INDIANAPOLIS — Motorsports safety pioneer and racer Bill Simpson died Monday afternoon after suffering a stroke late last week. He was 79 years old.
The news was confirmed by the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America via a Twitter post on Monday afternoon. Simpson was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2003.
The @MotorsportsHOF regrets to report the passing of 2003 Inductee Bill Simpson following a stroke. His racing career began as a driver then he became a pioneer in racing safety that assures his impact on motorsports will live forever. #mshfa #heroesofhorsepower @DISupdates pic.twitter.com/1Efh92jA8z
— Motorsports HOF (@MotorsportsHOF) December 16, 2019
Born on March 14, 1940, Simpson spent most of his life involved in motorsports. He began his career behind the wheel of a race car, competing in drag racing sports car racing and open-wheel formula racing, including in SCCA and USAC Indy car competition.
He made 52 career Indy car starts between 1968 and 1977. He produced 11 top-10 finishes, including a career best of sixth in the 1970 Milwaukee 200.
His driving career peaked in 1974 when he qualified for the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He qualified 20th for his lone start at Indianapolis, finishing 12th after falling out of the race with a piston failure.
However, his focus on safety came long before his lone Indianapolis 500 start. In 1958, Simpson broke both of his arms during a drag racing crash at a California drag strip, which kickstarted his interest in motorsports safety.
In the aftermath of that crash, Simpson began developing rear-mounted parachutes to help slow dragsters following runs down drag strips. That innovation turned out to be the start of what would eventually become Simpson’s business, Simpson Performance Products.
Through the years Simpson’s product offering would continue to grow. In 1967, Simpson met NASA astronaut Pete Conrad, who introduced him to a material known as Nomex. Using Nomex, Simpson created the first modern fire suit, a uniform worn by drivers to help prevent injuries from fire while racing.
The Nomex fire suit was a massive hit with drivers and at the next Indianapolis 500 nearly the entire field was outfitted with Simpson fire suits. Simpson had enough confidence in his product to set himself and his suit on fire to prove how durable his suits were.
Simpson continued to race through 1977, but eventually gave up driving in order to focus on his business after admitting that during a practice lap at Indianapolis Motor Speedway he was, “thinking about a phone call I was supposed to make.”
The California native eventually left the company he founded in July of 2001 in the aftermath of the crash at Daytona Int’l Speedway that ended the life of Dale Earnhardt. He remained involved in auto racing safety and founded Impact! Racing in 2002. He sold that company to the owners of MasterCraft Safety in 2010.
In addition to entering the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, Simpson was inducted into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame in 2014.
Simpson is survived by a son. He also was a devout animal enthusiast, whose menagerie included his beloved dog, Maia, camels and other pets. A celebration of his life is being planned for this May at the IMS Museum, with details pending.