With two wins on the bounce, Andy Chilton (Scorpa) now takes over the lead in this very competitive class as the series approaches the halfway point. Despite a "crashing five" in the final section on lap two, the Saltburn by the Sea rider recovered well and only added eight single dabs over the other thirty-five sections. Showing that his first-round win was no fluke, Alexz Wigg (Vertigo) finished second, nine marks adrift, which will be enough to bring him back into the top seeded riders in round five next weekend. Current Champion and series leader going into the event, Ross Danby (TRRS) finished third and now sits two points behind Chilton in the championship table.
As in the other classes, it was the sections high up on the fells above the Bowston start area which caused most problems, although the Trial 2 riders had the "luxury" of riding the easier Expert route through zone nine. Chilton and Danby conquered the slippery rocks at number ten on two visits, with Sam Connor (Beta), Tom Minta (Scorpa) and Dec Bullock (Beta) recorded the only other zeros.
Riding the harder ACU Trial GB route on the final section which featured two very steep climbs over tree roots also accounted for wholesale loss of marks and it was Chilton who recorded the only clean on his first visit, which gave him a comfortable advantage at the end of lap one.
After a poor first lap by his standards, Connor recovered well to finish fourth, three marks ahead of Jack Dance (GasGas) who put together three consistent laps of 10-9-12. Tom Minta slotted into sixth with Richard Sadler (Vertigo) matching his previous round seventh position. Oliver Smith (TRRS) was eighth, just ahead of Chris Stay (TRRS), whilst Duncan MacColl (Beta) edged into the top ten for the first time this season.
Chilton and Danby now head to Scarborough with a clear lead of around twenty points when the battle resumes on Sunday week.