March, 2010 March 26, 2010 - NOTICE OF DECERTIFICATION; NOTICE TO CEASE AND DESIST AND TERMINATION OF ALL CONTRACTS OF PARTICIPATION ISSUED TO IMPACT RACING SFI Foundation, Inc., has issued a Notice of Decertification; Notice of Cease and Desist, and a notice terminating all Contracts of Participation to Impact Racing. Effective April 27, 2010, all products manufactured and/or distributed by Impact Racing pursuant to SFI Specification Programs 3.2A, 3.3, 16.1, and 16.5 are decertified. Evidence obtained by SFI shows that over a period of years Impact Racing has engaged in the production and use of counterfeit SFI conformance labels and patches, and affixed them to Impact products for use in motorsports. Under the Contracts of Participation between SFI and Impact, SFI conformance labels and patches may only be obtained from SFI and no other source. Evidence shows that Impact had counterfeit SFI labels and patches made in Asia and then affixed them to Impact products it distributed to members of the racing community. To SFIs knowledge, Impact never advised its customers that its products contained phony SFI labels and patches. Impact never advised SFI of its systematic and longstanding practice of counterfeiting and distributing SFI patches and labeling. Impact has been directed to cease and desist from this practice. SFI has directed Impact to immediately notify all affected customers to remove the counterfeit labeling and to offer the affected customers a full refund of the purchase price. SFI is requesting that all counterfeit conformance labels removed from Impact products be sent to SFI. SFI has elected not to decertify these products immediately in order to minimize the potential hardships to members of the racing community that have been brought about by Impacts counterfeiting activities. SFI has also elected to terminate all Contracts of Participation with Impact Racing effective 90 days from March 24, 2010. Under the terms of the Contracts, either party may terminate the agreements without penalty upon 90 days notice. This means that Impact will no longer be able to participate in any SFI programs after this 90 day period. SFI has taken these actions in the best interests of the safety and integrity of the racing community. This is in keeping with SFIs mission and purpose
Here's what he says on his site (I'm sure before this surfaced). This is a no win situation for everyone. <TABLE style="BORDER-COLLAPSE: collapse" id=table1 border=0 cellPadding=0 width=720><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top rowSpan=2 width=4 align=left> </TD><TD vAlign=top rowSpan=2 width=412 align=left> <CENTER>NEW! Click here for more information about Bill Simpson. NEW!</CENTER>"I've lived, raced, laughed, and cried with my many friends in racing and always tried to make their jobs safer I started out when t-shirts and blue jeans were the accepted driving gear and no one gave much thought to safety Not even me. <!-- -->But then I started to see too many people getting hurt doing something that they really loved, racing. I saw good friends hurt very badly and I started thinking about how some of these injuries and deaths could be avoided. Most of you know the rest But, what I also know is that theres still a whole lot of work yet to be done in this field. Thats why Im beginning the next chapter of my life, thats why Im rededicating myself and my personal resources to racing driver and racing crew safety, thats why Ive formed IMPACT RACING, and thats where my friends can find me. This is something that Ill always need to do. This is my job. This is my Life." BILL SIMPSON,INDUCTEE MOTORSPORTS HALL OF FAME </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Wow, shocking. Either way that is really going to hurt their business. I can't imagine the SFI Foundation not fully doing it's research on this, especially with such a big name in the business. Otherwise they'd be totally inviting a law suit. Which will probably happen anyway.
I watched this circus last year too. Lots of unhappy racers, but as I understand it no one was ever injured from a lack of protection with one of Impacts suits. I am a big fan of Stroud Safety out of Oklahoma city. They have stood behing every thing I ever bought from them.
Well Simpson has always made great gear as Simpson and as Impact someone has it out for Bill, if this company gets nailed- It was a drastic oversight i am sure, because i have trusted my life to Simpson (and Impact)and will in the future the man and his stuff are solid. i hope this gets cleared up soon
If you're running Impact Brand safety gear you had better check out SFI's website. Seems they are De-Certifying a bunch of their gear due to not playing by the rules!!! http://www.sfifoundation.com
Evidence shows that Impact had counterfeit SFI labels and patches made in Asia and then affixed them to Impact products it distributed to members of the racing community. To SFI’s knowledge, Impact never advised its customers that its products contained phony SFI labels and patches. Impact never advised SFI of its systematic and longstanding practice of counterfeiting and distributing SFI patches and labeling.
I just received an e-mail from NHRA. SFI has in-fact decertified Impact and issued a lawsuit to cease and desist
I'd like a clarification......the way I read the press release, it's the PATCHES and LABELS that are counterfeit. I read nothing about the products themselves being counterfeit, though you can probably read into the language and infer that if the patches and labels are bogus, then the products must be also. Also, how far back does the allegation extend? My firesuit is 4 years old.....is the "counterfeiting" claim a recent deal, or does it extend back in time? Likewise with the product itself. Is there a posting on NHRA's site somewhere.....I didn't see one, though I'm not the best in computerese and navigating sites. SFI has never been one of my favorite organizations anyway. My personal pet peave is the 2 year rule for seatbelts/harness...2 years in a drag car, but they then can be sold to the local dirt track racer and used until they fall apart. Bottom line......more money for the scum sucking, bottom feeding "legal community" and all the bulls---t they throw around to resolve the "issue." Rant over.
You may very well have read that right (I dunno for sure) but the bottom line is that you NEED the CERTIFICATION. The mere fact that they have "de-certified" the gear is a problem - no big track will honor it and the ones that might probably wouldn't be checking dates anyways. FWIW I read it like you did, but in the end - it doesn't matter - it appears they didn't follow the rules and are gonna get their hands slapped pretty hard for it. Sucks! Martin, they sell pretty much everything - the website goes into detail about what stuff is "bogus" Since it's stickers & patches - that suggests all kinds of possibilities.
I think if you will research the difference in the thread used in belts used for racing vs. that used in passenger cars, it will explain why they are only good for 2(two) years. Mono filament vs. multi filament. It's not the belt that goes bad but the stitching. Take a look and see the difference. That's what I was told.
They sell a lot more than belts........ Suits, gloves, helmets etc. and yes....the way I read the article is that the sew-in label itself with the SFI spec itself was not purchased from SFI, and therefore SFI is pulling the approval...... Impact has issued their own statement on their site too.
If the suits, harnesses etc. were made to SFI standards why would there be a need for fake patches and labels. I'm no genius but it seems if the patches have to be faked then there has to be question about the quality of Impact's products. Go to the SFI site and read what they have to say. Their site is easy to navagate. Or go to landracing.com and click on Bonnevile General Chat and you will be able to see what SFI has to say. Obviously it must be serious to warrant such an issuance.
Well Impact is stating the exact thing SFI is, in not so many words. SFI states it's a label dispute, they never said their products were not safe. This dispute is over the labels being made in Asia under contract with Impact, which is not allowed, as stated in the SFI regulations. All labels must be obtained directly from SFI. I do believe their products are safe, but this was stupid IMO. They knew the rules and knew what they were doing. Now they got caught and have to deal with the ramifications. Of course all the evidence needs to be brought out, but this kind of thing seems easy to prove in court. Impact f'ed up.
Sounds to me like this is a label issue and SFI just wants a little bigger piece of the pie. I've never had any issues with Simpsons products.
So this is more about ,,hey we did'nt get paid for OUR labels that you have to buy from US,,??? Wow ,,thats just lame
I don't know anything about Impact, but how long have they been in business? Seems like SOMEONE at SFI would have said "huuummmm...this company isn't getting our labels from us" before now. Sounds like SFI has an easy way to run a company out of business if they choose too. "No, we didn't give them these labels lol".
why is the man that along with deist startedthe industry being railroaded was watching nascar when #3 died dale sr had spine/neck surgery during off season always used older helmet style wore his belts loose >>>near the end of the race he dropped back to block for his son&micheal waltrip so they could win ....he caused a traffic jam that ended in his death nascar?blamed his harness caused death simpson sold?his company later started impact brand
You guys don't get it. What if this was some Chinese offshore company that no one heard about that was doing this? You guys would be all over it. The minute people start playing with things like safety accreditation, regardless of how minor it may seem, it discredits the whole process. Hate SFI all you want, say they have it out for certain people/companies, the facts are they have clearly stated processes and if you want to get certified, you play by their rules. I'm in the aerospace industry and don't like everything the FAA does, but I sure as hell would never put any doubt in anyone's mind that I won't follow their rules because I think they are stupid or I can save a buck. Yes, it may just be a label and yes Impact products have probably gone through all the testing necessary and are probably just fine. But if SFI does not enforce their rules and processes, then what's next? It's a slippery slope and Bill Simpson and Impact know that. Simply, they screwed up. Why would Simpson risk his and Impact's good name for something as simple as a label? Until I hear that they falsified SFI accreditation (which Impact has denied and SFI never claimed), then I do believe they are safe. But you never know. The only reason Impact would do this is cost. I am sure those labels are a lot more than just the cost of the label itself. But like I said, you gotta play by the rules...all of them. Otherwise, start your own safety governing body.
Exactly. The cost of those labels (correctly procured from SFI) have to be figured into the price of the equipment. Using counterfeit labels, the company would have saved money, increasing their profit margin at the risk of their reputation. I don't feel the least bit sorry for anyone who knows the rules and willingly tries to circumvent them.
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