For the first time, the 12th edition of the SWS International Finals will be held outside France and Italy. From 5th to 8th July, Slovakia will be the venue for the major annual meeting of the Sodi W Series, bringing together the best drivers selected in 2022 from all over the world. The Slovak Karting Center is the ideal setting for this landmark event, in a country that deserves to be better known.
A brand new circuit to discover
The site is located 45 minutes from the capital Bratislava, and also an hour and a half's drive from Vienna. It was the quality of the Slovakia Ring's modern facilities that first attracted the SWS organising team. Preliminary track tests sealed the decision to come to Slovakia. The Slovak Karting circuit is 1172m long and is equally suited to 4-stroke and 2-stroke karts. Its winding and technical anti-clockwise layout has all the qualities needed to satisfy fans of close competition and renew interest in the SWS International Finals. What's more, the facilities at the Slovakia Ring motor racing complex have plenty to satisfy a demanding clientele.
Four intense days
Day 1, Wednesday 5th July, will be devoted to the welcome, Free Practice, and the first Qualifying sessions before closing with the Welcome Party. On Thursday 6th, the final Qualifying sessions will precede a long series of heats lasting until early evening, interspersed with the drivers' parade. Day 3, Friday 7th, will be devoted to endurance racing with its famous 12-hour race between midday and midnight. Finally, on Saturday 8th, the fourth day will include the Super Heats, the Finals, and the much-anticipated closing ceremony at the X-Bionic Sphere, a renowned Olympic training and leisure centre on the banks of the Danube.
A record 360 drivers
The number of places available has been increased to accommodate as many drivers as possible: 60 Junior Cup (+20), 90 Sprint Cup (+10) and 30 Sprint Cup Women (+10). With the 45 teams in the Endurance Cup, the total comes to 360 drivers. The popularity with the female drivers has not waned since their first appearance in 2022.
Junior and Junior Kid drivers will be split up according to their weight and will race on Sodi LR5s powered by Honda 4-stroke 200cc engines. Sprint Cup and Sprint Cup Women will be racing Sodi Sport karts powered by 21hp Rotax Junior 2-stroke engines. The Endurance Cup will be contested at the wheel of the famous RT 10s equipped with powerful 390cc Honda 4-stroke engines.
High-value prizes
The prizes at the SWS International Finals are part of the appeal of this competition, thanks to the involvement of its partners. In 2023, all the winners will receive a Bell helmet, except in the Sprint category, where the winner will receive a watch specially made for the occasion by B.R.M Chronographes. A test day with the SODI Racing Team will be offered to the winners of the Sprint categories, while the winning team in the Endurance Cup will win free participation in a 24-hour SWS race. BRM bracelets and ITAKA Shop vouchers will be awarded to the drivers on the podiums. Other prizes will be awarded by random draw.
Confirmed success for the SWS
Launched in 2009 by the Sodikart group, the world number one in karting, the SWS concept has gone from strength to strength. The exceptional quality of Sodi Rental karts, which are always at the cutting edge of innovation, and the exemplary organisation common to all SWS-labelled circuits have accompanied the rise of this genuine karting phenomenon. The largest international leisure karting ranking now brings together over 100,000 drivers and more than 600 partner tracks in 70 countries. The top drivers in each category have access to the SWS International Final.
Social networks and live streaming
The SWS community is active all year round on the SWS social networks, Facebook and Instagram. The Slovak Karting SWS International Finals can be followed in particular via live-timing and live-streaming on Motorsport.tv from Thursday 6th.