JERSEY’S Sam Touzel can now call himself Britain’s fastest man on asphalt, as he’s won the 2025 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship in style.
Taking dropped scores into account, the Islander’s 114-point haul gives him an unassailable lead at the top of the table.
Second-placed Jason Pritchard could only equal Touzel’s point tally by winning the final stage at the Tour of Epynt, but the Jerseyman would win on a tie-break.
Along with the national honours, Touzel, as the top-placed Ford finisher, has secured a private test drive of the Ford Puma Rally 1 at the M-Sport Evaluation Centre Test Track, which is the biggest prize in national rallying after an exceptional season in his Smart Scaffolding/Germbusters/The Trade Centre UK-supported Ford Fiesta Rally2.
“This season has been absolutely phenomenal, it’s as if all the pieces have fallen into place and this has been a year and a half in the making,” said Touzel.
“I am absolutely ecstatic to be a part of this. Honestly, I have to pinch myself sometimes at the start line as it really is a dream come true, it’s all I dreamt about as a kid.”
Although this may be a dream ending, 2025’s season has been anything but smooth sailing, as Touzel described his season so far.
First up was Yorkshire’s East Riding Stages, which kicked off the UK Asphalt Rally Championship calendar. He came away with a strong fifth-place finish, but Touzel described the race as “very up and down”, with Yorkshire’s road conditions making it feel “like glass”.
Then it was the Manx Rally, where he set the fastest time on the opening stage to start strong, looking set to place second. However, a late puncture derailed his efforts, dropping the Caesarean to fourth.
His luck seemed to turn around during the Borders Competitions Jim Clark Rally, but then tragedy struck, as the death of a close friend on the course saw the race scrapped.
Such a loss left the Islander with an obstacle to overcome, “searching for the energy and enjoyment” to come back.
Touzel showed great resilience and fight to return to the circuit, and bounced back in style, driving superbly to achieve his maiden rally title, winning 13 of 16 stages to come out of the Dunoon Presents Argyll Rally on top and champion the race.
That quality carried over into his last outing at Northern Ireland’s Down Rally, setting the fastest time on the penultimate stage to finish a close third overall, to two former Irish rally champions, and take home back-to-back Protyre Asphalt maximum points to rank first in the Protyre Asphalt category.
This momentous triumph marks a remarkable rise up the sport for the local driver, as he only began competing seven years ago, with his first event being 2018’s Guernsey Rally.
To achieve this monumental accomplishment, in such a short span of competing at this extraordinarily high level, is due to a lot more than talent, as Touzel has shown incredible commitment to improve, saying: “Rallying isn’t a five-minute job, you are always looking to get better. There have been spans of time where I’ve been on the simulator for five hours, four nights a week.”
In motorsport, it takes more than one person to make it, as Touzel made no hesitation to show his thanks to the many who’ve helped him along the way.
“I am so grateful to everyone who’s supported me on this journey. Without them I wouldn’t be where I am today,” said Touzel.
“My wife has always been there to support me, my mum has always encouraged me as well. Max Freeman, my co-driver, has been fantastic, the whole team at PB engineering who’ve worked tirelessly all season, there’s just so many people to thank.
“My coach, Matt Edwards, who’s a three-time British rally champion himself, has been a massive help in preparing me for this level.”
“I’d also like to thank my sponsors, as this sport really isn’t a cheap one, so financial support has been a huge contribution to this success. Without it, I wouldn’t have been able to attend anywhere near as many events.”
Even though the driver’s championship is secured, Touzel’s co-driver Freeman still has his claim to the title at stake, with Pritchard’s partner Phil Clarke, meaning that Touzel isn’t going to be resting on his laurels any time soon, saying that he’ll be “giving his all” in the Championship’s final stage, the Tour of Epynt.
As a Jerseyman, Touzel is always “flying the Jersey flag”, as he takes his representation of the Island very seriously.
“I truly believe that I can make it to the top of this sport, doing it for Jersey, as the Island has given me so much,” Touzel continued.
“This will boost the local motorsport scene, as many of the drivers are now interested in competing at the Jersey rally. Jersey’s rally is actually one of the toughest events, due to the roads being so narrow, and it really puts the Island on the map.”
There’s no sign of complacency for Touzel and his team, as he has his sights set on the pinnacle of the sport: “Looking at what has been achieved already, I really feel as if we’re just scratching at the surface, and that there’s plenty of greatness to come.
“I truly believe I have what it takes to make it at this level, I want it more than anything and work as hard as I can to perform. The next step for me is the European circuit, as if you can make it there, you can make it in the World Rally Championship (WRC), which is the sport’s peak.”
“I have an FIA European Rally Championship event coming up in Aberystwyth, where I’ll be looking to improve on last year’s outing, in which I achieved top-10 stage times. These guys I’m up against though are really something else, so I’m excited to prove myself against some of the best drivers around.”
“I’m absolutely buzzing with where I am now, but I’m just going to keep my head down and continue to work, as I really do believe I can make it to the top.”
From an outsider looking in, it’s clear that people predict he can make it, already making a dent at high-level, televised events. However, as all motorsport enthusiasts know, this isn’t a cheap sport, and it’s clear that further financial support is crucial to see him make the very top level.
Once again, Touzel would like to thank his sponsors for their incredible ongoing support, which have helped make this possible.
