Impact Racing Products, was: "Very disturbing thread"

[betamotorsports]

A this point the outcome of the SFI/Impact legal battle is moot except for people that own Impact merchandise. The confidence in Impact products among racers is pretty much gone and when it comes time to purchase new belts, suits, and nets I think a large part of the racing community will shop elsewhere.

[mgyip]

A this point the outcome of the SFI/Impact legal battle is moot except for people that own Impact merchandise. The confidence in Impact products among racers is pretty much gone and when it comes time to purchase new belts, suits, and nets I think a large part of the racing community will shop elsewhere.

A sizable part of Impact's business is/was in kids' safety equipment - in other words, buyers who want absolutely NO QUESTION about the quality and performance of the equipment. The sanctioning bodies that see the most Impact equipment only recognize SFI (b/c FIA is a furrin' company run by Frogs) - as a result, the de-certification hits them very hard and almost immediately.

[BruceG]

Gee....Haven't heard a word from Bill or Impact on any forums with any kind of rebutal of these issues

[dj10]

go to impact website.

[jumbojimbo]

Technically I am just stirring the sh*t here because I have nothing in this one side or the other. And I analyze requirements documents for a living so I can't help myself when I see bad wording.

I pretty much agree that SCCA is doing the right thing, let's wait and see what happens. Baby and bathwater. But the wording of the message is unfortunate.

"...as long as your safety products have SFI certification (patch/sticker) that meets our current GCR requirements [regardless of whether it is counterfeit or not], you would be considered compliant."

I'm not sure how else they could say it "as long as your equipement was at one time certified and is now only decertified by a contractual licencing dispute..." or "please don't make your own tags and then try to claim we said it was ok."

[lateapex911]

Latest news:

April, 2010

JOINT PRESS RELEASE

April 1, 2010 - Impact Racing, LLC and SFI Foundation, Inc., in the litigation pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, have agreed that:

1. Impact Racing, LLC has provided sworn testimony that, upon review and investigation, no counterfeit SFI Conformance Labels have been used on Impact Racing products during the production years of 2009 and 2010.

2. Impact Racing, LLC has provided sworn testimony that, upon review and investigation, all Impact Racing products manufactured and sold during the production years 2009 and 2010 meet SFI specifications.

3. Based upon this sworn testimony, the decertification against Impact Racing products for the production years 2009 and 2010 is lifted. The decertification of the production years prior to 2009 and 2010 remains in effect. The parties will continue to work cooperatively in an effort to resolve the issues relating to decertification in these years.

4. Impact Racing stands behind the safety of all products it has manufactured and to which SFI Conformance Labels have been affixed. SFI will continue to monitor compliance with product specifications.

5. Impact Racing, LLC and SFI Foundation, Inc. will cooperate in determining whether any Impact Racing product bears a counterfeit SFI Conformance Label and if any safety issue exists in regard to products manufactured prior to 2009 and 2010.

6. If any Impact Racing product does not bear the date of manufacture the purchaser or user is instructed to immediately contact Impact Racing who will provide verification of the date of manufacture. Impact Racing, LLC will immediately notify SFI Foundation, Inc. of this occurrence. Impact Racing, LLC and SFI Foundation, Inc. will work with the sanctioning bodies to determine the best method for product users to present verification of the date of manufacture.

For a downloadable .pdf of this press release, please click on the following link: Joint Press Release 04-01-10.

Sounds like Impact has agreed that they have been bad boys, but only in 2008 and earlier, and of course, there might be favors sent to Arnie, that's all un the table, no doubt, ....

Now, what that doesn't say is WHAT about everything up to 2009??

[tom91ita]

Jake,

with regards to the belts prior to 2009, they are effectively due to replaced anyways thanks to the 2 year limitation.

i missed that when i first saw the post at rr-ax.com

[lateapex911]

Belts, yes, but suits? Sounds like those aren't out of the woods.

SCCAs stance is cool, but it IS a bit surprising, and I do wonder if they aren't leaving themselves open. I'm sure counsel has looked at it, and he's way sharper than I.

[jlucas]

I think you are reading too much into the SCCA statement.
They are just not doing anything yet.

Finally they will have to follow SFI as they are member. No?

[jimmyc]

A this point the outcome of the SFI/Impact legal battle is moot except for people that own Impact merchandise. The confidence in Impact products among racers is pretty much gone and when it comes time to purchase new belts, suits, and nets I think a large part of the racing community will shop elsewhere.

short memory? Don't pay attention? Didn't do research?

This is the 3rd time in recent years bill has pulled something like this...