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Bill Savage
ENTREPRENEUR

Bill Savage

College student Bill Savage opened TMAG welding in 1972.  After spectating the Baja 1000 in 1974, Bill was hooked. It took him several years, between finishing college and managing his busy shop, before his first car was ready to race. Bill entered the 1979 Baja 1000, winning his class.
 
TMAG has designed and built a wide variety of innovative off-road parts and vehicles, including a VW production parts, off-road shocks, steering systems, and one of the first all tube space frame trucks ever built.
  • NASA Rover Prototype

    Among his many business ventures, Bill partnered with Todd Clement and started Wide Open Baja, a tour company that would give non-racers the Baja 1000 experience. The prototype cars were built at TMAG, with another 42 cars being built at Todd’s Horsepower Ranch in Baja. In subsequent years, Bill relocated his company and changed the name from TMAG to SPD Products. Speed and Performance by Design (SPD) built off-road trucks that went on to win many races, including the Baja 500 and Baja 1000.

    It was then that NASA came calling, inviting Bill to attend a meeting with NASA engineers. They wanted Bill’s help in designing and building a new Lunar Rover. Bill jumped at the chance. SPD built three Lunar Rovers, and helped with testing. NASA wasn’t done with Bill yet, next it was a Mars Rover they were wanting. SPD went on to build two Mars Rovers for NASA, and have since been involved with several more NASA projects.

    Throughout his career as an off-road innovator, Bill has always circled back to his interest in keeping the racers safe. He has written the rule books for every major off-road association for the past 37 years.  Bill has spent countless hours organizing teams to manage pre- and post-tech race inspections, a thankless and controversial job to say the least. Bill continues his quest to keep the racers safe in his current position as Technical Director for the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series.