DUNMOW teenager Alex Lynn enjoyed his best weekend to date at the Brands Hatch season finale scoring a superb third place overall and winning the Formula Renault Graduate Cup.

The 17-year-old rookie racer took two wins last weekend to take his season total to 15 wins from 20 starts.

Even more impressively, he produced the drive of his life to take his first overall podium finish, the ideal conclusion to a very competitive first year.

Lynn demonstrated his pace on Saturday when he qualified eighth on the grid for race one followed by third for race two.

“I was trying so hard to have pole but third is not bad at this point,” said the Fortec Motorsport youngster.

“I was pushing really hard. In first qualifying I just couldn’t find the time at the crucial point but later on I did justice to where I should be now.”

In the first race, Lynn chased experienced Fortec team-mate Riki Christodoulou, a former race winner in British Formula 3, before settling for eighth and netting the Graduate Cup title.

“I saw my rival Fabio Gamberini in the barriers and realised it was my championship,” he said.

“It wasn’t the most exciting race, but the end result is great – and it’s brilliant to win a title in my first year of car racing.”

In race two, Lynn chased Christodoulou and Tom Blomqvist as the Fortec team scored a 1-2-3.

“It was a fantastic race and a great way to end the season,” he said. “I’m over the moon.

“I made one small mistake but just got my head down and drove.”

Lynn claimed fastest lap of the leading seven drivers to cap off a great finale to his debut FRUK season.

Fortec’s renowned Team Manager and Chief Engineer Mick Kouros said: “Alex has shown this weekend he has the ability to develop and progress a long way in the sport.

“He has developed his racing skills to the equal of this year’s overall race winners.”

Alex will then be back in testing on Thursday at the Silverstone Grand Prix circuit as he bids to build on a superb first year since graduating from karts.

“It’s been a great experience and I feel I’ve progressed so much with the Fortec team so I’m really grateful to all of them,” he said.