Drag Illustrated Issue 153, February 2020 | Page 18
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TRIBUTE
Bill
Simpson
[ 1940-2019 ]
An Innovator Passes On
W
hen Bill Simpson, 79, died on
December 16, 2019 after suffer-
ing a massive stroke, he left be-
hind a legacy that will long thrive
in the world of motorsports. Simpson did not
lead the life of a conventional man and tended
to think well outside the box. He first entered
racing as a driver, seeking to satiate his hunger
for adrenaline across multiple platforms. He
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was most recognized, though, as a pioneer in
the category of safety equipment.
“Nobody was more of a game-changer in auto
racing than Bill Simpson,” says 2016 NHRA Fun-
ny Car champion Ron Capps, a driver who has
put Simpson’s equipment to the test more than
once over the course of his 25-year career as a
nitro pilot. “He was an innovator, a pioneer, and
a maverick in every sense of the word.”
Simpson was clear on his goals and resource-
ful in ways to reach and promote them. After a
drag racing crash left him with broken bones as
a teen, the Southern California native moved
forward with an idea to mount a parachute at
the rear of the car to complement the braking
system – first of the military surplus variety, and
later his own design.
The innovator also brought NASA’s fire-re-
Issue 153
BY K E L LY WA D E