Tom Braeken, after a successful victory in Belgium in the Rotax categories, has chosen to shift his attention to the Italian WSK Promotion races in 2019

TEXTS: A.GIUSTINI

Above: The importance of family - Tom and his father at the La Conca World Circuit. Below: Tom after the BMC victory in Genk with the GKS team. This victory consigned him the Grand Finals ticket.

PHOTO: V.FRANKEN (FM IMAGES)

They called it “The American Dreams”: the rush to the United States to seek one’s fortune. Karting is not about luck, but about “airmation”, yet the practice is similar: young drivers head to Italy, the home of karting, to participate in the most competitive karting races of the karting world. This is how the champions of tomorrow are born and that is why Tom Braeken has packed his suit, helmet and gloves into his suitcase and, with the Baby Race team, has started his first full season in Italy.

At 10 - Tom turns 11 next September 18th - running outside his own country means radically changing his habits; not only because of the number of days spent away from home, but also because of having to deal with a different culture and customs. If at the beginning this may seem difficult, in the long run it will help to form the man, first, and then the driver that Tom Braeken is and will become.