The Road to Success Awards 2025 celebrates standout moments and guests from the podcast's year, featuring awards for the toughest recording locations, best backdrops, and most viewed episodes. Highlights include the challenges of recording with Richard Porter in narrow streets, the breathtaking backdrop with Austin from Valve Tronic on a mountain, and memorable guests like Jay Leno and Andy Willman. The episode also showcases the funniest moments, most grateful guests, and the best business podcasts, all while reflecting on the growth and unique stories shared throughout the year.
To grab yourself some winter essentials from HERA with 15% of sitewide even during sales! Then use my code RTS and click the link here - https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=85817&awinaffid=1737213&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fheraclothing.comIn this episode of Road To Success we announce all of are award winning guests of 2025 from funniest conversations to best business awards. Don’t forget to subscribe to our channel for more exciting content about your favourite shows and celebrities. Hit the bell icon to stay updated on all our latest episodes👍 Like, Comment, and Share this episode. Join our discussion in the comments sectionCheck out Tweak: https://www.tweakuk.com/🔗 Follow Us:Instagram: @Roadtosuccessofficialpodcast@benedictfowlerContact: [email protected]
"...ous bridge outside of Carmel. And the week of the Monterey car week show, which we were there with the US v..."
The Mercury Monterey is a large car that was made for families, offering plenty of space and comfort. It's not as common today, but some people love it for its classic style.
The Mercury Monterey was a full-size car produced by Ford's Mercury division from 1952 to 2007, known for its spacious interior and family-friendly features. It represents a classic era of American automobiles, often appreciated for its vintage charm.
"We found out after that the air hose had actually come off going into the engines, there was a bit less power to help get up there."
An air hose is a tube that carries air to different parts of a car's engine. If it comes loose, the engine might not work as well, which can make the car struggle to drive.
An air hose in a vehicle typically refers to a component that delivers compressed air to various parts of the engine or air intake system. If it becomes disconnected, it can lead to a loss of power and performance.
"...there was a literal McLaren F1 in the background of the shot. And I think many of you will be shouting saying that he should have won this..."
The McLaren F1 is a famous supercar that was made in the 1990s. It's known for being very fast and has a unique design with three seats. Many car enthusiasts consider it one of the best sports cars ever made.
The McLaren F1 is a legendary supercar known for its speed, design, and engineering. It was produced in the 1990s and is often regarded as one of the greatest sports cars of all time, featuring a unique three-seat layout and a powerful V12 engine.
"...Tom Hartley had a Pagani Huayra and a McLaren Senna in his showroom..."
The McLaren Senna is a super-fast sports car made by McLaren, named after a famous race car driver. It's built for speed and has a very lightweight design.
The McLaren Senna is a limited-production supercar designed for extreme performance, featuring a lightweight carbon fiber structure and a powerful twin-turbo V8 engine. It is named after the legendary Formula 1 driver Ayrton Senna.
"...Tom Hartley had a Pagani Huayra and a McLaren Senna in his showroom..."
The Pagani Huayra is a very expensive and fast car made by the Italian company Pagani. It's famous for its unique look and powerful engine.
The Pagani Huayra is a high-performance hypercar known for its stunning design and powerful twin-turbocharged V12 engine. It represents the pinnacle of automotive engineering and luxury.
"... the back of the shot. Misha had the Vulcan Alpha Mustang placed up high and we battle it the whole thing ..."
The Ford Mustang is a classic American car that many people love for its speed and cool looks. It's been around for a long time and is often seen as a symbol of fun driving.
The Ford Mustang is an iconic American muscle car that has been in production since 1964. Known for its powerful engines and sporty design, the Mustang represents freedom and performance, making it a popular choice among car enthusiasts and collectors alike.
"...lker had his insane Porsche collection, all those 911s with the mirror in the background of the shot. W..."
The Porsche 911 is a famous sports car that many people admire for its speed and stylish design. It's been around for many years and is known for being very well made and fun to drive.
The Porsche 911 is a legendary sports car that has been in production since 1964, known for its distinctive design and exceptional performance. It is celebrated for its engineering excellence, handling, and is a favorite among car collectors and racing enthusiasts.
"Salamondrin, you had a Cybertruck sort of parked with a wrap on it that looked insane in the background of the shot."
The Tesla Cybertruck is a new type of electric truck that looks very different from regular trucks. It's designed to be tough and has a lot of cool technology.
The Tesla Cybertruck is an all-electric pickup truck known for its unique design and high performance. It features advanced technology and a durable exterior.
"when I stood behind the middle camera before we recorded and looked at the shot of Larry Chen's R34 GTR..."
The Nissan R34 GT-R is a powerful sports car that many fans love. It's famous for its speed and has a lot of technology that makes it great for racing.
The Nissan R34 GT-R is a high-performance sports car known for its advanced technology and racing pedigree. It has a strong following among car enthusiasts.
"...ng videos before I go to sleep, waking up on the journey there, either listening to other podcasts they've..."
The Dodge Journey is a family-friendly SUV that has a lot of room for passengers and cargo. It's a practical choice for people who need space but also want something easy to drive.
The Dodge Journey is a midsize crossover SUV that was produced from 2008 to 2020, designed to offer versatility and family-friendly features. It is known for its spacious interior and affordability, making it a popular choice for families.
"...But in first place, Jay Leno. Yes, you heard that right. Jay's episode wasn't booked in at all..."
Jay Leno is a famous TV host who loves cars. He has a big collection of them and has a show where he talks about different cars.
Jay Leno is a well-known American television host and car enthusiast, famous for his extensive car collection and his show 'Jay Leno's Garage', where he showcases various automobiles and discusses their history and features.
"I actually had to reverse the van in between a Lamborghini Miura and a McLaren F1."
The Lamborghini Miura is a famous sports car known for its beautiful design and powerful engine. It was one of the first cars to be called a 'supercar' because of its speed and performance.
The Lamborghini Miura is a classic sports car produced by Lamborghini from 1966 to 1973. It is often regarded as one of the first supercars due to its mid-engine layout and stunning design.
"...so I watch one of my nuts and then he basically just says I bought a Skoda Octavia VRS and it's got his hands and my nuts."
The Skoda Octavia VRS is a sportier version of the regular Octavia car. It has a more powerful engine and is designed to be more fun to drive.
The Skoda Octavia VRS is a performance-oriented variant of the Octavia, known for its sporty design and enhanced driving dynamics. It typically features a more powerful engine, sport-tuned suspension, and distinctive styling elements.
"This year he even bought a Porsche 918 Spyder which will probably be chatting to him about in four episodes time again."
The Porsche 918 Spyder is a fast sports car that uses both gasoline and electricity to drive. It's known for being very powerful and high-tech, making it one of the coolest cars out there.
The Porsche 918 Spyder is a high-performance hybrid sports car that combines a powerful V8 engine with electric motors for enhanced performance and efficiency. It is known for its advanced technology and impressive speed, making it a significant model in Porsche's lineup.
"...he's launched Vulcan Alpha which they've been making carbon fiber and performance downforce products for all kinds of vehicles..."
Vulcan Alpha is a company that makes special parts from carbon fiber to help cars go faster and handle better. They focus on improving how cars perform, especially in racing.
Vulcan Alpha is a company that specializes in manufacturing carbon fiber and performance parts designed to enhance the aerodynamics and downforce of vehicles. Their products are often used in motorsport and high-performance applications.
"...as well as doing all of his car well videos and Matt Watson videos but Matt we finally got him in the back of the van finally told his story and he also wins the award for the biggest laugh as you heard earlier."
The Suzuki Jimny is a small, tough SUV that's great for off-roading. It's known for its unique shape and ability to handle rough terrain.
The Suzuki Jimny is a compact SUV known for its off-road capabilities and distinctive boxy design. It's popular among enthusiasts for its ruggedness and simplicity.
"...the legendary Lamborghini test driver that Lamborghini have even named a model of the Gallardo after the Balboni edition..."
The Lamborghini Gallardo is a fast sports car made by the Italian company Lamborghini. It has a strong engine and is designed for high performance, making it very exciting to drive.
The Lamborghini Gallardo is a sports car that was produced by Lamborghini from 2003 to 2013. It is known for its powerful V10 engine and sharp handling, making it a popular choice among supercar enthusiasts.
"...in his car barn with his 992 gt3rs in the background and a defender so well done Paul"
The Land Rover Defender is a tough vehicle built for off-roading and adventures. It's known for being able to handle rough terrains and is popular among people who love outdoor activities.
The Land Rover Defender is a rugged off-road vehicle known for its durability and capability in challenging terrains. It has a strong heritage and is popular among adventure enthusiasts and off-roaders.
"...becoming an f1 driver for a brief period in time getting on top gear tiff's actually done the second..."
Top Gear is a TV show from the UK about cars. It includes reviews, fun challenges, and famous guests talking about their favorite cars.
Top Gear is a popular British television series focused on automobiles, featuring car reviews, challenges, and celebrity guest interviews. It has gained a massive following for its entertaining approach to car culture.
"...he has also found a fifth gear and done that program he's done love cars..."
Fifth Gear is a car show from the UK that talks about different cars, reviews them, and shares car-related news. It's like another version of Top Gear.
Fifth Gear is another British television series that focuses on cars, similar to Top Gear. It features car reviews, tests, and automotive news, appealing to car enthusiasts.
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Hello and welcome to the Road to Success Awards 2025.
In this episode, I will be going through some of my favourite conversations, favourite moments
and the things you don't always get to see that happen on this very podcast.
But first, Ben, in your own words, who are you and what do you do?
Yes, I know that was a bit awkward, but I am the host, of course, of Road to Success podcast
and it is recorded, most of you know, in the back of two of our studio vans, one based here
in the United Kingdom and one based in the USA. This year, we've recorded our first ever episodes
in the USA, so these awards are going to include not only UK guests, but also US ones too.
So without further ado, let's get into it. We're going to be giving several awards today,
including the best conversation of the year and my personal favourite guest. We're also going to
be including your favourite guest of the year from a poll that I've conducted on my Instagram
and including our number one fans of the year too. Now, the first award is actually the toughest to
part the Bloody Van Award in 2025. Sometimes when we go to podcasts, it is incredibly hard
to actually park. Some have to be recorded in central London. This year, we've recorded them
on top of literal mountains. And we've also had to squeeze down the smallest back alleys and streets
just to find somewhere quiet enough to make sure that we can do a good recording.
But the one that tops it has to be with Mr Richard Porter. We filmed this episode around the bath
area of the UK and it features some very narrow little streets. Richard said to us to reverse
up to and down his back alley towards his back shed, which was a grass road that I don't think
had been driven down in years. And we had to squeeze the van against a literal hedge to get
down it. But on top of that, I had to instruct Toby who was driving where to actually go in the
van whilst I was on crutches. So I think that that wins the award for the toughest to park
the van in 2025. It has to go to Richard Porter. We now have the highest recorded podcast in 2025
award. This is done on highest above sea level, because we have an insane and only contender
for this really, which was Austin from Valve Tronic exhaust. This episode was recorded with
the back doors of our US van studio open, and it was recorded on top of a literal mountain.
I'm not joking that you have a thing in the US, some people know some people's partners will know
is called Bixby Bridge is a very famous bridge outside of Carmel. And the week of the Monterey
car week show, which we were there with the US van studio, we recorded with Vin Wickey,
we recorded with Jason Camisa, and we recorded with Austin from Valve Tronic. I think there's
a couple others that I did there too. But the podcast was recorded at our Airbnb,
booked by my friends, Jackson and Will, that helped us build this very van studio from the
Captain Crankshaft channel. Now they booked a $19 million ranch on top of this mountain that took
25 minutes to climb up the mountain to get to on a single track road weaving between like 150
foot tall trees. And the van barely made it up there. We found out after that the air hose had
actually came off going into the engines, there was a bit less power to help get up there. But
it genuinely struggled when it started passing through the clouds. It was recorded at 2,900 feet
above sea level. We can also see the sea down there. And during the episode, there were literal
clouds passing behind the van and passed the 992 GT3 RS. We'd also got on top of there to record
the episode with it in the background. And you can book that Airbnb yourself. If you ever go to
Monterey car week, there's like 20 of you actually works out much cheaper, which is what we did.
It was like a content creators hub. But I'm not sure if we will ever record a podcast at higher
altitude than that. The next award is for the best backdrop of 2025 award. Now we know that a lot of
you listen on Spotify, Apple doesn't even offer the video side of things. And you might be listening
to this very conversation. But half of you do view and watch the podcast, whether that be on
YouTube, whether that be on video on Spotify, and we make sure that we open when we can,
the back doors are both of our vans if there's somewhere cool that we can record actually
started doing this just over a year ago, which me 150 was the first one ever because we were worried
about echoing with the audio, what we could run it through external sounds, whether there's a plane
going over or whatever really always makes it difficult recording podcasts outside the van
or letting other audio in. However, we have some insane contenders for this because Ted Kravitz,
we had to record with the back doors, the van open for that one in the middle of central London,
but it actually ended up being quite quiet. And we did that because his tab was a bit
claustrophobic. So we had to make sure the back doors of the van were open. It wasn't
necessarily a very good view, but it was a hell of a memorable moment. But we've recorded with
Calvin's car diaries wall in the background where he gives away all of his cars. But in terms of the
best kind of looks on camera, which is what I'm going for, there is only a few contenders. Now,
Jay Leno has to stand out, which is why I put him in third place. There was a literal McLaren F1
in the background of the shot. And I think many of you will be shouting saying that he should have
won this. However, when I was picking the winner for this award, I wanted to also judge it on how
well it looked in shot. Now next year, we're hoping to get ourselves some slightly shorter
microphone stands, get rid of this bit up here, maybe custom made make something that comes up
from here, because they tend to sometimes get in the way of the cars in the background of the
shots when we put the doors open. So we're going to do that. But for this year, in second place,
is Schmi 150. It nearly won. Schmi's garage, the Schmuseum nearly won this because even the side
camera angles pick up on all the insane cars in that collection. The way they're stacked on lifts
also makes it look insane. Now, for the winner, I did this because I think it was the coolest shot
I've ever got of a single car in the background of the podcast, just the way it was all presented,
the light in the shot, and then the podcast and who it was themselves. And there's so many contenders
for this. If I look on my sheet, Tom Hartley had a Pagani Huayra and a McLaren Senna in his showroom
in the back of the shot. Misha had the Vulcan Alpha Mustang placed up high and we battle it the whole
thing and it looked insane. Magnus Walker had his insane Porsche collection, all those 911s with
the mirror in the background of the shot. We also had Salamondrin, you had a Cybertruck sort of parked
with a wrap on it that looked insane in the background of the shot. But for me, when I stood
behind the middle camera before we recorded and looked at the shot of Larry Chen's R34 GTR,
in the background of the shot, those watching on video will see it now, my draw just dropped. It
was the ultimate angle, the ultimate shot, it looked insane in Larry's shot, which the van
nearly didn't even get into. There was literally that much room between the top of the aircon box
on the van and getting in Larry's building. So for me, the winner, a best backdrop of the year
award in 2025 is Larry Chen. Now we go to the least prep time of 2025 award. Now this will go
to the guest that we've had the least prep time to record with and it usually takes me kind of 24
hours to get into the zone of a podcast, thinking about it the night before, watching videos before
I go to sleep, waking up on the journey there, either listening to other podcasts they've been on
or some of their videos. But sometimes we don't get the chance to do any of that because an
opportunity has dropped on us to literally get the van, turn it on and go to a guest. This year,
most people were pretty booked in. We had, you know, whether it be in a week's time or two weeks
time or even in a month's time in some cases. However, there were two for this that stood out
to me. So I'm going to have a first place and second place award on this. So in second place,
Misha, you're getting this award. Misha, back in May of this year, dropped me a message to say
something had happened at the Nürburgring and he was absolutely furious. A poll was created to ban
him from the track he has created the most content and views on in the local area of Nürburgring
and he was furious and wanted to put across his side of the story. We literally got the message
in our editing office. I looked at Toby and said, I think we should fire up the van. And we drove
from Oxford in the UK or Oxfordshire all the way to the Nürburgring in a solid nine hours
door to door. We then recorded with Misha. Was it the next morning? The very next morning. So
that for me is in second place. But in first place, Jay Leno. Yes, you heard that right.
Jay's episode wasn't booked in at all. It was the Wednesday that I was in America. I'd come back
from Monterey Car Week to LA. We're staying at Soho Warehouse. It's where I stay when I'm over
there recording podcasts. Got a great big car park that the van can sit in. It's actually quite
cheaper than I surprisingly genuinely is. So we were staying there. And I get a random call
from an unknown number. Now, luckily, a friend of mine that's been on the podcast had given me
the phone number of the agent to Jay Leno's details. And I had text and WhatsApp him 100 times
been a complete noddy, a complete pest, never got a reply. I thought it was that opportunity was over.
I then get a call from an unknown number as I'm butt naked in our hotel room about to get in the
shower. So look at my phone. I think that can't be good. No caller ID. Why the hell would I answer
that? It's not going to be good. So I put the phone down, ended the call. Immediately phone rings
again. No caller ID. So there's me thinking as something bad happened at home is mum okay.
What what could it be? So I thought I pick up the phone check everything's okay.
Picks up the phone say hello. And I've always said, Hey, Ben is Jay.
I did not clock that this was Jay flipping Leno on the phone to me who I said, Jay who
Jay Leno at which point the penny did drop. And I realized that he'd actually called me when it
turned out that Jay listened to a couple of episodes of road to success prior new of me in the van.
And when he found out that we're in town, he had a window that afternoon to record and he said,
could you get down here in 45 minutes? If you can, we can do an hours podcast. I didn't even know
how far away it was heading down to Burbank from where we were staying. But we managed to do it
in about 55 minutes. We got down there and ended up recording an hours podcast with Jay. And when
I got to his unit, I actually had to reverse the van in between a Lamborghini Mura and a McLaren F1.
That could have been potentially the most expensive accident of 2025 award. I had no
time to prep did it with literally no script. But somehow it came out okay. Jay Leno, you win
the least prep time of 2025 road to success award. Now we go to a big one. Most viewed episode of
2025. Now believe it or not, as the podcast goes on year after year, the guests do care about this.
It's a bit like the top gear lap time board that they used to have. It used to be a proper competition,
level playing ground. Let's see how the episode does. Of course, this is based on so many factors
topic, guests, how much time you guys watch the conversation for this so many factors and what
gets an episode pushed and trust me, if we figured it out completely, I would be worth a lot more
money on this podcast. And hopefully we do in the future. But we have three episodes that are in
contention for the most viewed in 2025. kicking off in third place was the Ben Collins original
podcast that we did about basically unmasking who the stick was. This episode is now just approaching
four million views since it was recorded two years ago on YouTube. And this year it has done
an additional 419,509 views putting it in third place of the most viewed this year.
In second place we have Izzy Hammond, the story of what it was like growing up part of the top
gear trio with a dad that was in top gear and doing so much recording and then how she ended up
getting into cars subsequently and what that journey's been like for Izzy. It was genuinely
a fascinating conversation. She made me a cup of tea the second we arrived and recorded it just
outside the doors of the smallest car. And also it was the day I got to properly meet Richard Hammond
who turned up in his truck just before we started recording with Izzy. And as we were setting up
came to the side door of the van looked around inside the van and said to me, are you telling me
that you're putting my daughter in the back of a van that's locked for over an hour and I can't
really do anything about it. I said that's exactly what I'm telling you. He said right,
cheerio chaps and walked on indoors. So that was our interaction with Richard and podcast with Izzy
which did a total of 434,947 views on YouTube in 2025. It was also one of our most streamed episodes
on Spotify. But in first position one of the conversations I thought may never happen although
I'd heard a sniff that he was releasing a book and that usually does mean that guests are a lot
easier to get on when they've got something that they want to promote. So drumroll please with 650,654
views. Mr. Andy Willman the one and only top gear producer. We've seen a theme here for first,
second and first but the one and only top gear producer grew up with Jeremy Clarkson at school,
had some insane stories and we were so lucky that Andy did do the podcast rounds as we call it when
he came on road to success but we were the first to get an episode live. We recorded it just outside
the studios where they used to plan and kind of create all the grand tour stuff and top gear in
London down a straight single yellow line pulled up and luckily it was actually quite quiet that
night. Very easy recording and when we finished Louis came with me I looked at him and I said
that is going to be our most viewed episode of 2025 and to be fair I was correct so in first place
Mr. Andy Willman. We now have funniest conversation of 2025. Now it's almost hard to choose this
because I think pretty much every guest has made me laugh in some way or another that's come on
road to success this year. I remember laughing massively at Jason Camisa. He was absolutely
brilliant when he came on the podcast. There's been so so many genuinely but there was kind of
two that that turned me into kind of proper laughter this year. One of which in second place was Lenny
from Urban Automotive who just kept forgetting the questions. It was important to evolve from that
I can't remember the question what was the question sorry mate. What was the question Toby?
But thank you so much Lenny for coming on genuinely one of the best career building
and career stories I've had on road to success and someone genuinely inspirational for a really
wide audience. But in first position a regular viewer of road to success believe it or not I
actually messaged this guest when I saw they were playing the podcast in the background
of one of their car well videos whilst doing a recording. So with his hands around his nuts
Matt Watson for this incredible moment. So I've got this doctor with his hand around my nuts
then he's looking at me a bit funny so I watch one of my nuts and then he basically just says
I bought a Skoda Octavia VRS and it's got his hands and my nuts.
The next award is your bloody back again for the guest that has returned the most times on
road to success. As you know some guests are brand new and we get into the story of how they got to
where they are today kind of covering everything that I've never had the chance to uncover about
them before and some guests we get on every year every two years to make sure that we get up to
speed but what's been going on with them maybe they've had a big life moment or maybe we just
like to have a blimmin nice chat. Now there's actually a lot of contenders for this award for
people that have now been on the podcast multiple times including Misha, Tavaresh, Auto Alex,
Shmi150, Ben Collins, Jamie from officially guest, Ricky Elder, Kelvin's car diary and Mike Brewer.
Now there is plenty of other people that have been on the podcast multiple times like Matt Armstrong
for example but these are limited to guys that have returned in 2025. So in third place,
Auto Alex. Auto Alex has returned three times on road to success for podcasts. He's always
super funny, super easy to get on with to record with. Alex has been brilliant. His first ever
episode was talking about why he left car throttle and set up the Auto Alex YouTube channel which
is now employing so many people is now a multiverse of different channels and creating some of the
best content on YouTube for cars. So thank you to Auto Alex for returning on road to success.
In second place with four returns on road to success in total, the wonderful Tavaresh. Yes,
Tavaresh is always back. We're always talking about how his P1 project is going along and asking
when it will be done and never seems to get a conclusive answer. However, it's always wonderful
to speak to Freddie in the van. He is the most known car rebuilder in the USA. He has worked on
some insane vehicles and to be fair to Freddie, he's always pushing the limit. This year he even
bought a Porsche 918 Spyder which will probably be chatting to him about in four episodes time again.
But in first position is of course with five visits. One of the guests that's the furthest
away to film with as well, Misha. Misha has now frequented this van five times and I could not
be more thankful. Conversations with Misha are always one of the easiest to record around. He's
always got so much to talk about. So much going on with Race Tretto, his new coffee shop at the
Nurburgring which you must visit if you go out there. This year he's been super passionate since
he's launched Vulcan Alpha which they've been making carbon fiber and performance downforce
products for all kinds of vehicles with his partner Lapo which was just insane story and you
must listen to that. Misha literally always has something going on whether it's a near miss,
something that's happened in his racing, whether they've been losing something, winning something,
he's always a fantastic conversation and someone I'm confident we will bring you consistent episodes
with every year on Road to Success. It's now time for the I never thought they'd bloody do it award.
And there is so many contenders for this whether it's been guests that I've been personally messaging
for a while that I kind of got into the mindset of they're never just going to give me a date and
going to be able to record some guests that are really unsure about doing the recording whether
they wanted to kind of go in depth about themselves and the way it was going to work and people that
I thought were just damn right unattainable. We have so many contenders for this including Mr
Andy Willman but I did know that he had a book coming out in a year or so which is when I first
found out about it but I didn't know if he'd actually do it. There's also Tommy Auto who I was
talking to for a literal year to get in the back of the van and finally got a date to record with
him. There was also Lenny from Urban. Lenny I've been speaking to since I literally started the
podcast but wanted to let some time pass since his last one and Lenny does not like talking about
himself wherever did a fab job when he came on the podcast. However in third position has to be
once again Jay Leno. I really didn't think that I'd be getting the chance to interview Jay Leno in
2025. I thought there was a slim chance of it happening in the future. He does like to collaborate
a lot with other YouTubers but I never expected it to be this year. You heard the story of how it
happened earlier. Purely insane. In second position Matthew Watson because this was a podcast that
kept being rolled over and rolled over and rolled over and rolled over so just a bit longer a bit
longer a bit longer because I think his book was delayed about the same amount of times as Freddy's
P1. However we finally got Matt in the back of the van and we did it with the back doors open as
Suzuki Jimny in the background which you could buy Matt actually imports Jimneys as well as doing
all of his car well videos and Matt Watson videos but Matt we finally got him in the back of the van
finally told his story and he also wins the award for the biggest laugh as you heard earlier.
However the hardest guest I have ever had to get in the back of the van which took two years
of persuasion, two years of nudging at car events and finally got him over the line before he departs
the UK was Yanni from Yanomize. However when we did the recording and finally got Yanni in the
back of the van it was one of my favorite conversations I've had this year it's smashed over
300,000 views in just a matter of weeks since we recorded it it's going to go on to be a really
big episode on the channel so thanks for Yanni for finally getting in the back of the van after
pressure from his friend Simon the founder of Urban Automotive, Lenny, so many people pressured Yand
come on and he finally did. We're now going to the favorite female guest of 2025 award from me
now we know the automotive world is dominated by male guests and this podcast is kind of an
automotive linked podcast in the same way that Top Gear did its star in a reasonably priced car.
We could literally have someone without a driver's license come on that in some way links to an
automotive story and has an insane success story. This year we recorded with several women and to
be fair this was one of the hardest awards for me to choose because I genuinely loved every
conversation I had with Jodie Kidd, Izzy Hammond, Suzy Wolfe all incredible people all had incredible
stories Jodie Kidd we recorded with the back doors of the van open in her pub with a pine and it was
absolutely boiling hot the camera literally overheated at one point we didn't think we were
going to get it working again but it was genuinely really memorable but I think just from an experience
a conversation some relatableness the way they came out of their shell I'm going to give first
place this year to Izzy Hammond so well done Izzy would love to have you on again after many drive
tribounds and stuff you're doing with Quadrant again in 2026. We now have most grateful to come
on the podcast award in 2025 of course I'm striving for huge names with massive followings
and people that are widely recognized across the world to visit the back of this van we have some
insane people coming up in just January of 2026 to already kick us off however there's also people
that are either less known or never thought they'd get the opportunity to come on road
success that have equally amazing stories of how they got to where they are today and those people
sometimes have pretty cool reactions when they either get the message to come on or actually
here in the van sitting in the seats that so many amazing people that they follow have also sat in
and we've had some great reactions this year as I say some people don't even know what podcast
they're coming on Suzy Wolf Valentino Balboni they had no idea however they do now but some people
watch every episode as I say and are involved in maybe other people's channels so in third place
Jim Wiseman now Jim doesn't get enough credit he doesn't do too much media work and he couldn't
believe that he was actually on the podcast big smiles cups of tea was absolutely fabulous one
of the original Top Gear producers and researchers with some amazing stories and an amazing success
story himself of how he actually beat hundreds of applicants to get that initial job which formed
that magical team that created our favorite motoring show in second place Kit the number plate
specialist I absolutely loved this episode I sometimes love dropping in more educational
episodes for the audience rather than kind of the guest and the guest's journey to success and we
spoke about everything number plate related because Kit runs the number plate history page
and has some fascinating insights and stories all about them but Kit genuinely couldn't believe
he was in the back of the van he actually came to my house bless him and we recorded it right in
this very spot here sat on my drive so I really enjoyed that episode and it was really nice to
see his reaction but by an absolute mile the most grateful guest which was literally hugging me
teared up that he couldn't believe he was in the van messaging me the views that the episode
was on for three or four days which absolutely smashed it had to be dips from p1 auto keys I
absolutely loved recording with dips I'm so glad I chose him as a guest to come on road to success
his story was amazing genuinely shocked by some of the things that he's had to overcome
to get in the position that he's in and to be the man that every single youtuber whether it be in
the UK or the US calls upon when they just don't know how to fix electrical issues with their
vehicles so dips congratulations you are the most grateful guest of 2025 to come on road to success
now listen up for this next one this one you guys can change if you come off this and go and click
it however this episode will probably included be included in this as well this is the it should
have got more bloody views award because there are so many contenders for this sometimes the best
conversations in fact most of the time the best conversations I ever have on this podcast end
up being some of the least viewed episodes well in my opinion of course I'm there absolutely
fascinated by what is going on think this is gonna bang and it gets 10 000 years but that's
fine because as long as we can impact help and support those 10 000 people they've enjoyed it
some of our core audience too I'm happy however there are so many contenders for this and I
really hope that in hearing this if you haven't listened to some of these episodes please go
and check them out because they either genuinely moved me left a lasting impression taught me
something that I have in my life now so in third place I'm actually going to choose Jay Leno again
even though this episode is well north of 200 000 views it was actually released
unluckily on the same day another podcast with him went live it halved what's known as the click
through rate on the episode and didn't get pushed out as much as I think it could have done that
episode should have been well over a million views and sadly it got impacted on our stories
channel there's actually some clips of Jay that went up to 800 000 plus views where I think it
should have been showing that that episode had far more potential than what it actually did
and it genuinely was a fascinating conversation in second place Valentino Balboni the legendary
Lamborghini test driver that Lamborghini have even named a model of the Gallardo after the
Balboni edition which Hammond drove on Top Gear all those years ago Valentino told me some of the
most insane movie worthy automotive stories I've ever heard on the podcast including how he
and Ferrari test drivers both based in Marinello used to pull up in lay buys outside Modena and
swap the cars so that the Lamborghini test drivers could try out the latest Ferrari stuff and buy
subversa without the brands ever knowing he also gave me a story of how he punched Jeremy Clarkson
in the face or had some kind of altercation during a test drive because he got so angry about Clarkson
being a bit of a buffoon you really sure to go and check that podcast out it's probably worth
having the transcript on for it having some text because I think Valentino is very strong Italian
accent doesn't make it as easy as possible to listen to but if you're really dialed in maybe
on a car journey that one is an absolute gem to listen to in first place junior Sullivan this is
one of the most heartwarming impactful episodes I've ever recorded on road to success I genuinely
couldn't believe what junior has been through he lost both of his parents to a horrific car crash
where a lorry went into the back of their car killing both of them the lorry driver had been
scrolling tinder at the time on his mobile phone and it resulted in this horrific moment where junior
lost both of his parents but he's kind of turned that around into the positives that you can take
from it the lessons learned about being on your mobile phone whilst driving which so many of us do
and the kind of story and impact on what happened to that lorry driver how he went to prison and the
impact it can have on our lives he also kind of gave some statistics of the sheer amount of people
that use their mobile phones while driving and what one second can do to your life so I think that
by hearing his story I know it's had a massive impact of making sure I put down my phone when
I'm driving this year a lot more like a lot more I tell myself off if I've ever gone to pick it up
since I've had that episode with junior and I think that it will save countless lives just
from listening to that episode alone let alone the work that junior has done so junior you win
that it should have got more bloody views award of 2025 now time for the best business podcast
award of 2025 on the channel I categorize podcasts up a little bit so that if you have a specific
niche that you like to listen to whether it be formula one style podcasts top gear style podcasts
or business style podcasts you can kind of binge watch them if on a specific day you're feeling
a little bit more into one of those categories now I have some amazing contenders for best business
podcast of 2025 but in third place nabiel from topaz detailing topaz the biggest detailing company
probably on earth they've got places all over the world they've franchised so many staff and it
all started in a garden shed of nabiel and his brother their success story is insane how they've
grown the business is insane and it definitely is one to listen to if you're a budding entrepreneur
in second place I had to choose the one and only Tom Hartley we've all heard of his name
so many people have seen his son Carl on lots of content across the internet for cars with
Mark McCann's channel and all sorts I've actually done business with the heartleys myself with some
cars and Tom's story of how he started trading cars in his early teens to get to where he is today
was one of the richest car dealers in the world is absolutely unbelievable as we mentioned earlier
we actually recorded that episode with a Pagani quira in the back of the shot truly insane insane
conversation you must must listen to Tom Hartley on road to success however in first place a
conversation that for me is a lover of ecom a lover of design a lover of holistic business there's
so many things that went into this conversation with a truly special uk entrepreneur that is also
supporting the podcast now is Paul from Hera now Paul has also supported the Matt Armstrong
channel you see they have partnered with Hera and the hwbt is powered by Hera Hera is an insane
brand and Paul actually started his career many many moons ago in waste and has done so many
businesses that you'd know the names of including all saints he's been one of the directors at
Gymshark and then he's also bought Hera and grown it into a truly amazing company alongside
his daughters i'm proud to say that Hera actually have a partnership with road to success and for
the last six months you do see me wearing their clothes on road to success constantly sorry for
Paul about the tux today however make sure if you want some Hera stuff to be fair you can go and
check it out i'll leave a link to that in the description below and you can get a lovely discount
by using code rts too but their stuff is amazing Paul is an amazing entrepreneur and i loved recording
it at his own in his car barn with his 992 gd3rs in the background and a defender so well done Paul
you won best business podcast of 2025 on road to success we're also going to give a nod to the
biggest fan this year on road to success and i'd like to shout out to people that i see constantly
commenting on youtube which is roi devan so i got to meet at supercar driver event
roi actually has some really cool cars and loves listening to the podcast and also a channel called
uk bill who every single episode on a monday and thursday morning comments his thoughts and
feelings of how it was and leaving a little thank you true true true fan i really appreciate the
hours that you spent listening to the podcast mate and i hope we bring some to you in 2026
that you're going to absolutely love so it's now time for some big ones and these are two really
big ones and i had to separate them because some people would think maybe this is one award and
others wouldn't so i have my favorite guest of 2025 award and also my favorite conversation
of 2025 award two completely different things um favorite guest can be someone that i never
thought you'd see on is the one that i constantly talk about it's going to be so memorable and there
is only one winner for this j leno you heard the story earlier it's amazing to have had j on
he's been around for so long has the most insane car collection i've ever seen in the world recorded
the podcast with a literal mclaren f1 in the background and allowed me an interviewer to
interview one of the greatest interviewers of all time so the winner for the best guest of 2025 award
for me has to be j leno's thank you j for coming in the van if you're watching now my favorite
conversation of 2025 award there are so many that could have won this but for me there was really
three that stick out and i'd love to say in no order a third second first but andy wilman
probably is there for me and third and probably the best top gear conversation so many new things
that were said in that that aren't online before absolutely loved it in second place larry chen
that podcast is an automotive lovers dream we went through his new book which had the most
incredible photos of ken block jim carna's salt and brunei stuff there is the most insane pictures
in the world and we also put them on screen on the podcast in that episode and larry explained all
those stories how he's been mugged for his cameras how he's camped out on the side of hills
truly amazing i was gobsmacked by that episode and could have recorded it for hours so larry
i'm going to pop you in second for this year but the winner for me is jason camisa i don't think
i've ever had such an incredible storyteller visit the van on roger success the way he was able to
describe some of the things that he's been through to get to where he is today experiences
crashes where he's gone off cliffs utterly fabulous conversation so jason thank you so much for visiting
the van and thank you so much for telling your stories on road to success you win best conversation
of the year now i've included as we get towards the end another award the road to success award
now this award is to the guest that i think has packed the most into their journey done the most
insane kind of things and maybe had a moment that without that moment maybe even being luck
they would not be where they are today proven to the whole audience that even luck can play into
what you're doing and sometimes you just have to do the thing and it's actually the last episode
we released with tiff nadel i think when you look at everything tiff has done from racing
becoming an f1 driver for a brief period in time getting on top gear tiff's actually done the second
most episodes of anyone in history on top gear and he has also found a fifth gear and done that
program he's done love cars he has done and mad experiences that any car van would simply dream
of from racing to being in front of the television to being an all-round humble and fabulous human
being so for this year i would love to give our road to success award to tiff nadel now before
our final award the road to success award i actually posted a picture on instagram just before i got
in the van and i've just had a little look at some of the comments which would be the fans award for
the favorite guest but i'm actually not shocked that there is so much variation so many different
names mentioned there isn't a clear winner at all so i think it shows there are so many
different guests that appeal to so many different people that we really do give you everyone you
could possibly watch and hope that we can bring you a lot more people in 2026 i can actually reveal
we're kicking things off max fosh so in see us there and enjoy us in 2026 thank you so much make
sure that you comment everything that you'd love to see every one that you'd love to see in road
to success in 2026 a shout out to my amazing team the work of road to success of toby harris
and ruben and my partner edith and louis and everyone that works on the podcast thank you
so much for all your hard work this year and we will see you in 2026 bye
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