Simpson to get Award: Motorsports safety pioneer Bill Simpson will receive the Smokey Yunick Award recognizing lifetime achievement in auto racing during pre-race ceremonies for the Oct. 7 UAW-GM Quality 500 Cup race at Lowes Motor Speedway. The award, instituted several years ago by legendary car owner and mechanic Smokey Yunick who passed away May 11 at age 77, annually recognizes an individual whose lifelong efforts have had a major impact on the motorsports industry. There certainly is no one more deserving of this honor than Bill Simpson, said H.A. Humpy Wheeler, president and general manager of Lowes Motor Speedway. I dont think we can ever measure how many drivers, and even crew members, lives have been saved or how many injuries have been prevented because of Bills work. Being a former driver himself, Bill has a unique ability to understand the drivers and their safety needs, Wheeler continued. He has extremely high standards and his emphasis on quality is simply unmatched in the industry. The blue ribbon panel that determines the Smokey Yunick Award recipient met on Thursday, July 26, and unanimously selected Simpson to receive the prestigious award. The selection came just five days before Simpson announced his resignation from Simpson Performance Products, the company he founded in 1959. Previous winners of the Smokey Yunick Award include Ralph Moody, Banjo Matthews, Bud Moore and Cotton Owens.(LMS PR)(8-2-2001)
