A HEREFORDSHIRE father and son marked their debut in the Central Southern Championship Rally 2001 with victory in the 1400cc class.

Herefordshire Motor Club's Chris and Tom Powis completed their successful campaign at Longcross in Surrey.

At the beginning of the season, 148 crews throughout Central Southern England registered to compete in the competition.

Ten rounds followed, involving nearly 2,000 stage miles, and the best eight counted towards the championship with the Powis family finishing on top.

Club-mates Charlie Rees, a cousin of Chris, and James Griffiths finished third overall in the 1600cc class.

Both crews drove Vauxhall Novas with the engines having been built by Herefordshire-based Martin Bowyer.

Chris Powis said: "This was our first full season and we are over the moon to have finished as champions. But we cannot thank Martin Bowyer enough for providing such a powerful and reliable engine, and Ian Evans for preparing the car."

There will be some changes in the Powis' car next season because Tom, aged 20, moves into the driving seat for Rally 2002.

His father, Chris, has acquired another Nova and, like Rees and Griffiths, intends to drive in selected events in Scotland, Jersey and Ireland.