| James OLC |
03-30-2010 05:54 PM |
Quote:
Originally Posted by 70rs
(Post 278840)
What happened in the past? I would like to know anything there is to know so I can make a good decision when it comes time to buy my harnesses and gear.
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From the SFI Website
Quote:
July, 2009
July 19, 2009 - NOTICE OF TEMPORARY PRODUCT DECERTIFICATION. Effective July 9, 2009: Pursuant to SFI Test Laboratory reports, SFI Foundation, Inc. has reason to believe that certain Impact Racing products manufactured in the year 2007 do not fully comply with the minimum standards set forth in the SFI Specification 3.2A Program. Therefore, pursuant to Section 12.0 of the program, EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY, and UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE, any and all driver suits, pants, and jackets manufactured by Impact Racing pursuant to SFI Spec 3.2A/15 and 3.2A/20 at any time during the year 2007 are hereby TEMPORARILY DECERTIFIED by SFI Foundation, Inc. This temporary decertification applies to all such products whether or not they have been updated, upgraded, rebadged, or recertified by Impact Racing. This temporary decertification applies even if the product now has a 2009 SFI label affixed to the product. The date of manufacture of the product is determinative.
This decertification is temporary and will remain in effect until further notice from SFI. The manufacturer has challenged SFI’s findings in this matter and is conducting its own review of the findings and the full compliance of the products in question. SFI’s investigation continues. This decertification may be modified, withdrawn, or made permanent
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Quote:
March, 2009
March 20, 2009 - IMPACT RACING PRODUCT RECALL. Any and all driver suits, pants, jackets, shoes and boots manufactured by Impact Racing pursuant to SFI Specifications 3.2A/15, 3.2A/20, 3.3/15 and 3.3/20 at any time during the year 2008 have been decertified by SFI Foundation, Inc. and must be immediately returned to Impact Racing offices or an Impact representative. Impact Racing has reason to believe that these products do not fully comply with the stated SFI Specifications and therefore do not meet SFI manufacturer certification requirements. This recall applies to all such products whether or not they have been updated, rebadged, or recertified by Impact Racing. This recall applies even if the product now has a 2009 SFI patch or label affixed to the product. All applicable sanctioning bodies have been notified by Impact of this noncompliance. Please contact www.impactraceproducts.com for information or contact Impact Racing directly.
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and the ongoing counterfit HANS supports:
Quote:
MARTINSVILLE, Va. – The SFI Foundation, which sets safety standards and certifies equipment such as uniforms and helmets, announced Friday that it has terminated contracts with Impact Racing and all of its driver suits, arm restraints, shoes, gloves, socks, underclothing, helmet supports, and driver restraint systems will be decertified effective April 27.
The announcement comes while SFI and HANS Device creator Hubbard/Downing Inc. are suing Impact, owned by renowned safety pioneer Bill Simpson, over the use of counterfeit HANS helmet clips put on Impact helmets. The counterfeit clips had both HANS and SFI logos.
“Under the Contracts of Participation between SFI and Impact, SFI conformance labels and patches may only be obtained from SFI and no other source,” the SFI news release said. “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.”
NASCAR requires certain safety equipment to have SFI certification. Any drivers using Impact gear will have to change providers following April 27.
According to documents as part of the lawsuit, which deals only with clips and not uniforms, HANS alleges that Impact Racing bought counterfeit clips from China-based Richard Hung Enterprises for $8.90 a set – compared to $41.25 for the real clips – and were sold at a price of $52 a set ($13 below the HANS retail price).
In a deposition filed with the case, Simpson said while he did not dispute the clips were counterfeit, he never authorized anyone to engrave SFI or HANS markings on the clips.
Also in his deposition, Simpson said Impact made $52,000 in profit in 2008.
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The bolding is mine and tells me everything that I need to know to make a decision. |
