Simpson drops suit against NASCAR over Earnhardt death

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Safety manufacturer Bill Simpson on Tuesday dropped a defamation lawsuit that accused NASCAR of wrongly blaming his former company's seat belt for Dale Earnhardt's death.

The $8.5 million suit was filed last year in Indianapolis and was set for trial in September, but Simpson and NASCAR representatives resolved their differences Monday.

"Simpson and NASCAR are happy to announce that they agree that it is in the best interest of racing that they direct their time, energy and resources away from litigation and toward their joint goal of improving safety for professional racing drivers," the two sides said in a statement.

Simpson, the former owner of Simpson Performance Products, has always maintained he wanted an apology -- not money -- from NASCAR, which initially said Earnhardt's torn seat belt was a factor in his death at the 2001 Daytona 500.

Earnhardt, a seven-time Winston Cup champion, was killed in a wreck on the last turn. A day later, NASCAR officials concluded a Simpson seat belt had separated at impact and as a result, Earnhardt probably hit the steering wheel.

Simpson countered that when properly installed, his belts did not fail. He also said he had long warned Earnhardt, a friend, that he was not installing his belts properly.

A six-month investigation by NASCAR and independent experts concluded in August 2001 that several forces -- including the angle of impact, the speed of his car and the torn seat belt -- combined to cause the skull fracture from which Earnhardt died.

Earnhardt was known to sit much lower in his seat than others, but the NASCAR report said the separation of the belt was "not caused by driver adjustment."

About six months after Earnhardt's death, another Simpson belt used by driver Jeremy Mayfield partially separated in a wreck.

NASCAR then instituted a rule change that insisted all belts be installed according to manufacturer specifications and said manufacturer labels cannot be located under the adjusting mechanism when the driver is buckled in the seat and has tightened the seat belts and shoulder harness.

Simpson later resigned as a consultant for the company he founded and eventually sold. Some teams stopped using his equipment after the Earnhardt accident.

Simpson said Tuesday he will go back to working on developing new safety devices. Since selling his old company, he has started a new business called Impact Racing that develops helmets.

"I'm looking forward to doing what I do best," he said. "And that's helping drivers and teams be as safe as they can at the track."

NASCAR said they welcome the work that Simpson, a longtime safety leader, does for the sport.

"We recognize that Bill has contributed to the safety of motor sports for over 43 years and we are glad the issue has been resolved," NASCAR president Mike Helton said.