Sam Touzel has taken the lead of the Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship after scoring maximum points on the R Kings Down Rally (Saturday 19 July).
Driving a brand-new M-Sport-built Smart Scaffolding/Trade Centre UK-supported Ford Fiesta Rally2, the Jersey driver led the BTRDA series category from start to finish – and set the fastest overall time on SS7 as he came home third overall.
After a fast and faultless performance, he and co-driver Max Freeman finished the event 8.1 seconds ahead of their nearest Protyre Asphalt rival. Having also scored maximum points on the previous Dunoon Presents Argyll Rally, Sam leads the drivers’ standings by four points, even after dropping his lowest score.
“It’s been a great rally here in Ireland and it was a really positive event,” said Sam.
“They’ve been such a challenging set of stages. As soon as I tried to go faster, I realised that I was pretty much on the limit and there wasn’t anything left in there.
“The car’s ran faultlessly all day, the event’s been well organised and put together and I’d just like to say a big thank you to everyone who is supporting us.”
Mark Kelly celebrated his birthday by taking home second-place Protyre Asphalt points after a precise and controlled drive in his Kelmore Volkswagen Polo GTI R5. Co-driven by Will Atkins, the Bolton driver felt that he’d spent more time in the air on the fast and bumpy stages than on the ground, as he equalled his best result of the season without even coming close to putting a scratch on the car.
Neil Roskell had been in a close three-way battle for maximum points for half of the event in his ND Civils/Burdens/Witham Motorsport Fiesta Rally2, but lost time when a toe link bolt on the rear suspension snapped on SS5 and, with the car intent on going sideways, he had to back off. Co-driven by Rob Fagg, the car then cut out on the eighth and final stage after a big jump, leaving the Blackpool driver well behind (41.6 seconds) and well in front (44.8 seconds) of his nearest championship rivals.
Brad Cole lost time in the early morning low cloud, which drastically reduced visibility on the opening two stages, and then found that his Trick Motorsport-prepared and East Budleigh Garage-run Hydroline Solutions Fiesta Rally2 was moving around too much on too softer tyres on the second loop of stages. Everything clicked on the final loop, as he equalled his best result in the R5 car with fourth-place points. He was happy to finish without a broken arm, which is what happened the last time Dan Petrie co-drove for him – while Dan was happy to finish without whiplash!
Lee Edwards won a thrilling 2WD battle in his 3-litre Escort G3.
Just two seconds separated the top three 2WD crews at halfway, with Huw James leading by 0.1 seconds – despite collecting a puncture on SS1 and surviving a massive jump over the famous Hamilton’s Folly (SS2) jump. Unfortunately for Huw and co-driver Lewis Sim, their A&D Tyres Escort Mk2 became stuck in first gear on the start line of SS6 and they were forced to retire from the 2WD lead and a top 10 overall position.
Lee and co-driver Sam Spencer led the 2WD section by 3.1 seconds at the end of SS6 and having been super brave in the early fog they pushed extra hard on the final two stages to win the 2WD class by 20.6 seconds. That also gave the Oswestry ace a top 10 overall result and fifth-place Protyre Asphalt overall driver points.
Gordon Montana Morrison was on sensational form and survived a sideways brush with a bank after a wild Hamilton’s Folly jump. Co-driven by Mike Dickson, the Lochwinnoch Motors Heavy Haulage Escort Mk2 driver is now tied for the lead of Class C with Huw James with just one round remaining.
John Stone’s rally began with a problem with the right rear of his Legend Performance Engineering Volkswagen Polo GTI R5 and no reverse gear, but he and co-driver Kenny Hull flew in the middle section of the event as they knocked on the door of a top 10 position. They had a scare on the final stage when the low fuel pressure warning light came on, but they reached the finish to take home a well-earned sixth-place haul of points.
Tommi Henderson is the 2025 Protyre Asphalt Junior Co-driver champion after his father Roger steered him to an eighth-place championship finish. The St Austell pairing lost the brakes on their DKMS We Delete Blood Cancer Fiesta Rally2 on SS1 and had to nurse the car through SS2 to make sure they reached service, but that was their only drama as they enjoyed a magnificent run.
On his first rally in Ireland, Manxman Max Murray took home ninth-place Protyre Asphalt points as he scored yet another 2WD podium result in his BVS Vehicles Citroën DS3 R3T. Matty Owen leads the Class C co-drivers’ section, while Max is in a three-way fight for the drivers’ title, against Huw James and Gordon Montana Morrison.
Four wins from four starts gives Alyn Welsby the Class E title, while he also leads the Escort Challenge. Co-driven by Dan Parsons, the endless jumps caused the steering wheel to come loose on SS5, but despite this the Carmarthen driver took home a top 10 Protyre Asphalt overall finish in his road rally spec Cymru Camper Furniture/Davies & Davies Furnishers Escort Mk2.
Bryn and Brian Jones fought hard to keep their Class E title hopes alive, but lost time when they bent a track control arm and broke a four-link bar on the opening loop of stages. The team got everything straight again in service, allowing the W Jones & Son Escort Mk2 crew to push hard in the afternoon and finish second in class.
John McCullough got quicker as the event went on in his Hoosier-shod KPR Mechanical/Adams Transport Escort Mk2. Co-driven by Rachael Armstrong, the Banbridge driver scored his first Class E podium finish of the season.
Luke Constantine has an unassailable lead at the top of the Protyre Asphalt Junior Drivers’ standings after another great performance in his Pirelli-shod Constantine Motorsport Opel Adam R2. The Catterick youngster had clutch problems on SS1, which upset his concentration for SS2 – but after a reset in service, he and co-driver Ifan Devine flew in the afternoon. So much so, that they were able to ease off in the closing stages, such was the size of their class lead.
Luke also leads a close three-way battle for the Class F title, with just 10 points separating the top three.
Finishing runner-up in class this time has put Anthony Jevons in contention. Except for messing up an early hairpin, it was a textbook performance by the Milford Haven driver in his Pirelli-shod Fiesta Rally2. The result ensures Margaret Kelly still leads the Protyre Asphalt Ladies’ Challenge for Co-drivers’, five points ahead of Yvonne Walton.
Tommy Graham picked up third in Class F to move up to second in the class points standings, despite an early spin in his R/S Motors Leyburn Escort Mk1. Co-driven by Mark Pickering, the Leyburn driver knows it’s all to play for on the final round.
Jack Edwards spun his Porthmadog Holiday Let Vauxhall Nova at a hairpin early on and arrived at the end of the opening loop of two stages with overheating brakes. Co-driven by Adam Burkill, the Wrexham driver finished the event covered in oil after making road-side repairs, after a rock pushed the sump guard into the gearbox. Class G victory puts him tied for the class lead.
Charlie Wright’s Fiesta R2T won the Dynamic Fluids Best Presented Car Award – the car being prepared and run by Harper Adams University. He and co-driver Adam Westerby reached the finish, despite day-long turbo boost and intercooler problems.
Andrew O’Hanlon/Kevin Hogan put in another great run in their smoke grey coloured Mini Cooper S and are assured of the Protyre Asphalt Class H-A title.
A puncture on SS1 wasn’t the best of starts for Stephen Simpson, but it got worse for the 2007 Protyre Asphalt champion and co-driver Mark Glennerster as turbo failure forced the Tudor Glass Fiesta Rally2 crew out.
A back jarring landing on SS2 forced Nathan Bolton/Phil Kenny to stop their Monza Installs/Legend Performance Fiesta Rally2 on Hamilton’s Folly (SS2).
The same jump claimed Mark Holmes/Thomas Simkiss, when the sump guard damaged their historic-spec ND Civils/Mark Holmes Auto Engineering Escort RS1600 Mk1’s steering rack on landing.
Action from the Down Rally, which was broadcast live, is available to view for free on the Special Stage TV Facebook and YouTube channels, plus specialstage.tv.
The sixth and final round of the 2025 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship is the Nigel Ferguson Fabricators Tour of Epynt on 27/28 September.
R Kings Down Rally – top 10 registered 2025 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship finishers:
1. Sam Touzel/Max Freeman (Ford Fiesta Rally2)….53mins 42.6secs
2. Mark Kelly/Will Atkins (Volkswagen Polo GTI R5)….53mins 50.7secs
3. Neil Roskell/Rob Fagg (Ford Fiesta Rally2)….55mins 32.3secs
4. Brad Cole/Dan Petrie (Ford Fiesta Rally2)….56mins 17.1secs
5. Lee Edwards/Sam Spencer (Ford Escort G3)….57mins 02.8secs
6. John Stone/Kenny Hull (Volkswagen Polo GTI R5)….57mins 04.2secs
7. Gordon Montana Morrison/Mike Dickson (Ford Escort Mk2)….57mins 23.4secs
8. Roger Henderson/Tommi Henderson (Ford Fiesta Rally2)….59mins 15.1secs
9. Max Murray/Matty Owen (Citroën DS3 R3T)….1hr 00mins 28.2secs
10. Alyn Welsby/Dan Parsons (Ford Escort Mk2)….1hr 00mins 48.0secs
2025 Protyre Motorsport UK Asphalt Rally Championship – top 6 drivers’ overall after Round 5:
1. Sam Touzel….114pts*
2. Jason Pritchard….110pts
3. Neil Roskell….107pts
4. Brad Cole….93pts*
5. John Stone….87pts
6. Gordon Montana Morrison….63pts
* includes a dropped score
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