Bill Simpson Dies at Age 79
Bill Simpson has passed. The pioneer in the racing safety business, whose impetus to keep drivers alive came from his own accident behind the wheel of a drag racing car, suffered an immense stroke last Friday and died, at age 79, on Monday, Dec. 16.
A Hermosa Beach, Calif. native, Simpson began drag racing in the 1950s. He broke both arms at age 18 while racing and that was when he had the idea to mount a parachute behind the car, thereby slowing it before the turn-in area at top end. NHRA liked the concept and adopted it almost immediately, making it the first of this orphaned, self-made man’s innovations.
Simpson’s driving career encompassed drag racing, sports car racing and open wheel formula racing, including SCCA and USAC Indy car competition. He made 52 career Indy car starts between 1968 and 1977, earning 11 top-10 results, including a career best of sixth in the 1970 Milwaukee 200.
After helping four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Rick Mears secure his first Indy car start in the 1976 Ontario 500, Simpson retired from driving less than a year later when, as he practiced for the Indy 500, he realized his mind was more on his safety business than on the car he was driving at speed.
Simpson’s biggest break-through in the safety business came in the 1960s, when he adopted the use of Nomex for driver apparel. After discussing NASA’s use of Nomex with astronaut Pete Conrad, Simpson developed the first fire suit and, eventually, Nomex underwear, gloves, balaclavas and helmet interiors to keep drivers safer.
Simpson’s safety equipment business became a giant in the industry but his company was initially blamed for the death of Dale Earnhardt at the Daytona 500 in 2001, when seat belt failure was cited as part of the reason the seven-time NASCAR champion perished. Simpson received death threats; bullets were levied at his home and, eventually, Simpson sold Simpson Performance Products.
He sued NASCAR for $8.5 million, citing defamation of character; the suit was settled out of court and, once his non-compete was complete, Simpson started Impact! Racing in 2002. Impact, in addition to fire-retardant race clothing, also manufactures restraints, helmets, shoes and gloves. Simpson later sold that business and semi-retired.
Bill Simpson was definitely an innovator, and quite a character to boot. He made friends in the morning, enemies in the afternoon and by nightfall was happily partying with those he’d angered just hours before. It was always party time for Bill. While he suffered some physical issues over the past few years, strokes are what took Bill Simpson from this world.
Married three times, Bill Simpson fathered two sons, Jeff and David. He became a member of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2003. It is expected a celebration of life will be held at Indianapolis in May 20230 because, as writer Mark Bourcier aptly said, “May in Indianapolis was something Simpson lived for. It will be, I promise you, a hell of a bash. He was a hell of a man.”