Kent’s Liam Doran crashed out in pursuit of a fast time in the Czech Republic at the weekend.

In search of a win to close his season in the European Rallycross Championship, Monster Energy driver Liam Doran had adopted a ‘go big or go home’ attitude to the final event in the ten-race series at the Autodrom Ceska Lipa in the Czech Republic.

On course for an A final start, Doran still needed to chase hard for a top time in the third qualifying heat to get as near to the front of the A final grid as possible, and a small error while going for the time led to a crash and his exit from the event.

“We were nearly there but needed a good time in the third heat to make sure of being at the front of the A final,” said Doran,

“It’s so competitive here now that you have to push as hard as you dare and there is no margin, if I was doing 110% then perhaps 109% would have been okay, but that is what it’s about, you have to race, to test yourself and the car.”

The crash, entering the Joker Lap section of the fast Czech track resulted in the Monster Citroën C4 rolling between the banks of the narrow extra section of track.

“I went into the Joker fast and when I braked I think a wheel locked and that sent the car wide. There was no chance to avoid a crash, the track is narrow there and it went into the bank on one side and then back to the other side. I don’t know how many times it rolled, but it was a lot,” said Doran who was unhurt in the incident but acknowledged the risks he had taken in going for broke.

“Coming here I said it was go big or go home, I was not interested in coming second or third, it was win or nothing and I got nothing, but that’s how it goes. There have been times this year when I was close to winning but had to take a place and a safe finish, that was not an option here,” said Doran who has consistently been among the fastest drivers in the championship in what has been an intensely competitive 2011 season.

“After being third in the championship last year I wanted to do better this season but it just didn’t come together. We’ve been fast everywhere and that’s good but there have been a few incidents that meant the results didn’t always come together. I’m thinking about next year now, I’m going to go home and concentrate on training over the winter and come back here ready to win,” said Doran.

Doran has finished the championship in seventh place and scored points in all ten events, making it to the A final (for the top six) in four events (Britain, Portugal, France and Belgium).

Picture by Tim Whittington