Earnhardt Controversy
Simpson Performance Products was involved in a great deal of controversy in the February 2001 death of Dale Earnhardt. There was a great deal of controversy regarding whether or not a seat belt manufactured by the company had malfunctioned. NASCAR's investigation into the crash in part blamed seat belt failure. Simpson received death threats and bullets into his house, which led to his resignation in July 2001. Simpson sued NASCAR for $8.5 million defamation of character suit. Simpson withdrew his lawsuit with an undisclosed settlement.
Simpson Performance Products now uses polyester fabric instead of nylon. Bill Simpson does not own Simpson Performance Racing and he has founded a competitor. He had left Simpson Performance Products before Earnhardt's fatal crash.
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Famous quotes containing the word controversy:
“And therefore, as when there is a controversy in an account, the parties must by their own accord, set up for right Reason, the Reason of some Arbitrator, or Judge, to whose sentence, they will both stand, or their controversy must either come to blows, or be undecided, for want of a right Reason constituted by Nature; so is it also in all debates of what kind soever.”
—Thomas Hobbes (1579–1688)