Airtec Motorsport Fiesta ST240 Championship 2025

5th/6th April

The first round of the 2025 championship and my first round in the ST240, a strong qualifying for my first weekend in the car put me mid pack in 13th for race 1.

I battled hard in race 1 to make up some ground, finishing 11th. I did the same in race 2, fighting my way up to 4th.

As the weekend progressed so did I, becoming more confident with the faster car.

Race 3 saw me starting 2nd on the grid after the reverse grid draw. I held on to my 2nd place until the race was ended prematurely due to a safety car.

Overall, a very successful first weekend in the ST240 with a podium to round out my debut weekend.

10th May

After a strong qualifying result of 6th a turbulent start race 1 saw me drop back to 7th in the early stages. A red flag came out, allowing me second attempt at the race start. I got a much better launch the second time around, making up some ground and getting into 3rd by the Shell Oils hairpin. The leaders pulled away but as the race progressed the two out front made contact causing a second red flag, ending the race early and earning me 2nd place.

Race 2’s start was hectic as I started from the outside of the grid. I challenged for the lead round the outside at turn 1, but it didn’t work in my favour. I dropped to 7th after my trip across the grass on lap 1. A safety car was brought out at the half way point, bunching the grid back together. With 5 minutes to go the safety car dove for the pits. I broke away with the top 6 for the final stages of the race. After the chaotic race and a valiant fight I crossed the line in 5th.

7th/8th June

After qualifying 11th in the wet, race 1 had us back on slicks. A valiant effort from towards the back of the grid saw me fight my way back into the top 5. After I made it to 5th position and pulled away from the rest of the grid the top 4 were already up the road.

Race 1 put me back up at the pointy end for the start of race 2. After dropping back slightly at the start of race 2 I fought my way back up to 6th. I spent the race fighting for 5th position, applying pressure on the 5th place driver for majority of the race. I tried sending it down the inside multiple times but it wasn’t working so I had to get creative, trying the outside round turn 2 and it paid off, securing me a 5th place finish.

A top 5 finish in race 2 put me in the draw for the reverse grid. I was put on pole for race 3 and their was only one mission, bring home the win. A strong start meant I was first into turn 1, after a large slide on cold tyres at turn 2 I still held top spot. I got my head down and focused on the task at hand, building the gap out front. Excluding the first lap the race was relatively uneventful as I lead the race from lights to flag, taking my maiden win in the ST240 championship by 2.6 seconds.

19th/20th July

We carried on the momentum from our first visit to Snetterton for the opening round, consolidating me as a championship contender. This weekend I had my best qualifying of the season so far, 3rd place.

Race 1 saw me lose a position, finishing 4th, but I still remained at the sharp end of the grid.

I raced hard in race 2, coming from 4th to finish 2nd on the podium.

This meant I stared 9th for the reverse grid race, but I didn’t let that stop me from fighting my way forward. I battled my way through to finish 2nd once again. Finishing off another successful weekend in the 240.

16th/17th August

After qualifying 8th, a mid pack start in race 1 set us up with a challenge to get to the front of the pack. An early red flag on lap one meant we were sent round for a second race start. A strong second start saw me join the top 5 after lap one, allowing me to charge through the front pack to challenge for a podium position. Two laps was all I needed to get up to 3rd position, but the leaders had already pulled a 2 second gap, head down, the charge to the top 2 was on. As the race developed I broke away from the drivers behind but with a lack of slip stream catching the top two alone was challenging. However, a 3rd place finish from 8th on the grid set me up for a second row start for race 2.

A turbulent first corner as a driver in front struggled to get going meant I had to take avoiding action at the start of race 2. Before even completing the first lap we suffered a left front puncher after some contact in the front pack, resulting in a trip to the pits. The team worked hard to change the wheel in the pits to get me back out to collect the all important championship points. Finishing 20th and 2 laps down meant I had to start from the back for race 3.

An incredible start from the back in race 3 saw me making up 5 places on the initial lap and by lap 2 I was knocking on the door of the top 10. After a third of the race was complete I consistently held fastest lap, the charge for a podium was on. I made my way to 3rd place with half the race left to go. I quickly made the move for 2nd place and the hunt for the top spot was on. With 7 minutes to go I had a 2 second gap to close to the leader, but as I set fastest laps lap after lap the gap quickly came down. 3 minutes to go an I got with in a second of the leader and by Brooklands I was on his bumper, the fight for the lead is on.  As we start the last lap the win is in sight, a late lunge for the lead gave me the win on the circuit but a post race judicial put me back to 2nd place. Never the less, coming from 20th on the grid to 2nd place is still an unbelievable result.

13th/14th September

Summer is definitely over, on and off showers all day Friday meant track conditions were constantly changing. Saturday morning was no different with tyre choice for qualifying being a gamble. We decided that full wets was the way to go and that choice paid off, putting me 3rd for race 1.

The sun came out for race 1 and we were back on slicks. A clean start meant I could break away with the front row drivers. A mistake from one of the drivers ahead gifted me 2nd place early on, giving me the chance to battle for the top spot. The race was pretty controlled from there on out with me and the leader pulling a huge 8 second gap over everyone else. Unfortunately, a red flag in the closing stages of the race put a stop to my battle for the lead as I came home in 2nd.

As we waited in assembly for race 2 the heavens opened, soaking the circuit and gearing us up for a wet race. A strong start gave me and early lead. I pulled a 1.6 second gap in the first lap but a safety car bunched the grid back up behind me. However, with a clear road ahead of me, I quickly rebuilt my gap after the restart. Then with 6 minutes on the clock disaster struck, as my engine overheated, forcing me to DNF.

Engine issues in race 2 meant it was all hands on deck to get it changed for race 3 on Sunday morning. Coming from the back of the grid in the final race of the weekend was short lived as the second engine overheated too, leading to to DNF again. Despite mechanical issues in the latter stages of the weekend we still showed strong pace when everything was working.