Double class podium for Maggie Webster, Morgan Kidd contends for top-5 finishes at Donington Park

Maggie Webster and Morgan Kidd contended for strong results in the AIRTEC Motorsport Fiesta ST240 Championship at Donington Park, with Webster twice reaching the Am class podium, while Kidd impressed in wet conditions to secure consistent top-10 overall finishes and match her career-best result.

Photo credits: James Roberts

It was an action-packed latest round of the AIRTEC Motorsport Fiesta ST240 Championship as JRW Motorsport teammates Maggie Webster and Morgan Kidd contended for strong results. Am class competitor Webster twice stood on the podium after achieving a career best qualifying result of fifth overall. Webster was able to walk away from a sizeable race three incident, however she banked valuable championship points across the course of the event while battling technical issues.

Kidd achieved two seventh place overall finishes as she excelled in wet conditions in an event which featured changeable track conditions. In race two, Morgan secured a sixth-place finish in the Pro class as she battled for top-5 results over the course of the weekend.

Arriving at the penultimate round of the season high on confidence, Kidd and Webster were looking to carry forward momentum from the previous round at Silverstone. Kidd ended the event by matching her career best result of fourth, while displaying speed to challenge those on the overall podium. After a tough start to the weekend, Webster bounced back superbly to contend for spots on the Am class rostrum as she showed excellent racecraft in the final race of the event.

Both Kidd and Webster had little experience of Donington Park due to its absence on recent AIRTEC Motorsport Fiesta ST240 Championship calendars, however they were targeting progress throughout the weekend. Prior to the event getting underway, neither had driven their Ford Fiesta at the circuit and were therefore looking to take full advantage of the short Friday test sessions to dial themselves in.

Qualifying took place on Saturday morning and was held in cool conditions with a damp track. Due to the low track temperatures, improvements continued throughout the session as the drivers generated heat in the tyres, while continuing to gain familiarity with the circuit. Kidd was immediately on the pace and at the halfway point, she held provisional pole after fitting wet tyres. Webster meanwhile, was making consistent improvements as she built up her confidence in her pursuit of a strong result.

As the session entered the final stages, the lap times improved significantly with Webster jumping inside the overall top-5. Setting a time of a 1:24.160, Maggie secured her best ever qualifying result in the AIRTEC Motorsport Fiesta ST240 Championship by setting the fifth fastest overall time, second among the Am class. After a trip to the pits, Kidd fell down the order in the closing stages while others on slicks improved and therefore she qualified in 14^th overall, 11^th in the Pro class, with a quickest lap of a 1:24.962.

Photo credits: James Roberts

Track conditions were fully dry for race one of the weekend which took place later on Saturday morning. Webster was looking to hold her own from the third row of the grid, while Kidd was targeting progress from her 14^th place starting spot. As the lights went out and the drivers approached Redgate corner, cold rear tyres led to a number of drivers sliding off the road or spinning. Kidd herself was spun and fell to the rear of the field, while Webster did a nice job to avoid any incidents and retain a provisional spot on the Am class podium.

At the end of lap one, Webster was in tenth position overall, third in the Am class. Meanwhile Kidd was cut adrift of the field in 20^th position overall, 13^th in the Pro class, with the JRW Motorsport driver now looking for a safety car to bring her back into contention. In the early stages of the race, Webster began slipping back with some of the more experienced Pro class drivers making their way ahead. On lap two, she lost out to Simon Horrobin and Graeme Colfer, while James Pope overtook Webster on the following tour.

Webster was able to retain third position in the Am class on lap three despite Daniel Robinson making his move with Luke Warr going off the road at the Old Hairpin. After getting up to speed, Kidd’s times were extremely competitive and she was lapping on pace with those inside the top-10. On lap four, Webster fell to 16^th overall, fourth in the Am class, following moves from David Nye as well as the father and son duo of Christopher and Connor Blackburn.

Webster then settled into a rhythm and began setting a series of personal best times while remaining in contention with the drivers ahead. As Kidd continued her recovery drive, she overtook Warr on lap six after he pulled into the pits, before moving ahead of Matt Chambers on lap eight and Zachary Lucas on lap nine. Kidd was now into 17^th position overall, 12^th in the Pro class, while continuing to lap competitively.

The misfortune suffered by Lucas also benefited Webster who regained a spot inside the overall top-15, before she battled hard for the final spot on the Am class podium with Robinson. On lap 10, Webster made her move and reclaimed third in class and quickly set another personal best time in an attempt to open up a gap behind. Although Robinson fought back, he was then awarded a five-second time penalty for exceeding track limits which provided extra security to her position.

With just three minutes remaining, Christopher Blackburn went off the road at the Old Hairpin and his car rolled through the gravel. As a result of this sizeable incident, the race was red flagged and was unable to be resumed. Webster was therefore promoted to second in the Am class while being classified in 13^th position overall despite suffering from a lack of boost throughout the race. Kidd’s recovery drive ended with a top-15 finish as she took the chequered flag in 15^th overall, 12^th in the Pro class.

Photo credits: James Roberts

Race two of the weekend took place late on Saturday afternoon and a heavy rain shower when the cars were in the assembly area led to everyone switching to the wet tyres. With the sun now out, the spray made conditions extremely difficult for all the drivers as they embarked on two warm up laps. The grid was based upon the results from the first race earlier in the day and as a result, both Kidd and Webster were looking to move through the field.

As the lights went out, it was a clean start throughout the field as the 20 drivers negotiated the opening turns carefully. Kidd made significant progress during lap one as she gained five positions to move into tenth overall, ninth in the Pro class. Webster remained in a podium position within the Am class as she ended the first lap in 14^th overall, third in the Am class.

Further progress was made by both drivers as firstly an incident at Redgate involving David Nye and Marco Ricci saw Webster gain two positions, before Sean Reynolds found the gravel trap at the final chicane. These separate incidents necessitated the first deployment of the safety car with Kidd in ninth position overall, eighth in class, while Webster also gained several positions.

The race resumed on lap five and Webster enjoyed a good battle with class rival Luke Warr, before the JRW Motorsport driver slipped down the field. After losing out to Harry Hayes, Nye and Connor Blackburn also made their way through. By lap eight, Webster was in 13^th position overall, fourth in class, after the Pro class machines of George Foxlow and John Cooper pulled into the pits.

Kidd enjoyed a positive restart as she overtook Graeme Colfer, before also benefiting from the misfortune encountered by Foxlow and Cooper. Although Kidd was overtaken by Joseph Knight, Morgan remained close behind her rival as she completed lap eight in seventh overall, sixth within the Pro class.

Kidd’s pace was strong through the second half of the race as a series of personal best times allowed her to see off the challenge posed by Colfer. Webster’s speed was also improving as she remained with Warr as the duo battled for the final spot on the Am class podium. On lap 10, Webster moved into 11^th position overall after Connor Blackburn pitted while the margin between herself and Warr sat at just three tenths of a second as the final lap got underway.

Webster ended the race positively as she pulled clear of Warr and took the chequered flag in 11^th position overall, third in the Am class, to make it back-to-back podium finishes. Kidd remained close behind Knight as the race reached its conclusion and on lap 11, she was the third fastest driver on track. Morgan crossed the line just three tenths of a second behind Knight as she completed an excellent drive in seventh position overall, sixth within the Pro class.

Photo credits: James Roberts

The final race of the weekend at Donington Park took place on Sunday morning with damp track conditions. The top-10 positions were randomly drawn and this resulted in Kidd starting from fourth position overall, second within the Pro class. Webster was set to start from 11^th overall, third in the Am class, however she took the start from the pit lane.

As the lights went out, Kidd got a good start despite her launch taking place on a damp patch of track. The JRW Motorsport driver lost just one position on the run down to turn one and settled into fifth. Webster successfully got away from the pit lane, although she was slightly delayed as Luke Warr’s car slowed as he left the line. Webster completed the first lap in 18^th overall, sixth within the Am class, while Kidd retained her position inside the top-5.

On lap two, Webster was able to benefit from an off-track moment for David Nye with Sean Reynolds moving ahead of Maggie as he recovered from a difficult opening lap. Webster then slipped behind Nye who set the overall fastest lap of the race in his own recovery drive. Maggie then passed Matt Chambers for a top-5 position in the Am class, while gaining two further overall positions following separate technical issues for George Foxlow and Zachary Lucas.

Kidd was a doing nice job in the leading group and although Simon Horrobin and Alastair Kellett moved ahead, the top-10 drivers were covered by just five seconds. After losing a little momentum after Kellett made his way through, Kidd fell behind John Cooper and Connor Blackburn. Morgan was now running in ninth position overall, eighth in the Pro class, with the battles at the head of the field still closely contested.

Just past the halfway point, an incident took place at the final chicane as Webster rolled the car and the race was subsequently red flagged. Fortunately, Maggie was able to walk away from the incident despite the scary high-speed crash.

The race was restarted for a final five minutes with Kidd lining up from the fourth row of the grid as the results were counted back one lap. Morgan made a good getaway and held her seventh position through the opening lap. With such a short race, the positions were hard-fought and on lap two, championship leader Kellett moved ahead while Kidd overtook Colfer at the final chicane.

In the closing stages of the race, Kidd enjoyed a fantastic battle with Sean Reynolds as her Pro class rival got a good run out of the final turn. Morgan claimed the inside line into Redgate and held seventh position, while Reynolds came under threat from Colfer and Nye. This enabled Kidd to maintain her position and close out the event with a seventh-place overall finish, also taking the chequered flag seventh in the Pro class.

It was a good end to the weekend for Kidd who banked good points in the final two races. Her speed in wet conditions was particularly impressive as she collected a pair of top-10 overall finishes. Webster twice stood on the Am class podium and raced smartly despite battling technical issues and it was unfortunate that her event ended following a sizeable incident.

Both drivers will be looking to close out their season on a high when the AIRTEC Motorsport Fiesta ST240 Championship concludes its 2025 campaign at Brands Hatch on the weekend of 25^th/26^th October.