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RIP Racing Safety Pioneer Bill Simpson

A legend has died: EJ “Bill” Simpson, auto racing safety pioneer, passed away on Monday, after suffering a stroke last Friday. He was 79 years old.
Iconic image of Bill Simpson setting himself on fire to illustrate the properties of his Nomex suit 5 photos
Photo: Bob Harmeyer / Getty
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Through the years, Simpson’s name has come to be synonymous with racing on the track, having dedicated his life to make racing safer for drivers, lest they should go through the same ordeal he went through when he was only 18.

Born in Hermosa Beach, California, Simpson got into drag racing from a young age and he kept at it until he turned 18. A turning point came for him when he was involved in a serious accident that broke both of his arms, and he suddenly realized that racing didn’t necessarily have to be the death-defying stunt it was.

“Until then, I was like most drivers. The only time I thought about safety was after I'd been hurt. This time, I was hurt bad enough to do a lot of thinking,” Simpson said in 2003, before being inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame.

He came up with the idea of using parachutes to slow down dragsters, but the design would only see widespread use after being implemented by drag legend Don Garlits.

Simpson also gets credit for using fire-retardant Nomex in suits for race drivers. He was introduced to the material by a NASA acquaintance and he immediately saw the potential of using it to create suits for the drivers, since the risk of death by fire was high. Described as flamboyant and a “playboy,” Simpson would often showcase the properties of his suits by setting himself on fire.

In 2001, Simpson was accused by NASCAR of Dale Earnhardt’s death on the track: they claimed the Simpson seatbelt on his car had failed, leading to Earnhardt’s demise. Simpson took NASCAR to court for defamation and eventually settled out of court for an amount reported to be as high as $7 million: the seatbelt had failed because it had been installed improperly.

With his company, Simpson Performance Products, Simpson is directly responsible for creating over 200 products that keep racers safe on the track. His legacy will live forever, as the same products will continue saving lives.

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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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