| By Lori Lovely
 Flashing
a warm smile from across the room, the Hawaiian shirt-clad owner
gives a wave of welcome as he excuses himself from a table of
regulars enjoying lunch at Bill Simpson’s Flat Top’s. Yeah, that
Bill Simpson – the guy who has spent 45 years in the business of
making motor racing safer – owns a popular Westside eatery with a
Caribbean flavor.
What
does he know about the restaurant business? “Not a damned thing,” he
laughs. “And I want to keep it that way!” After his partner dropped
out, Simpson maintained his financial investment in the restaurant
because he “didn’t want to put 28 people out of work,” but now that
Flat Top’s is firmly on its feet – and the lawsuit with NASCAR has
been settled, and his agreed-to one-year no-compete clause with his
former company, Simpson Performance Products, has expired – the
energetic 63-year-old has time to devote to what he does best, this
time under a new banner: Impact Racing.
Impetus for a career
“I
saw things happen that didn’t need to,” Simpson defines his reason
for building a business at the forefront of motor racing safety. “It
seemed like every weekend someone was getting killed. Back in the
‘60s, 400-500 people a year were being killed. Now, even though we
have 10 to 20 times more people racing, there are only about 25
deaths a year. That’s progress.”
Much
of the progress of safety in racing can be attributed to Simpson’s
inventions. “I’m creative, not smart,” is his humble explanation for
the number of firsts he’s introduced to motor racing over the years.
“It’s mostly common sense stuff.” Common sense stuff that he had the
gift of envisioning … before anyone else.
Years of experience
Part
of Simpson’s success derives from his background as a racer. “I’ve
driven everything,” he says. Everything includes sprints, midgets,
boats and even Eagles and McLarens at the Speedway. But it all began
with drag cars in California.
In
1958 the SoCal native “accidentally” became an entrepreneur when
fellow drag racing competitor Don Garlits inquired about a creation
of Simpson’s he saw the inventor use in competition: a parachute.
Simpson offered him one. The word spread, and, before he knew it,
Simpson’s garage became a factory. “It went from there,” he recalls.
Parachutes
on drag cars are just one of the firsts Simpson can lay claim to. As
Dan Gurney once put it, “The biggest influence on modern race car
design and construction has been the U.S. space program.” The flow
of information in that relationship flows both ways, with Simpson,
also a flyer, one of its primary conduits. He designed the first
umbilical cords for NASA, where he met Pete Conrad. It was Conrad
who introduced him to Nomex in the mid-‘60s. Grasping the
significance of the fabric’s benefits, Simpson designed a one-piece
fire retardant suit. In order to convince others of its
effectiveness, in 1987 Simpson donned a Nomex fire suit and set
himself ablaze in a memorable demonstration.
Simpson
designed an on-board fire extinguisher system, used at Irwindale
Speedway in 1971 for the first time. It has since been mandated by
every racing series. That mandate has been carried over to the
emergency vehicles that serve motor racing.
Not
all of Simpson’s designs envelope a driver in the cockpit. Soft
walls were first put in place at the Speedway after Kevin Cogan’s
horrific 1989 crash that spun him, still strapped in the shattered
remains of his tub, from the inside wall into the pit entrance wall.
Simpson says afterwards, Speedway president Tony George approached
him about creating a protective barrier to prevent future incidents
from becoming tragedies. Simpson’s creation was put to the test in
May, when Billy Boat slammed the pit wall entrance. “I talked to
Billy afterwards,” Simpson says. “He wasn’t hurt at all.”
The storm of controversy
The
Simpson name is synonymous with safety in racing. Just about anyone
who’s been behind a wheel professionally has used his equipment. His
name still graces gloves, helmets, fire suits, seatbelts and more.
For four decades, he has been one of the most respected names in
racing. His commitment and his products were beyond question the
best in the business.
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That’s
why the results of NASCAR’s investigation into the death of Dale
Earnhardt blaming – in part – a seatbelt failure stunned him. Death
threats and bullets shocked the man who has “saved more people’s
lives and protected more limbs in racing than anybody,” according to
Chuck Davies, CEO of Simpson Performance Products.
Simpson
resigned from his company and filed an $8.5 million defamation suit
against NASCAR to clear his name. In July, at a joint press
conference with NASCAR officials, Simpson announced the withdrawal
of the suit. When asked if he received the apology he sought, he
hesitates. “I can’t discuss the details, but I’m very happy with the
results, and NASCAR is very pleased. The racers will benefit. And
that is the last conversation I’m ever going to have about the whole
thing.”
Starting over
Rejuvenated
and raring to go, Simpson is starting over with a clean sheet of
paper, at the top of his game. “It’s pretty cool,” he says, the
enthusiasm dripping from his voice like the juice from his
hamburger. “There’s no set mold, no restrictions. I’m doing things
that are so far advanced, it’s raising the bar.”
On
the market is a new, patented helmet that addresses the problem of
carbon monoxide buildup. Air now enters from the top of the helmet –
avoiding the problem of drying out a driver’s eyes. Not only does
the filtered air force the carbon monoxide out, it cools the
driver’s head. “There’s a layer of air between the liner and the
shell,” explains Simpson, “and there a layer between the skull and
the liner.”
Simpson’s
expecting twenty-two drivers in NASCAR and IRL to wear his helmet
next year. But he won’t pay them to wear it. “I’ve always said that
if I ever had to pay anyone to use my equipment, that’s the day I
quit. It’s an insult to my employees, who work hard to make it
right.”
Simpson
has also designed a head and neck restraint system. The
patent-pending device uses “screamer” technology, for which he has
exclusive rights in motor racing. A wire around the helmet keeps the
restraint centered. Upon impact, the line becomes taught and begins
to come apart at a slow rate, dispersing energy as it does. “It’s
simplicity to the max,” beams Simpson. “Simplicity makes things
work.”
The
restraint system – as yet unnamed – costs about $150, including the
shoulder harness. That compares favorably to the $1200 HANS device,
considered too bulky by stock car drivers, and the $400 Hutchens,
which attaches across the chest.
“There
was a need for a super light helmet with a better air system, and
for a more user-friendly head and neck restraint,” says Simpson, who
is now competing against his own name. “It’s just part of the deal,”
he shrugs. “I don’t want to say anything against them, but they’re
bankers who don’t understand the business. They don’t have the
heart, the passion. They’re not racers. That doesn’t work in safety
equipment.”
Simpson
has the understanding and the passion. While many his age might be
thinking of retirement, he thinks of work. “I like working,” he
insists. “I don’t want to stop. Realistically, I’ve got 15 more
years to contribute. If I get to the point where I need naps, where
I’m tired in the morning, then it’s time to quit.” Full of energy,
the ruggedly handsome man works out twice a day to keep in shape.
He
may be purchasing a condo and speed boat in Ft. Lauderdale, but that
doesn’t distract his thoughts from business. “There are a lot of
things coming from Impact Racing,” he predicts. “The next act is a
new fire suit material.” Asked if he’ll repeat his blazing stunt, he
grins. “No, I did that in my younger, dumber days.” He’s also
working on a bionic glove that will keep a driver’s hands from
tiring and allow greater flexibility. “You can pick up a dime with
them,” he boasts.
And
there’s new seatbelt hardware that will “never, ever, ever ‘dump,’”
he promises … which brings him back to the Earnhardt issue. The one
positive result of that ordeal, he muses, is the safety
consciousness it engendered across the board. “NASCAR is now at the
forefront of safety,” he claims. While some never thought they’d see
that day, Simpson merely continues doing what he does best:
improving safety for drivers of all series. And selling some pretty
tasty grub at Flat Top’s. |
