“Simpson Performance Products”的意思、由来-开放百科全书

Simpson Performance Products is an American motorsports parts supplier. It supplies gloves, helmets, harness systems, driver's suits, head restraints, shoes and more to racers at local tracks to international teams. It was started by Bill Simpson as Simpson Drag Chutes.

History

In 1958, the 18-year-old Simpson broke both arms in a drag racing crash.^[1] Simpson said later, "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." ^[1]

Simpson's uncle owned a military surplus store, and suggested that he use a cross-form parachute to slow down the drag car. Simpson rented a sewing machine to create a prototype. Simpson got together with his friend dragster driver Mike Sorokin to test the prototype. They tested it by attaching it to a tow hitch, and dumping it from the back of the Chevy wagon while Sorokin drove down a street at 100 mph. The chute was too big for the car, and the car went airborne and crashed into a tree nursery. Both racers were jailed for the incident, but Simpson Drag Chutes was founded.^[2]

The first person to inquire about and use his parachute was "Big Daddy" Don Garlits.^[3] He evolved his business into a number of other safety items, such as gloves, helmets, restraints and shoes. Simpson designed NASA's first umbilical cords, where he met Pete Conrad.^[3] Conrad introduced Simpson to DuPont product Nomex in 1967. Simpson used the product to create the first fire suit to be used in racing.^[1]^[3] He took the suit to the 1967 Indianapolis 500 where it was worn by 30 of 33 drivers.^[1] Simpson had developed over 200 racing safety products, including three generations of fire suits. Simpson demonstrated the suit's effectiveness in 1987, when he was set on fire while wearing a suit.^[4] To this day, drivers in the NHRA refer to their fire suits as the "Simpson Suit," primarily due to the fact that Simpson Performance Products is synonymous with the fire suit, and also, even to this day, the Simpson name still appears on several of the fire suits, including those worn by the NHRA's Safety Safari crews.

Usage

Simpson Performance Products racing safety products have been used in many motorsport genres, including IndyCars, NASCAR, and National Hot Rod Association. All International Race of Champions (IROC) cars were fitted with Simpson belts and window nets until the sanctioning body closed. Until 2006, Simpson Performance Products was the only company to supply all of the safety items used in NASCAR racing. NASCAR officials continue to trust Simpson products today. The modern Simpson Performance Products has grown to include a comprehensive line of racing safety products and manufactures in Texas, North Carolina and California. Simpson has 5 locations which include Indiana, North Carolina, Texas and California. The company was founded in 1959 by Bill Simpson. Simpson safety gear is sold all over the world.

A line of Simpson helmets, nicknamed the "Star Wars" helmet has been in production since 1979. The original model was named the RX-1 (RXM-1 for motorcycle use), then renamed the Model 30 shortly thereafter. The basic design was revised with fewer air slots and renamed the "Bandit." A number of different Bandit versions have followed. The similarly designed "Diamondback" is notably worn by The Stig from the BBC TV Top Gear series.

The current Bandit helmet lineup from Simpson includes a Carbon Fiber Bandit, introduced in 2012. The X-Bandit Pro is a full carbon Super Helmet, Snell 2010 and FIA 8860 approved. Simpson’s helmet manufacturing facility is located New Braunfels, Texas.

The similarly designed "Diamondback" is notably worn by The Stig from the BBC TV Top Gear series.^[5]^[6]

Simpson today

Simpson Performance Products is headquartered in New Braunfels, Texas with more than 80,000 sq. feet of manufacturing and warehouse space. Much of the company's harness systems, HANS head restraints, helmets and flagship parachutes are manufactured and tested at the site. Simpson firesuits and crew uniforms are manufactured outside of Los Angeles, CA in their 52,000 sq. foot facility. Simpson also has a factory in Pedrengo (Italy) where helmets are manufactured. Simpson also employs the largest customer service and sales team, based in Mooresville, North Carolina.

Simpson Milestones

September, NASCAR Approves the Simpson Hybrid Pro Head & Neck Restraint for Use in NASCAR Competition

References

1. ^¹²³Biography {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928023535/http://www.mshf.com/index.htm?%2Fhof%2Fsimpson_bill.htm |date=2007-09-28 }} at the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America, Retrieved January 8, 2007
2. ^{{cite web |url=http://www.impactraceproducts.com/musclemachines01.wws |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2007-01-08 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061019211433/http://www.impactraceproducts.com/musclemachines01.wws |archivedate=2006-10-19 |df= }} Jim Donnelly, Muscle Machines 1203 Hot Rod Hero: Bill Simpson
3. ^¹²{{cite web |url=http://www.impactraceproducts.com/nuvo01.wws |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2007-01-08 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061019211438/http://www.impactraceproducts.com/nuvo01.wws |archivedate=2006-10-19 |df= }} Lori Lovely, "Nuvo Safety Spelled S-i-m-p-s-o-n"
4. ^ Joanne Korth; "Bill Simpson is glad to be back"; August 21, 2002 St. Petersburg Times
5. ^http://www.gprdirect.com/racewear/race-helmets/simpson-diamondback-20.html{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
6. ^{{cite web |url=http://www.ogracing.com/catalog/1-Driver/24-Helmets/78-Simpson/item-1197-SIMPSON-DIAMONDBACK-SA2005-RACING-HELMET |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2009-01-14 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090901221623/http://www.ogracing.com/catalog/1-Driver/24-Helmets/78-Simpson/item-1197-SIMPSON-DIAMONDBACK-SA2005-RACING-HELMET |archivedate=2009-09-01 |df= }}