Biografie & career highlights

Hi, I'm Tomas De Backer – a Belgian racing driver who's got what it takes to reach the top in (international) motorsport. I visited the Circuit Zolder and Spa-Francorchamps when I was just two years old, and I was bitten by the racing but right away. From that moment on, racing was an inescapable part of my life.

I made my first ventures into the world of racing by watching and helping where I could (with the cars and the racing drivers who drove for my dad Eddy De Backer's team). Eventually I launched my own career – first in karting, and then in motorsport.

Eddy De Backer next to the kart with Tomas De Backer
Tomas De Backer in action during a karting race

In 2009, I started karting at the Antwerp Karting club in Wilrijk. I took lessons for a while and entered club championships. The Belgian/Dutch GK4 championship and Benelux IAME championship were my first forays into the big time. Between 2010 and 2015, I was champion a total of 5 times in 5 different categories.

In 2011, as the youngest participant, I made it to the final of a competition organised by the energy drink company Red Bull, with rental karts in Eupen.

2014 was another highlight of my career. As the youngest competitor again, I reached the final of a simulator competition organised by Renault Belgium/Luxembourg. I drove a Renault Clio Cup on the big Spa-Francorchamps F1 circuit.

In 2017 and 2018 I made my leap into motorsport, with the Conrad Mazda MX-5 Cup. This was the biggest and most competitive sponsored trophy in the Netherlands at the time. From the very first race, I kept right up with the front group. I took the rookie title in my first season with a huge lead. In 2018, I ended in 3rd place in the overall standings with 11 podium finishes.

In the 2019 season, I was offered an amazing opportunity by Italian karting brand Haase Kart. I was the only Benelux driver in my age category to receive that kind of support that year. In fact, I raced in the Belgian/Dutch GK4 championship for the chassis development.

Tomas De Backer in action during a race with a Mazda MX5
Tomas De Backer in action during a race with a Ford Fiesta

From the 2020 season, I competed in the Belgian Ford Fiesta Sprint Cup, the cup that's famous for launching the careers of talented young drivers. I won the junior title in my first season, finishing as the vice-champion overall – a great start to an incredibly successful period for me.

Unfortunately, the 2021 season brought a lot of mechanical bad luck. This kept me stuck in 3rd place overall. Ironically, it was the season where I had the most wins and pole positions.

The 2022 season was the ultimate culmination of all the previous seasons' hard work, and I won the overall Belgian title as well as the Belgian junior title. I also took the overall Dutch/Belgium Superstar title. At 10 wins and 13 podiums out of 14 races, this was an unprecedented feat in the history of the Belgian Fiesta Cup.

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Let’s race to the top!

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Tomas De Backer posing with his family and friends in front of the pitbox
Tomas De Backer is embraced by his girlfriend Sarah Maes after a victory

track record

  • 2010
    Club champion Honda 6,5hp
  • 2011
    Club champion Honda 9hp
  • 2011
    Belgium Red Bull Kart Fight Finalist
  • 2012
    Club champion Brigss & Stratton 15hp
  • 2013
    Club champion RK1 15hp
  • 2014 & 2015
    Champion Honda 9hp senior in GK4 kartseries
  • 2014
    Finalist Renault Clio Cup steering wheel Belgium/Luxembourg
  • 2015
    Semi Finalist RACB National Team Belgium
  • 2016
    Benelux championship IAME 2-stroke
  • 2017
    Rookie Champion Mazda MX-5 Cup
  • 2018
    3rd place Mazda MX-5 Cup
  • 2019
    Test pilot Haase Kart in GK4 kart series
  • 2020
    Belgian Junior Champion Ford Fiesta Sprint Cup
  • 2020
    Belgian Vice Champion General Classification Ford Fiesta Sprint Cup
  • 2021
    3rd place Belgian general classification Ford Fiesta Sprint Cup
  • 2022
    Belgian champion overall Ford Fiesta Sprint Cup
  • 2022
    Belgian Junior Champion Ford Fiesta Sprint Cup
  • 2022
    Belgian/Dutch champion Ford Fiesta Sprint Cup
  • 2023
    Belgian/Dutch champion Ford Fiesta Sprint Cup
Tomas De Backer cheers for his first place