Earnhardt backlash leads to Simpson's resignation
By Dave Rodman, Turner Sports Interactive
July 31, 2001
8:34 PM EDT (0034 GMT)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Bill Simpson, who dedicated his life to making motorsports safer for its participants, told NASCAR.com Tuesday night that he has resigned from the company that bears his name in the aftermath of Dale Earnhardt’s fatal accident in February.
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Bill Simpson was unsuccessful at getting a face-to-face meeting with NASCAR officials in May.
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Simpson, who less than four years ago sold two-thirds of Simpson Performance Products -- a diverse company that makes a wide variety of safety equipment ranging from drivers’ helmets and uniforms to child safety seats -- said the decision came from an inability to separate his personal relationships from the business of safety in an inherently violent endeavor.
"I can’t separate the two -- it’s tough," Simpson said. "I wrote my resignation letter two weeks ago and it was accepted, reluctantly, yesterday."
Simpson said he had no idea what he would do professionally in the short term but indicated he would more than likely re-establish a role in the production of safety gear, which he said is "all I know." Immediately, he said spending more time with his family, including two adult children and two grandchildren, would be a priority.
Simpson, who sold two-thirds of the company he founded after moving from a career driving dragsters into the field of competitor safety, said he did not anticipate any changes at Simpson.
"My lieutenants are in place and I don’t anticipate anything goofy happening," he said. "It will be business as usual for Simpson in terms of products and production -- I just didn’t want to be there every day any more."
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Simpson will remain a third-owner of the safety equipment company he founded.
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In a NASCAR.com chat session, Simpson said the company, of which he is still a one-third owner, would continue its ongoing research and development role.
At the time of Earnhardt’s death, which occurred on the last lap of the Daytona 500, Simpson was already in an R&D mode on a device referred to as a "decelerator."
The device, which Simpson said in the chat segment should be available in about 60 days, is designed to minimize the whiplash motion of a driver’s head and neck in the event of a crash involving a sudden stop.
There has been much speculation about the exact cause of Earnhardt’s death. Simpson was dragged into the middle of the debate when NASCAR revealed to the public five days after the accident that it had found a separated lap belt -- manufactured by Simpson -- in Earnhardt’s car.
"Dale was my pal," Simpson said of his decision to take a break from the business of racing safety. "I need to just take some time to get my creative juices flowing again."
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