Drag Illustrated Issue 153, February 2020 | Page 18

Got Dirt? [email protected] 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 18 | D r a g I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com 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