YORK-BORN F4 driver Bart Harrison celebrated his 17th birthday last weekend with three rookie podium finishes on his first time out at the challenging Knockhill circuit in Scotland.

His Chris Dittmann Racing team worked solidly between test sessions on Friday to create a car set-up which enabled Bart to achieve the second fastest time of the day against the category’s top racers.

He went into the first race of the weekend in P6, his best qualifying position to date in his first season in F4.

Race one on Saturday afternoon saw Bart have a poor start off the line and that combined with “over driving” resulting in him finishing ninth at the chequered flag, still in for a rookie podium place.

The morning’s reverse grid race, Bart started in P7 and on a notoriously difficult track to overtake, moved to sixth on lap one to take and hold solid sixth place as the second fastest rookie.

With another good start in the final afternoon race of the meeting, Bart successfully held his starting grid position on the first bend.

Bart Harrison 77 chases down the leaders in front of a packed crowd at Knockhill.Bart Harrison 77 chases down the leaders in front of a packed crowd at Knockhill. (Image: Submitted)

Challenged for much of the race by the most experienced racer in the field, he skilfully held off repeated aggressive overtaking attempts and pulled away in the final laps to keep pace with the leaders, but the need to defend had cost him valuable time and he completed the race in a creditable sixth position, the second rookie to cross the line.

Commenting on the weekend, Bart told the Press: “Knockhill is a tight and challenging track and I am pleased to achieve three rookie podium finishes on my first visit there.

"I pushed hard, despite having no team mates to work with this time around, and with every outing the experience I gain gives me more confidence about my ability to compete with the best in this class.

"I am so excited about the next round, at Donington, later this month.”