at the final section in the Trials Park with a two mark advantage, but failed on the three huge steps which defeated most, but handling the pressure well. Peace took his time and managed one of only two cleans to take the victory and head back to Yorkshire with a nineteen point series advantage from Hemingway who moves up to second, aided by taking the best lap bonus point on the day.
Jack Dance (GasGas) put in some stunning rides during the day and lowered his score on each of the three laps around the twelve section course which consisted of ultra steep climbs, dry rocks and stream beds. Harry Turner (Scorpa) completed the top five at the end of a tough day.
With the series now at the midway point, George Hemingway (Beta) took the best 125cc award and stood on the top step of the podium when he scored the narrowest of wins in the tough Trial 2 class . After thirty six gruelling sections, he tied on marks with first round winner Gael Chatagno (Electric Motion), but got the nod with one extra clean compared to the French visitor. After taking the lead early on lap one Hemingway was never headed, but Chatagno was never more than four marks adrift and two time penalties also went against the Electric Motion rider.
Despite six time penalties, Andy Chilton (Scorpa) used all his experience and skill to take third place in only his second appearance in the series to date this year. Again scoring good points with a fourth place finish, James Fry (Sherco) remains second in the class ahead of the Devon round in three weeks’ time.
Alfie Lampkin (Vertigo) with Assistant Dougie working as hard as his son, scored his best result of the season to take fifth, aided by less fiasco's than the rivals around him. Jamie Galloway (TRRS) slotted into sixth with a second lap score which matched the winner, whilst good timekeeping rewarded Oliver Smith (TRRS) with seventh ahead of Sam Connor (Beta) with four-time marks in eighth.
Separated by a single mark, Hugo Jervis (Beta) and Alexz Wigg (Vertigo) completed the top ten.
By grabbing victory from the jaws of defeat, Bradley Bullock (Beta) now shares the lead - and the leaders red plate - with Dan Thorpe (GasGas) with a stunning final lap in the Trial Expert class. Going into the final third of the competition, Bullock trailed Thorpe by nine marks, but whilst his arch rival Thorpe struggled to find grip on the unforgiving sections on lap three, Bullock parted with just nine marks to secure victory and the important best lap bonus point.
Corey Dubik (Vertigo) was delighted to make his first ever visit to the podium in third after edging a tie break by three more cleans than Charlie Smith (Vertigo).
With four rounds remaining, Bullock and Thorpe both have seventy-six championship points and barring disaster one of these two will be crowned champion in October as they find themselves thirty three points ahead of third. With Smith in fourth,
Emma Bristow (Sherco) was forced to rush the last lap after sharing the lead after two tours of the twelve sections and was disappointed to drop to fifth, not helped by six-time penalties.
One more clean ride than his closest rivals gave Brett Harbud (Beta) a brilliant sixth place following his Japanese Minding duties, whilst being the only rider in the top ten in the class to escape time penalties aided Sam Beecroft-Penny (TRRS) into seventh ahead of Tom Swindlehurst who lost six on the clock. Oliver Sharp (GasGas) who made the podium at round three slotted into ninth, just one mark ahead of Joe Collins (Beta) who completed the top ten.
The format of four hard, four medium and four easier sections seemed to work. A dry riverbed at sections three took marks wholesale as did the steep virgin hillside at numbers five and six, whilst an old fashion straight section seven offered no grip. Surprisingly, section eleven, another rock-strewn stream devoid of water, which has been used at regional level also took marks with no cleans being recorded.
Never separated by more than a single mark throughout the day, Harrison Skelton (Scorpa) kept the pressure on his arch rival Harry Blackwell (Beta) in the Trial 125 class. So tight was the competition that originally a tie break was required to separate the two teenagers, but it was later found that a computer glitch failed to add four-time penalties to Blackwell's score, so he had to settle for second, but still heads the championship by four points. Initially sharing the lead after the first of three laps, Daniel Da Breo (GasGas) stayed in contention for the whole event and finished just five marks adrift in third.
Chris Pearson (Electric Motion) dominated the Trial Electric class with similarly mounted Will Brockbank in second.
Full results are available on the official website www.acutrialgb.co.uk