Britain’s Justin Birchall and Andrew Powell have won the coveted All-Terrain Rallyes France Championship title.

The Championship is widely regarded as one of the premier cross country rally championship events in Europe and has been a goal of British competitors to win the French crown.

After 11 rounds across a hard-fought season, Birchall and Powell took the title by a single point over Yannick Lonne-Peyret.

It is the first time a British crew have won the title in 17 years following Alex Cole’s title in 2006 with the Simmonite sisters, Stephanie and Rachael, becoming the first foreign crew to win the championship in 2001.

Birchall and Powell are the first British crew to win in a British 4X4, built by Lancashire based Lofthouse Motorsport.

The Return of the British Cross Country Championship in 2024

Closer to home, the British Cross Country Championship will return in 2024.

Jon Aston, an experienced Clerk of the Course and member of Motorsport UK’s Cross Country Committee, will run the championship. Further details on the 2024 calendar and how to compete, will be announced soon.

Capacity entries were a highlight of the last edition, held in 2021. Adrian Marfell and Paul Bartleman won the four-round series – shortened due to the Covid pandemic – in their Fouquet Nissan buggy, one of the many unique vehicles found among the entrants.

Birchall won the title in 2019.