Impact & sfi

If this comes out as true, not a PO'd ex employee I am not afraid to take my lumps for somewhat defending them as they are local somewhat.
I hope for his sake it is not true

 

Joe Wiles;
You may or may not know me, I'm one of the guys that SFI "invalidated" for having what proved to be the correct vote in the "heat treat fiasco", but it's the system that is correctly formed to create safety by the MANUFACTURERS and SFI stepped up to administer it. They are not supposed to have their own opinion, but sometimes that gets in the way.
The programs are to help protect people from themselves by majority of experienced people. I've seen some pretty stupid stuff done, and because of the fact my friends or family that might be hurt by it, is why and how these specs get written. Here's a few:
1. that trans shield you mentioned, with chunks sawed off and holes drilled through it to bolt some dandy bracket to it.
2. steel bellhousings chucked in a lathe machined in the I.D. of the barrell down to 1/8" wall, and a new liner of .090 installed because "nobody can see the missing .035 thickness".
3. empty fire bottles with the gauge turned down so the tech guy (scrutineer)wouldn't bother to bend over.
4. diapers in one chute pack, because you could have drove a Smart car through the holes in it.
5. broken bottom framerail with a breakerbar hose clamped to it in the staging lanes.

It's a good program and takes a lot of dedication, but it is costly to co-ordinate and needs that sticker money to survive. Unfortunately, sometimes the input isn't handled properly, but for the most part it is now because of guys like Bill Miller, Richard Putz, Randy Goodwin and others trying to help cure stupidity by some racers and a few manufacturers.

 

Glad you have somewhat started to get the picture, somewhat.

 

Bob Meyer:

I'd like to add to your post by telling Joe that he needs to ask Arnie when he discovered bogus SFI tags were being made and what it took to make absolutely sure he wasn't being lied to.

Joe says " It is painfully obvious that SFI knew that this was going on yet they allowed it to continue for a VERY long time." Really? If Joe flip-flopped this comment and said this against Bill, Joe would be hearing from Bill's attorney within 10 minutes of his post. Arnie acting irresponsibly on damning information would be a great way to completely discredit SFI. It would make for a great conspiracy theory.

Arnie had the responsibility to check the facts about an accusation. An accusation, as you say, made by a former "disgruntled employee." If he didn't you would call it knee jerking. Once the facts were proven then Arnie was able to move forward. If Arnie would have reacted on this information immediately and it was found to be false Bill would own SFI after he got done suing him, and rightly so.

Reading some of the comments on this is giving me new insight on peoples' thinking. I'm starting to realize how 12 people on a jury let OJ get away with cutting off the heads of both Ron and Nicole.

RG

 

Update

check impactraceproducts for update today
2009 2010 are reinstated

 

Looks like they kissed and made up

 

From SFI's web site:

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.

 

The only good thing to come out of this is that racers will have longer to save up and purchase new suits instead of having to fork out $1k and up to replace everything right now. Anyone purchasing new products from these buffoons needs to have their head examined.

 

Any one who is racing will already have ordered replacements for the Impact products as you could not wait for them to sort anything out once the April 29 deadline was announced. Wheather or not the products are any good will be of little value to the racers who have ordered and purchased replacements. These people are snakes in the grass and should be run out of racing altogether. The only just final settlement would for Impact to purchase back any equipment that racers do not feel comfortable using. We have already ordered gloves, boots and a new helmet as no
Impact products will ever be on our F/C again

 

Yes, it's me, I hope that you like the car, it is one of many I have brought back to life. My next one (almost completed) is a 1972 Eagle-Offenhauser, one of Dan Gurney's beautiful machines. As far as a trade for your used suit, I would have no clue, I do not work for the Stand 21 company...

I have known Arnie for many years and personally know that they have been investigating this matter for several years. The witness who came forward simply confirmed what was already known from SFI.

SFI and the FIA are two such organizations. Because their programs are so similar, they keep each other honest, and the SERIOUS manufacturers also keep them honest. There is no evidence that SFI or the FIA are not the most honest and competent organizations to check on your safety and make the necessary recommendations. In the same manner, the Snell Foundation has some extremely competent doctors to keep the program fair and balanced.

With all due respect, SFI cannot be made legally responsible for the criminal misdeeds of a person who was deceiving them. SFI could only make such a move once they had ABSOLUTE proof and enough physical evidence to prove their case in court. And now you are blaming them and want to sue them??? It used to be a time not so long ago when Bill Simpson's word was in sainthood for many of you. It took YEARS for dismounting the propaganda spewed by this man. This was not enough for you:

Right there, I would have dumped my Impact helmet in the bin and gone get something from a more trustable company. Fake HANS buckles? And what else???

Dennis,
With all due respect, the Sparco products are all manufactured in Italy, not France. Sparco means "Trident" in Italian, the type used by the God of the Sea in ancient Rome. It is also the logo of the Maserati automobile company. The Sparco company went through lots of upheaval in the past few years, as it was formerly owned by a Mafioso laundering drug monies for the Sicilian Mafia (yep!). Free product was given to lots of teams, from F1 to Indy to GT etc., then in-house fake invoices issued and paid by drug money. When the European Union was formed, this became a lot more difficult to accomplish, so the company was sold to a group of Italian and European investment bankers which lost their collective shirt and lots of money (85 MILLIONS Euros over the past 6 years), and have recently sold the company to a heir to the Petronas oil company family for a symbolic ONE Euro.
The racing equipment business is very tough as I am sure that you know. Cheating is not an option...
Regards,

Philippe de Lespinay

 

Philippe, sorry my bad. Thank you for the insightfull company history.

Dennis

 

Dennis,
No problem, it is my pleasure. While I am not in the racing safety business, I care very much for the safety of racing drivers, and am sufficiently well connected to know what is really going on. My sole aim is to give the best advice I can, and to make sure that racers fully understand their own risks depending on their own choices to protect themselves.
Regards,

Philippe de Lespinay

 

All I have to say is, when are you going to start making Helmets Dennis? When the guy wears the stuff he sells and takes the time to make sure that his fellow racers are happy with his gear then there is no question.

Thanks Dennis.

 

Randy (and others)

I don't disagree that a knee jerk reaction is the wrong thing to do. (ya know like.. let's say... 1000' racing) Anyway, the precedent was already there. It would not have been hard to prove counterfeit tags quickly. The simple fact of product sold vs tags sold would have been sufficient. However, I will give SFI the benefit of the doubt. Oh wait... maybe not. Looks like he back pedaling has already begun. Impact is now reinstated. How many racers has this screwed now?

To rebut another comment. I do not condone under any circumstance product has has been modified or mutilated. Brand new product would be bounced in this case. I'm talking about those items that have to be recertified simply because they if they aren't, then the manufacturers can't sell new ones. This is simply crap. Oh, on the case of the breaker bar for a frame rail. Damn straight he should have been bounced. But, SFI had no involvement in this case.

 

im still confused with whats going on RE: impact and SFI decertification then lifting it, i just want to know if my helmet is still legal? i have the drag champ with the 3.3 hood
can anyone help? email general info at impact but still havent heard anything back

thanks
Aidan

 

Aidan, I'm in the same boat. Nitro helmet with 3.3 sock. The last thing i saw was that the 2009 and 2010 dated stuff was o.k. My helmet is dated 2007. I think it is junk, but not sure. Any one with a better understanding, please help. By the way,,,,,,,anyone interested in a 2007 Impact Nitro helmet??

 

I believe from what I read that the helmet is legal, but the sock will have to be replaced

 

yeh thanks, its tough cause there isnt any other helmets that are as cool looking! i dont understand why we cant just remove the hood ourselves and just run it seeing as how the helmet is legal lol

 

retraction

I need to retract my statement about Target Corporation being French owned company. This is not true. I was repeating something I have been told and found out (easily) that it is not true.

The company started in Minnesota, and is an American corporation after all.

Apologies to anyone I offended or misinformed

 

if it is a large, sure am!! don't need cert in my sport.