MALVERN duo Bob Ceen and Alistair Douglas have boosted their hopes for this year's Network Q Rally of Great Britain with a superb run in The Cambrian Rally that saw them lift the Welsh Championship.

Last weekend's Cambrian Rally, based in Llandudno, North Wales, was the fifth and final round of the 2001 BTRDA Rally Championship plus the last round of The Welsh National Forestry Championship. this event used the gravel roads of Penmachno and Clocaenog forests.

Bob Ceen and Alistair Douglas driving the ex-Carlos Sainz Group A Subaru Impreza, were leading the Welsh Championship going into this event and had to finish high up in the results to win the championship outright.

A fine drive to 6th overall saw Bob take the driver's championship with one point to spare. This was despite having to drive the last stage with a broken front suspension strut. Bob also finished third overall in the ANCRO Drivers Championship

The duo now have their sights set on the Network Q Rally of Great Britain, the UK's round of the World Rally Championship and have hopes of finishing in the top 20 places.

Bob has driven in the rally since 1993 with a privately entered Ford Escort Cosworth but this season has joined forces with Herefordshire-based Quick Motorsport who have three Subaru Impreza rally cars entered, all to the works specification of the Subaru World Rally Team.

Bob and Alistair will be competing in their GpA Subaru Impreza 555 (car 84) and the other drivers are Glyn Jones, of Carmarthen and Huw Lewis, Aberystwyth - Subaru Impreza WRC99 (car 44), Theo Bengry and Les Forsbrook from Leominster - GpA Subaru Impreza 555 (car 79).

The Malvern team are hoping to do better than their previous top result in 1998 when they finished 26th overall and 8th in class.

Bob said: "Joining up with Quick Motorsport has given us a more organised approach and we are aiming to finish in the top 20. It is a tall order and that is what we are targeting but it could all depend on the conditions."

The Network Q Rally starts next Thursday (November 22) from Cardiff City Hall at 6.30pm and covers 1,000 miles before it ends around 4pm on the following Sunday.