Wil Vincent x RaceSpot TV – Ironman Commentary Raising Money For CALM4 min read
This year, as I get back into doing some commentary after having largely taken 18 months out due to personal burnout and health reasons, I’ve decided to set myself a challenge: Commentate as much of the iRacing Special Events calendar for 2022 as humanly possible.
Why the iRacing Special Events? It was the place where I first really made an appearance on iRacing commentary in 2012, working with Marius Golombeck on the Roar before the 2.4 and the 2.4 hours of Daytona (In the days before team racing, when there was the Daytona Prototype and the Ford Mustang as the two cars of choice). Since then I’ve commentated almost every iRacing Indy 500, and spent years as the anchor of a large part of RaceSpot TV’s 12 and 24 hour coverage.
DONATE NOW – FUNDRAZR
Current Progress & Future Commentary Challenges
So far this year, I’ve completed:
- 12 Hours of the 24 Hours of Daytona (Plus Pre and Post Race)
- All 12 Hours of the 12 Hours of Bathurst (Plus Pre and Post Race)
The aim for the rest of the year is as follows:
- All 12 Hours of the 12 Hours of Sebring (Plus Pre and Post Race)
- 12 Hours of the 24 Hours of the Nurburgring (Plus Pre and Post Race)
- The iRacing Fixed Indianapolis 500 (Live From Milton Keynes)
- The iRacing Indianapolis 500
- The 6 Hours of Watkins Glen
- ALL 24 Hours of the 24 Hours of Spa
- ALL of the Bathurst 1000
- ALL of the Petit Le Mans
- ALL of the Suzuka 10 Hours
At this stage I’ve not included any additional NASCAR / Oval races. This is largely due to scheduling, as these races take place at silly times for the UK audience, and more than anything, I don’t want to wake up my neighbors! Also, I know my limits, and outside of Charlotte, I’m not the best NASCAR commentator (I do however own a WR at Charlotte in the IR-05 #flex).
The Reason For This Madness
Why am I doing this? To raise money for a charity I care deeply about, CALM, The Campaign Against Living Miserably. They have been our charitable partner for over 3 years of our (Now concluded) Monday Night Skippys coverage, and are a male mental health charity, designed to remove the stigmas around mental health in young men. I have had long periods of depression throughout my life, and have made use of their services before in crisis, and may not be around right now had it not have been for them.
At some point soon I’ll write more about how Sim Racing has both saved my life, and occasionally put me in a very dark place. I’ll discuss how when I say RaceSpot family, I really mean it, and just how important CALM’s resources and support have been at my time of need. It sounds crazy to some people, but a voice at the end of a phone when in a moment of crisis, even if you have no idea what to say can be the difference between doing something stupid and not. CALM’s staff are well trained to deal with all forms of crisis, but of course this takes time and money, as do the resources they provide online.
BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!
On April 1st, I’ll be acting a fool and listening to the F1 Intro music non stop, for at least 12 hours. This is both for fun and to tell a story. When I was at my lowest, I would often have music, lyrics or random things spinning around in my head whilst not being able to sleep, or in a state of panic. Music can be a healer for many, but dealing with constant fears / flashbacks can really affect people’s mental health. I’m doing this to highlight how deafening the outside world can be to people, whilst enduring hour after hour of repetitive addictive theme music (No Crofty intros though, sorry!)
Donating & Participating
You can donate at https://fundrazr.com/racespottv. You can also choose to donate directly to CALM if you wish, or to a Mental Health Charity of your choice. Money anywhere to a worthy cause is appreciated.
We will be sharing updates about the campaign across RaceSpot TV Social Media throughout the year, as well as adding in more crazy challenges. We also will be thanking those who participated by giving them a shoutout on air, so feel free to leave a message, or ask a question in your donation comment, which we will respond to in the best way possible.
100% of the money will go to CALM, and I will personally add an extra 10% of money raised via the Fundrazr page from my own back pocket. I will be fully accountable for ensuring the money gets to CALM, and will provide copies of transfers made to them.Wil Vincent x RaceSpot TV – Ironman Commentary for CALM
Thank you so much for reading, and if you can donate, it would mean the world to me!