The long-awaited meeting between the legendary Belgian circuit of Genk and the SWS International Finals exceeded the expectations of both organisers and competitors at the 13th edition of the world's biggest leisure karting event.
The fruit of an incredibly successful collaboration between the hyper-competent professionals at the circuit and the seasoned SWS team from Sodikart, success is based on the constant mastery of all areas by everyone involved. The new strategic choices made by the world's No. 1 karting in terms of race layout, equipment and sporting management of the competition have proved to be highly relevant. Genk's 100% Racing culture, applied to the world of leisure activities, has worked wonders in terms of the track, which is exceptional, the infrastructure, which is out of the ordinary, and the human resources, which are of a rare quality.
Genk 2024, a landmark event
Coming from 46 different countries, the 410 drivers taking part in the SWS International Finals 2024 were thrilled by the 1,360 m Belgian 'Home of Champions' track. The fast circuit was highly selective, thanks to the technical sections that contribute to its international reputation. It's no coincidence that Max Verstappen forged his talent at Genk during his years in karting.
Designed with constant efficiency in mind, the Belgian circuit's infrastructure proved perfectly suited to an event like the SWS International Final. The main grandstand overlooking the circuit and the large terrace dominating the site were taken over by the competitors and their entourage. Thanks to the adjoining catering area, this meeting point was the focus of interest, whether the skies were clear or the rain was adding extra tension to the races.
Drawing on its many years of experience and ongoing dialogue with drivers, Sodikart's SWS department continued to fine-tune its concept to meet competitors' expectations. The close-knit team with a perfect command of the field was able to make the best decisions, both throughout the year and at the event itself. The newly-introduced Championship-style competition format for the Sprint categories requires more consistency in performance to triumph than a simple win in the Final. This approach was much appreciated. Similarly, the choice of prepared 270cc four-stroke engines proved very positive for all the competitors in the Sprint Cup, Women's Cup and Master Cup categories. The balance and driving pleasure of the Sodi Sport chassis contributed to the success of the meeting. The new 200cc Sodi LR6s were perfect for the Kids and Juniors, while the 390cc RT10s performed flawlessly in the Endurance Cup. The event once again highlighted the reliability of the entire Sodi range.
Sprint Cup: Delvenne wins at last
Simon Delvenne (BEL - East Belgium Action), who has been taking part in numerous SWS International Finals for almost 10 years, had never managed to win before. On Wednesday, he won Qualifying Heats 1 and 2, but lost out in Heat 3. He climbed back up to 5th place in the heats on Thursday, then to 3rd place after the Super Heats the following day. Delvenne showed great racing intelligence to win Final A ahead of Wiktor Wota (POL - KartCenter / Revolut). Marco Braun (CZE - Motokáry Modřice) joined them on the third step of the podium ahead of Rémi Stehlin (FRA - Karting Audincourt) and Benjamin Kaivers (BEL - Experience Factory Eupen).
Women's Cup: Braune ahead of Wolfs
It was a hard-fought battle between the top two finishers in the Women's Cup, who had already played the leading roles in 2023 with some bad luck in the Final. Louise Braune (BEL - Experience Factory Eupen) and Debby Wolfs (NLD - Kartbaan Oldenzaal) battled it out throughout the event. It wasn't until the final bend of the Final that they were completely separated. Braune took victory from Wolfs, while Sarai Garcia (ESP - Karting Sevilla) took 3rd on the grid without having scored a win. Karla Fadet (FRA - Kart 56) finished 4th and last year's winner Abi Sanders (GBR - Daytona Tamworth) 5th.
Galichet the first Master Cup winner
The creation of the Master category for drivers aged 40 and over was very much appreciated. It gave rise to some thrilling races between these experienced drivers, who are as wild on the track as they are courteous away from their karts. Geoffroy Galichet (FRA - Karting Belval) led at the end of the Heats, but Mickael Ubermulhin (FRA - Circuit International d'Aunay) regained the lead after the Super Heats. It was the Final that decided the tie, with Galichet taking the win. Joël Faure (FRA - Karting Caudecoste) was 3rd on the podium, followed in the top five by Olivier Laurençon (CHE - Karting Payerne) and Thomas Birchard (USA - Kartplanet).
Kid Cup: Lukasz dominates
Despite only finishing 2nd in the Final, Jezierski Lukasz (POL - E1GOKART Chorzów) showed enough speed and consistency to dominate the category and win the Kid Cup from Viktor Nikolov (BGR - Karting Track Lauta). Winner in the Final, Juraj Mikoš (SVK - Motokáry MAX 60) finished 3rd ahead of Peter Fábry (SVK - Kart One Arena) and Piasciak Marcel (POL - E1GOKART Chorzów).
Junior Cup: Werra finishes ahead of Van Leersum
The competition was intense right to the end in the Junior Cup. It was in fact the Final that separated Ziemovit Werra (POL - Motokáry Modřice) and William Van Leersum (NLD - Dubaï Autodrome), who finished level on points. Fabian Kopp (DEU - MS Kartcenter Hattin) secured 3rd place thanks to his 2nd place in the Final while Alexey Mukhin (Leader Track Podolsk) and Igor Polak (POL - Cool Runners Kart) completed the top five.
Endurance Cup: PF Racing wins again against Infinity
The Endurance Cup brought together a record 48 crews for the 12-hour race. This year, the Qualifying rankings were established by averaging the best times of all the drivers in each team. PF Racing was already in 1st place, ahead of KMRS Racing and Kart Team Wittlich. A key player from the outset, PF Racing was firmly in the lead at the halfway stage of the race, while the battle continued to rage among the top contenders for 2nd place. Infinity followed an effective strategy to come back to within 35'' of the winner, while KMRS Racing moved up to 3rd place. Matrax Racing and Joker Team finished in the top five after more than 700km of fierce racing.
2024 Endurance Cup standings
1- PF Racing (DEU - Cool Runners Kart) 529 laps
Christian Douven (NLD) - Dennis Höller (DEU) - Niklas Krüger (DEU) - Vica Schledz (NLD)
2- Infinity (ITA - Circuito di Pomposa) 529 laps - at 35''
Riccardo Agostini (ITA) - Boris Bouvier (FRA) - Bastien Legay (FRA) - Niccoló Soffiati (ITA)
3- KMRS Racing (BEL - SARL Le Kart) 528 laps
Guillaume Germis (BEL) - Bastien Meunier (FRA) - Antoine Morlet (BEL) - Lucas Urbani (FRA)
4- Matrax Racing (PRT - Dubaï Autodrome) 528 laps - at 7,4''
André Caiado (PRT) - Ruben Conceicao (PRT) - Duarte Lopes (PRT) - Miguel Neto (PRT)
5- Joker Team (FRA - RKC Paris) 528 laps - 4.1'' behind
Alexandre Bérard (FRA) - Martin Brochard (FRA) - Mattéo Castel (FRA) - Lucas Decobert (FRA)
Magnificent closing evening at C-Mine
As with the rest of the meeting, Saturday evening was marked by a relaxed and festive atmosphere. The venue, the former C-Mine industrial site, matched the rest of the event. Several prize-giving ceremonies rewarded the best of the SWS International Finals 2024, as well as the best performers of the SWS 2023 season. For the first time, a track ranking was drawn up at the end of the 2024 competition to celebrate the home venues of the best-placed drivers.
1- Cool Runners Kart (DEU) 1584 points
2- Brentwood Karting (GBR) 888 points
3- Karting Audincourt (FRA) 796 points
4- Experience Factory Eupen (BEL) 757 points
5- Dubaï Autodrome (ARE) 725 points
The SWS International Finals partners provided a wealth of prizes for the winners, including Bell helmets, Cambox onboard cameras, two AGS Formula F4 courses, Mak Design helmet covers and ITAKAShop vouchers. For the occasion, DEMT prepared personalised protection mats that will be very useful in competition for the drivers of the award-winning circuits.
The SWS e-Sprint International Final 2025 will take place in Belgium at Wavre Indoor Karting.
The SWS International Finals 2025 will take place in southern Spain at the Kart Center Campillos.