Racing driver Tomas De Backer full of confidence for Fiesta Cup start: "I can't wait!"

ZOLDER – At the age of three, he was already behind the wheel of a race car. Nineteen years later, Tomas De Backer is still active as a racing driver. He is eager to start the Ford Fiesta Sprint Cup. During a test at the Zolder circuit, the 22-year-old pilot from Antwerp proved that he has everything perfectly in order. He stormed to the fastest time. He therefore looks forward to the upcoming season with the necessary confidence. That begins next weekend at Circuit Zandvoort.

Tomas was, of course, very pleased with that fastest time in the Fiestas. At the same time, it didn't mean there was no room for improvement. There always is in motorsport. "I can really still improve myself," is his logical reaction. "It's the first day I'm driving here. There should normally be more in it."

But: a good start is half the battle. The fast Belgian also realizes this. The driver, who has been attracted as a young talent for the future by Marc Goossens of Belgium Racing, is eagerly looking forward to his debut. "It's a very interesting formula for young people, if you come from karting like me. There's a very competitive field. There's a lot of interest from the press, both in Belgium and the Netherlands."

Tomas is starting his third year in motorsport this year. He previously drove in the Mazda MaX5 Cup (DNRT). At the end of November, he tested the Fiesta for the first time. "That test convinced me. The conditions were difficult, half wet, half dry. Yet the car immediately gave confidence. I was already quite fast then."

Although this will be his third year in motorsport, it has been almost two years since he raced in a race car. "Last year I went back to karting for a year," he explains. "Before that, in 2017 and 2018, I drove the Mazda MX-5 in the old Mazda Cup. This car is a step up. It is front-wheel drive, and the Mazda is rear-wheel drive. The Fiesta is also a bit faster."

For Tomas, racing is a family affair. His father Eddy has decades of experience as a driver, competed in the most diverse classes – from rally to circuit racing – and also had his own motorsport team for twenty years. It is therefore not surprising that Tomas started racing. "I started karting at the age of twelve, that was in 2009. I really had a great time in that sport."

But motorsport is what it's all about for him in the end. Tomas: "I would really like to drive a TCR. I find touring cars very beautiful. This, the Fiesta Cup, is definitely the right direction."

But what about the fact that he was already behind the wheel of a race car at the age of three? His father explains. "I once had to drive a race in the Clio Cup. Tomas must have been about three years old, and we were driving to the start. I had put him on my lap. And the commentary from the TV report was: the participants are getting younger and younger."

Due to corona, the season only starts in August this year. To remain productively engaged with his sport in recent months, Tomas has trained a lot in the simulator. "That really helped. I hadn't driven here for over a year, and when you get back on the track, you still know the ideal lines, even if you haven't driven them in real life. You then only need to fine-tune."

The Ford Fiesta Sprint Cup covers four race weekends this year. That in itself is still a considerable number after corona. A stroke of luck, Tomas admits. "For quite some time, we thought the season wouldn't start at all. Maybe one or two races in September or October, but no official championship. Four is still a good number for a full championship. And we drive two races per weekend. I can't wait!"

Tomas thanks his father and mother and his girlfriend.

Tomas De Backer is supported in his racing activities by SketchUp 3D, Race Winning Brands, Belgium Racing, Derdaele, and Cerno. He is still looking for sponsors. Tomas wants to take his sponsors to the circuit a few times per season for a so-called track day to let them experience what it's like: driving a race car. Interested parties can contact him via [email protected] and +32-476058022.