Southampton-based Rose/Holland Racing have just completed a fantastic year in the national rallycross championship.

Lead driver Greg Rose retained the Stock Hatch title in the team's home-built Peugeot 205GTI while his teammates, brothers Derek and Sean Holland, both achieved top ten finishes.

Greg switched to rallycross three years ago after competing for many years in rallying and circuit racing.

Despite doing only five out of ten rounds in his first season, Rose still finished third overall.

Then he really stamped his mark on the class the following year when he won eight of his ten races to become the British champion.

This year he has retained the title but it was tougher with over 80 drivers scoring points. Rose picked up two first places and eight more podium finishes to secure the championship for a second time.

Derek Holland made the switch to rallycross from oval racing and this was his first full year in the championship. Even so, he had a win and a third place to finish fifth overall - two places higher than in 2001 when he only contested half the rounds.

Sean has just picked up the newcomers' award. He had no previous racing experience before this season and started his first year with the hope of finishing inside the top 15.

But he made much better progress than expected and took a fourth place on his way to ninth overall in the series.

Rallycross, raced on tarmac and across country, is made up of four sections, supercars, modified, stockhatch and minis, and the stockhatch class, in which the Rose/Holland drivers have made such an impact, is the success story of the championship with record entries this year.

They are basic road cars up to 1600cc with roll-cage and next year they will regain British status and will be running superfinals in which cars with fastest times will run together in the same final.

The Southampton team wouldn't be able to compete without sponsorship from the likes of Auto Logistics, German, Swedish and French Car Parts, Finnegan Flooring, Commodore Express, PM Flooring, Regal Motorsport, XSport Racing and www.cars-vans.com and www.rallyxpics.com

Race dates for 2003 are: March 9 - Croft (Yorks), March 29 - Nutts Corner (Ireland), March 30 - Mondello Park (Ireland), April 1 - Lydden Hill Kent), May 25 - Knockhill (Scotland), June 22 - Anglesey (Wales), July 27 - Blyton (Lincs), August 25 Lydden Hill, September 21 - Blyton, November 16 - Brands Hatch (Kent).