SFI Notice to Decertify Impact Racing Products

[Skyhorse]

SFI Notice to Decertify Impact Racing Products


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 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.

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 Impact’s 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 SFI’s mission and purpose.

For a downloadable .pdf of this notice, please click on the following link: >Decertification Notice 03-26-10. (http://saferacer.us1.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=62a5fa0ef3cb8da7362df6e44&id=5664cd0c8b&e=179f2d971d)

[Cody]

Interesting. Impact Racing has a response as a splash page: http://www.impactraceproducts.com/

[BillH]

Yesterday:

Bill Simpson's Impact Racing LLC reached an agreement Thursday with an industry-certification group that will allow the company to continue selling race car safety gear made this year and last.

Impact and the SFI Foundation Inc. issued a joint statement after a hearing in federal court. The two sides agreed that no counterfeit SFI conformance labels have been used in 2009 and 2010, and all Impact products made and sold during those years meet SFI specifications.

SFI maintained its decertification of Impact products, excluding helmets, made before 2009.

Based in California, SFI is the not-for-profit organization that sets minimum performance standards for motorsports equipment. It filed a lawsuit on March 26 in U.S. District Court of southern Indiana claiming that, between November 2005 and August 2008, Impact hired an Asian manufacturer to produce look-alike SFI labels. The lawsuit, based on an affidavit from former Impact employee Darren Swisher, says the counterfeit labels were put on seatbelts, arm restraints, fire suits, head socks, gloves and boots.

[dsmith]

Yesterday:

Bill Simpson's Impact Racing LLC reached an agreement Thursday with an industry-certification group that will allow the company to continue selling race car safety gear made this year and last.

Impact and the SFI Foundation Inc. issued a joint statement after a hearing in federal court. The two sides agreed that no counterfeit SFI conformance labels have been used in 2009 and 2010, and all Impact products made and sold during those years meet SFI specifications.

SFI maintained its decertification of Impact products, excluding helmets, made before 2009.

Based in California, SFI is the not-for-profit organization that sets minimum performance standards for motorsports equipment. It filed a lawsuit on March 26 in U.S. District Court of southern Indiana claiming that, between November 2005 and August 2008, Impact hired an Asian manufacturer to produce look-alike SFI labels. The lawsuit, based on an affidavit from former Impact employee Darren Swisher, says the counterfeit labels were put on seatbelts, arm restraints, fire suits, head socks, gloves and boots.

My history might be a bit fuzzy, but wasn't it "Simpson" safety belts that failed on Earnhardt, and wasn't that what put "Simpson" safety products out of business and forced him to come out as Impact?

[BillH]

My history might be a bit fuzzy, but wasn't it "Simpson" safety belts that failed on Earnhardt, and wasn't that what put "Simpson" safety products out of business and forced him to come out as Impact?

I didn't follow the Earnhart thing that close but I thought it was "lack of a HANS device".

Simpson never went out of business, they're still selling the same products today. Summit has their belts in stock.

I think Simpson Safety Products got big, probably had partners that couldn't handle Bill's ego.:lol:

But, he's probably responsible for saving more racer's butts than anyone.

I had Simpson belts on when I hit the asphalt, 8ft. in the air, upsidedown in an open wheel car so, I wouldn't hesitate to use them again.

[Jimmy Geck]

My history might be a bit fuzzy, but wasn't it "Simpson" safety belts that failed on Earnhardt, and wasn't that what put "Simpson" safety products out of business and forced him to come out as Impact?

The belts failed due to improper installation. Bill was forced out due to death threats and even bullets being fired at him in the aftermath.

[Dave Deborde]

I inquired of the SCCA Technical Manager in Topeka about this last week. The response was that as long as the labels meet the GCR requirements we will continue to honor the product. In light of the latest information that may change but for now we can still accept all Impact product providing the appropriate SFI label is affixed.

Dave D.

[63Falcon]

Impact will update belts for $63 + shipping with the latest date. The belts receive all new webbing and SFI dating.

[sperry]

Impact will update belts for $63 + shipping with the latest date. The belts receive all new webbing and SFI dating.
Isn't that generous of them. To charge their customers a second time to give them the product they thought they had already bought. :unamused:

[Dave Deborde]

I received the attached from the SCCA regarding the Impact Safety Equipment certification. This says that products manufactured by Impact Racing, LLC. prior to 2009 DO NOT MEET THE CRITERIA FOR SCCA COMPETITION AS REQUIRED BY THE GCR. The Time Trials Administrative Council has not yet discussed this but expect Time Trials will follow the GCR.

It would be unwise to purchase Impact Racing products manufactured prior to 2009! (Dave)

RACING MEMO
DATE: April 22, 2010 NUMBER: RM 10-05
FROM: Club Racing Board
TO: All Participants
SUBJECT: SFI Decertification of Impact Racing, LLC. Products
Per the attached press release, products manufactured by Impact Racing, LLC prior to 2009 are decertified and do not meet the criteria for SCCA competition as required by our General Competition Rules (GCR). Drivers who have purchased items from Impact Racing, LLC that do not have a date in them should contact Impact Racing, LLC to obtain a letter confirming the manufactured date of their items. If the date of manufacture is prior to 2009, it is the driver’s responsibility to correct the situation.
SCCA is delaying enforcement of the decertification pending further evaluation. More information will be shared as it becomes available.
In the interim each driver should evaluate their personal use of the affected equipment.

Open Attachment SFI PressRelease04-21-10.pdf http://ssomail.charter.net/images/mail/cb_attachment.gif?l=en-US&v=ssomail (http://ssomail.charter.net/do/mail/message/download?msgId=INBOXDELIM20415&part=2&l=en-US&v=ssomail)

SFI PRESS RELEASE

April 21, 2010 -SFI issues the following press release. Please review this carefully:
1. Impact Racing has withdrawn its appeal of the decertifications of its products bearing SFI 3.2A, 3.3, 16.1, and 16.5 specifications manufactured in the years 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008. The decertifications of these products are now permanent.

2. The decertifications are based upon a number of the affected products being noncompliant with SFI specifications concerning labeling and construction. In addition to the presence of non-compliant SFI tags and the absence of DOMs on products, 3.2A/5 suits made
prior to 2009 have been constructed with non-compliant materials that, in SFI’s judgment, pose a safety risk to users of these suits.

3. Impact Racing is permitted to maintain the certification for products bearing SFI 3.2A, 3.3, 16.1, and 16.5 specifications manufactured in 2009 and 2010. SFI’s investigation of the labeling and construction of these products is ongoing. Impact’s participation in the SFI specification programs ends June 22, 2010.

4. Any Impact product with SFI specifications 3.2A, 3.3, 16.1, and 16.5 without a date of manufacture (DOM) is deemed to be a decertified product unless the manufacturer has provided the product user with proof that it was manufactured in 2009 or 2010. This proof must be presented to track officials upon request. Impact believes that its products made in 2009 and 2010 have the DOMs affixed to products to the extent mandated by SFI specifications.

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