Duckhams, the original British motor oil brand since 1899, was delighted to partner with the Sim To Reality motorsports challenge to raise funds for The David Riddell Memorial and support their incredible work on mental health and suicide prevention.
The Sim To Reality competition was created with a simple ambition: to find a talented sim racer, give them the opportunity to prove themselves in the real world, and raise as much money as possible for The David Riddell Memorial. Every competition entry fee went directly to the charity, along with donations from Duckhams Oils and other supporters including GS Yuasa Battery Europe Ltd, Rapid Group, Bonkers Competitions, Car Finance 247 and Pace Motorsport Finance.
After competing against sim racers from across Europe, Will Foulkes progressed to a karting final at Daytona Motorsport in Milton Keynes. He went on to win the final, earning himself the incredible opportunity to make his real-world racing debut in the Mini Trophy Championship at Donington Park GP Circuit, supporting the British Touring Car Championship. The race was broadcast live on the ITV network and reported by BBC News.
The campaign has raised over £20,000 for The David Riddell Memorial. The money will fund training for organisations to better recognise and respond to mental health issues in the corporate workplace.
“When motorsport brings people together, it can make a difference far beyond the track,” commented David McLean, Chief Marketing Officer at Duckhams Oils. “It was an honour to support the Sim To Reality activity and shine a light on The David Riddell Memorial. We’re proud to support a charity making a real difference. It was fantastic to see the whole team getting behind such an important cause.”
For more than half a century, Duckhams has been a trusted partner in the world of motorsports. Its legacy dates back to 1934, when W. G. Everitt, driving a Duckhams-lubricated MG at Brooklands, broke the world record (H class) for the standing start kilometre and mile. Since then, Duckhams has supported numerous winners in F1, BTCC, British GT, and Formula Ford, with celebrated drivers of yesteryear like Colin Chapman, Ayrton Senna, James Hunt, John Surtees, and more recent champions including Dan Cammish, Shaun Balfe, Adam Smalley, and Daryl DeLeon.
The David Riddell Memorial CIO was established to reduce the number of people who take their own lives by educating people about suicidal ideation and informing them of ways to prevent suicide, particularly people working in the financial services sector and associated industries.
