For its 14th edition, the SWS International Finals took place in Spain from 2nd to 5th July 2025 at the prestigious KartCenter in Campillos. The world's largest recreational karting event visited a new country in a magnificent setting and an exceptional atmosphere with great success. Ideal weather conditions bathed the week of racing.
400 drivers, more than 50 nations and over 140 circuits represented formed the backbone of this memorable edition of a highly popular event that broke streaming records with more than 70,000 cumulative views. This is by far the highest figure recorded by WFR and for any karting competition in 2025.
Great atmosphere
Despite the intensity of the competition, the celebratory atmosphere typical of the SWS was in evidence in Campillos. The paddock was particularly convivial thanks to the giant screen, which enabled everyone to follow all the stages of the meeting, and the presence of the Sodi Racing competition structure, which presented all the models in the range. The entire SWS team was proud to be able to offer such a successful event on this scale.
A top-of-the-range Sodi Leisure range
Sodi Sport in the Sprint Cup, LR6 for Juniors and RT10 in Endurance brought complete satisfaction to the competitors. Thanks to high-quality equipment and a well-established technical team, no major problems or retirements slowed down the 130 karts in action. The constant quest for consistency in the machines was supported by very thorough calibration and highly efficient maintenance to deal with the vagaries of racing.
The human factor, the key to success
A major factor in the success was the excellent relationship between the Sodi SWS team and the professionals at the Campillos KartCenter, which produced some spectacular results. On-site preparations began more than a year in advance, and the Spanish team's level of organisation was remarkable. In a warm Mediterranean atmosphere, an exceptional relationship quickly developed at all levels thanks to the presence and involvement of Campillos boss Martin Reuvers. Racing management was not always easy, and Race Control worked hard. Difficult decisions were sometimes made to maintain maximum sportsmanship.
Sprint Cup - Sodi Sport 390cc
The choice of Honda 390cc engines proved to be a wise one on the long Campillos circuit for the 99 participants. Fast and consistent throughout the week, tied with Christian Perez (ESP - Kartcenter Campillos) at the end of the heats, 19-year-old Diego Perez Lara (ESP - Circuito Henakart) finished 2nd in the Final to become the winner of the 2025 SWS International Finals. Victorious in the Final, Horion van Waes (BEL - Worldkarts Kortrijk) moved up to 2nd place in the standings ahead of Thomas Condaminas (FRA - Karting de Saintes). Three Spaniards finished in the top 10 and many different winners were rewarded throughout the event.
Women's Cup - Sodi Sport 390cc
Inès Krouchkova (FRA - Karting Loisirs Neuilly) was not necessarily among the favourites at the start, but she caused a surprise by proving to be very fast. Only 4th before the Final, she secured a fine victory ahead of Karla Fadet (FRA - Kart 56), while Debby Wolfs (NLD - Kartbaan Oldenzaal) was unlucky in the Final. Beyond the French one-two, the Ukrainian performance was noteworthy in 4th, 7th and 8th places.
Master Cup - Sodi Sport 390cc
In its second year, the Master Cup once again offered thrilling races. The standings remained very open for a long time, with very close gaps between the many contenders. Juan Esteban (ESP - Karting Sevilla) won the Final and the championship in a final effort, ahead of Makoto Kubo (JPN - F.Dream Hiratsuka), who was penalised in the Final. Ian Andersen (FRO - Racesys APS) joined them on the podium.
Kid Cup - Sodi LR6 200cc
It was very close between the top five, and the result was decided in the last race. Consistency rewarded the efforts of Jude Puddefoot (GBR - Brentwood Karting), who won without having won a single race. He finished ahead of Sam Nygren (SWE - Gokartcentralen Kung) and Max Piatek (POL - SKW Racing Park).
Junior Cup - Sodi LR6 200cc
The Junior category saw constant overtaking, as it was very difficult to break away. Kuba Dwernicki (POL - Top 1 Karting) took the lead in the very last corner for his only victory of the event. Emil Forker (DEU - Cool Runners Kart) and Louis Huter (CHE - Karting de Vuiteboeuf) got off to a good start but were less competitive in the Final. Forker finished 2nd in the standings ahead of Igor Polak (POL - Cool Runners Kart).
Endurance Cup - RT10 390cc
The 12-hour race was more competitive than ever and remained undecided for a long time. Endurance racing is becoming more professional over time, and strategy is becoming even more important. Many teams even work in pairs. The karts were very close in terms of performance, even more so than in the Sprint Cup, and at the halfway point, a good dozen teams were still in contention for victory. The finish was decided at midnight after a long suspenseful wait, accompanied by fireworks. Matrax Racing (POR - Dubai Autodrome) won after an intense battle in the last two laps, less than four tenths of a second ahead of defending champion PF Racing (DEU - Cool Runners Kart) after 475 laps. Asphalt Knights (POR - Kartcenter Campillos) took 3rd place, 13 seconds behind, with Eiriz Pro (CHE - Karting Payerne) close behind at 0.140 seconds. Two Portuguese teams made it onto the podium, with seven teams finishing in the same lap and the next nine just one lap behind.
More than €35,000 in prize money
Seven Bell helmets were distributed by random draw during the event. At the awards ceremony at the Malaga Automobile Museum, the Junior and Kids winners were rewarded with a day of testing with the Sodi Racing Team. The AGS F1 team offered an F4 driver experience course to the Sprint, Women and Master winners, as well as Itaka Shop vouchers. The top team in the Endurance Cup was offered a place in the 24 Hours of SWS, the 2nd in a 12-hour race and the 3rd in a 6-hour race. The closing evening also provided an opportunity to celebrate the champions of the 2024 SWS season.
Le Mans, the city of the 24 Hours, will host the 2026 edition of the SWS International Finals on French soil.