After 14 years at the helm of the AFOR (Association Française des Organisateurs de Rallycross), Jean-Jacques Bénézet has decided not to seek a new term in 2025. A former driver and member of the Rallycross Commission at the FFSA since 1979, as well as President for nearly 15 years, the Aveyron native has, during his entire tenure in service of French Rallycross, elevated the discipline to new heights, establishing the national championship as one of the benchmarks in Europe. Francis Pottier, 62 years old and a member of AFOR for two years, was elected today as President of the Association Française des Organisateurs de Rallycross by the members of the executive committee for the next four years.
“The time has come to step back. Since 1979, I have been committed to serving my passion, Rallycross, whether through AFOR or the FFSA, and I am proud to have been able to give back to this discipline everything it has given me. I have been fortunate to meet people who have shaped the course of my life, to experience moments filled with emotion—both positive and negative—and to lead battles that I believed were essential for the success of Rallycross. In short, it has been a wonderful journey, and I would like to thank everyone I have crossed paths with over these 46 years on Rallycross circuits: my friends at AFOR and the FFSA, the drivers, teams, volunteers, officials, partners, and especially the fans who have always shown up trackside and continue to make this sport popular and exciting.
My personality, my outspokenness, and my convictions have not always pleased everyone—and it’s impossible as a President to satisfy everyone—but at the same time, I know that everything I have done, with my teams whom I thank endlessly, was in the best interest of Rallycross. Today, certain disagreements with our Federation have led me to not seek re-election, to avoid putting AFOR in a difficult position in the years to come. But I leave without any bitterness and with a sense of duty fulfilled. I will do everything to ensure my successor and their teams are set up for success, so that this discipline continues to thrill you, the passionate fans of Rallycross.”
Jean-Jacques Bénézet
#RallycrossFrance #Rallycross #FFSA
