Sam Touzel aims to complete his 2025 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship drivers’ title-winning season in style by targeting a straight hat-trick of maximum points finishes on the final round of the series, this weekend’s Ynyscynon MOT Centre Tour of Epynt (27/28 September).
The Jerseyman has enjoyed a sensational season – taking home fifth-place points on the opening East Riding Stages, fourth-place points on the Manx National, second-place points on the Borders Competitions Jim Clark Rally, before scoring his career first maximum on the Dunoon Presents Argyll Rally.
Then, armed with a new Michelin-shod Smart Scaffolding/Trade Centre UK Fiesta Rally2, Sam not only scored maximum points on the R Kings Down Rally, but challenged the local drivers for overall victory.
His stunning year-long performance has clinched Sam the UK’s premier sealed-surface series title for the first time, plus, as top Ford finisher, a private test in a Puma Rally1 car at the M-Sport Evaluation Centre test track.
And with Jason Pritchard/Phil Clarke (North Road Garage/Guttercrest Toyota GR Yaris Rally2) unable to contest the event, Sam’s navigator Max Freeman will be confirmed as the 2025 Protyre Asphalt Rally co-drivers’ champion.
Brad Cole has wasted no time in getting up to speed in his Trick Motorsport-prepared and East Budleigh Garage-run Hydroline Solutions Fiesta Rally2, and having scored fourth-place points on the last two events he’ll be aiming for his first overall Protyre Asphalt podium. The Somerset driver finished third in the recent non-championship Mewla Rally on Epynt and will be reunited this time with co-driver Jamie Vaughan.
Damian Cole recently achieved another magnificent Epynt milestone by winning a record-breaking seventh Mewla Rally – his 26th outright victory on the ranges – and equalling the great John Price on 71 Epynt stage wins. Co-driven by Paul Spooner, the Abergavenny ace will be a frontrunner in his Get Connected Citroën C3 Rally2.
By contrast, last year’s Tour of Epynt was Roger Duckworth’s first time on the ranges. His decades of rallying experience elsewhere kept him out of trouble and helped him to a top 10 Protyre Asphalt points finish, and now he’s back for another go over the rollercoaster roads with co-driver Alun Cook in his Technia Fiesta R5.
John Stone’s not an Epynt expert either and hasn’t rallied there since coming home fifth overall on the 2022 Tour of Epynt. He’s put in some strong performances of late and will be after another big haul of points as he and co-driver Rhys Stoneman contest the event in their gorgeous Legend Performance Engineering Volkswagen Polo GTI R5.
