After attending the Jim Russell Racing Drivers' School in 1987, Burt entered Formula Ford racing, where he engaged in a close championship battle with David Coulthard. He won his class in a British Touring Car Championship round at Oulton Park and in 1991 captured the Formula Vauxhall Lotus series title. That same year he was voted Autosport Club Driver of the Year.
Burt moved up to British Formula 3 in 1992 with Paul Stewart Racing. His 1993 championship campaign was outstanding: he claimed nine victories, a record for a British driver in the series, to secure the title. The result attracted attention from Formula One teams. In 1994 he became the test driver for the Jordan Grand Prix Formula One team mid-season, and the team held a contract option on him for a race seat — an option that was ultimately not exercised. He returned to the F1 paddock in 1996 as a test driver for the Arrows team.
Burt contested Porsche Supercup races in 1994 and achieved a race victory, becoming the only British driver to win a race in that series. He also competed in the Porsche Supercup at Silverstone in 2006 and raced in the lower-level Porsche Cup.
Burt made his first full British Touring Car Championship season in 1995, stepping into the seat vacated by the retiring Andy Rouse in Rouse's Ford operation. He finished eighth overall, only two positions behind experienced team-mate Paul Radisich. He then spent two years with Tom Walkinshaw's Volvo team, adding a further race victory to his BTCC record. In 2004, he made two meeting appearances for GA (then racing as Team Sureterm) in the main class, accumulating 11 points — more than all their other drivers except Carl Breeze.
In 1998 Burt moved to Japan, competing in both Touring Cars and GT racing. He finished fifth overall in the Japanese Touring Car series. He raced in the Swedish Touring Car Championship in 2000. In 2001, Burt dominated the British GT Championship's GTO Class, winning eight races for Parr Motorsport in a Porsche. He was runner-up in the ASCAR series in 2002. In 2003 he raced in the FIA GT Championship for Team Maranello in a Ferrari, recording two third-place finishes.
During the Porsche Carrera Cup race at Thruxton in 2006, Burt was involved in a severe accident after contact with James Sutton. His car barrel-rolled and cleared a fence. Burt was not seriously injured, though a marshal was treated for shock. Because the Carrera Cup race was part of a BTCC support programme at the circuit, ITV broadcast footage of the crash during their BTCC coverage, bringing the incident to a wide television audience.
From 2006, Burt developed a career as a motorsport pundit and television co-commentator alongside Martin Haven for British Formula 3, combining his analytical insight as a former champion driver with media work.
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