Liam Doran overcame engine, gearbox and steering problems to end his season with a heroic victory in the British Rallycross Grand Prix on Sunday.

Entering his name on the elite list of drivers who have won the prestigious Grand Prix, Monster Energy driver Doran again won hearts and minds as he refused to be beaten at Croft in North Yorkshire at the weekend.

“Once I’d got the lead of the final there was no way I was going to give it up easily, I was determined to win this one, I needed it, but it was another tough weekend,” said Doran who had been unable to race in Saturday’s British championship finale after engine problems sidelined his TT Motorsport Citroën C4 Supercar.

Initially fearing the trouble would also keep him out of Sunday’s Grand Prix event, Doran was able to rejoin the track after the car’s Latvian engineers worked through the night to rebuild the engine.

Fastest in the first qualifying heat and then second to new British champion Julian Godfrey in the second qualifier, Doran booked his place for the A final where he started in the centre of the front row, but a rough third heat had left the Citroën with steering damage and again it was touch and go whether he’d stay in the event.

“I was late to the Grand Prix grid because the steering was broken and the engineers couldn’t get it fixed. When it was okay to drive, the front wheels were out of line and the steering wheel was half-a-turn out of place but I just had to go,” said Doran who got the best start and led the Grand Prix from pole starter David Binks and Godfrey.

Doran, from Sittingbourne, led through the first two laps before Binks suddenly closed and was able to mount a challenge for the lead. “The gearbox broke and I had only first and fourth gears,” said Doran, “I had to hold first as long as a dared and then change to fourth, the engine almost died, that’s how Binks caught me, but there was no way I going to give up without a fight.”

That fight saw the two side-by-side entering the first and second corner complex of the third lap, Binks eventually spinning out while Doran kept hold of the lead.

With Binks gone, Doran found himself with a handsome lead and was able to bring the car home to an important victory.

“It shouldn’t be possible to drive the car with the gearbox like that, but as long as it kept going I just pushed on, there was no way I was about to give up and after the year I’ve had I really needed this, it’s a brilliant win and we all worked hard to get it.”

Doran took home the iconic Grand Prix title at the end of a season in which he also won an XGames Gold medal in Los Angeles. “This rounds off my season perfectly, with the British Grand Prix and the XGames I’ve won two of the most important titles any Rallycross driver can achieve and that makes it all worthwhile,” said Doran.

The MSA British Rallycross Grand Prix has been reintroduced to the calendar after a seven year break. Run at Brands Hatch between 1982 and 1994, it then moved to Lydden and Croft where it was last run in 2004. It is among the most prestigious titles in the sport.

Picture supplied by Tim Whittington