Trico onto top spot as inaugural GT4 South European Series gets underway

Trico enjoyed a winning start to its GT4 South European campaign, as the inaugural series got underway at the Nogaro circuit, with the Tockwith Motorsports (TMS) pairing of Marmaduke Hall and Eddy Moore securing class victory in race two.

At the beginning of the weekend and a new race series, optimism of a great result was high, especially after qualifying for race one on pole position (GTC class) and fifth-place overall. The performance was particularly impressive, as the Trico-sponsored Ginetta G50 beat three Pro-Am cars.

Bad luck, however, threatened to spoil the weekend after car damage forced the team to retire it in the first race.

Nevertheless, the car had shown consistent pace throughout qualifying and practice, so there was an opportunity for Hall, 17, and Eddy, 18, to bounce back in race two – and they didn’t disappoint, guiding the car to the chequered flag and earning top spot on the podium.

After the race, Hall was buoyed with the performance of the car and inspired by the atmosphere around the circuit:

“We endured a couple of issues over the weekend, but the car was quick, so I am delighted to come away with a trophy. Eddy and I had two practice sessions on Friday and obviously enjoyed a great qualifying session on Saturday, where we found a lot of time.

“In the first race, I had a good start and made progress up through the field. We share the grid with the FFSA GT4 Championship, so the track was quite congested, and, unfortunately, we sustained some damage and had to retire the car.

“In race two, it was just a question of bringing the car home, to protect the engine following the drama of race one. Overall, though, it was a fantastic weekend; the championship is exciting and to race with the talented drivers on the grid was a privilege – bring on round two!”

Moore said: “Nogaro was my first race in Europe. The weekend was professionally run by the FFSA/Race Ready, while the circuit was technical but good to drive. It was great to have such a varied grid of cars.

“As Marmaduke said, we had a couple of issues over the weekend, but, all in all, we had a good result. Having a first-place in class and coming away with a trophy on our first event was great.”

He added: “Special thanks go to all of our sponsors; without them, none of this would be possible!”

Trico’s senior product and brand manager, Sam Robinson, added: “We have enjoyed success with TMS, and having tasted that winning feeling in the UK with the Britcar Dunlop Endurance Championship, we felt ready to conquer the continent. This is an opportunity to showcase our brand, as an original equipment manufacturer and supplier of wiper blades and systems, on race circuits throughout Europe, which will help strengthen our pan-European awareness.

“We are delighted that the Trico car made it onto the podium and look forward to seeing the pair of Marmaduke and Eddy lift further trophies as the season progresses.”

Next up for Trico and TMS is a trip to Jarama, Spain (15-16 June), before visits to Vila Real, Barcelona, Algarve and Estoril.