Impact SFI-15 and SFI-20 Firesuit Fail SFI Testing

I agree with hotrod796. I drive an APM on the east coast. My suit came from Phoenix and I couldn't be happier with it. These people care about customer service and they are great to work with. The suit is not light, but it is comfortable. I, too, would recommend Phoenix. You can not make a mistake dealing with these people. And I never worked with Bruce or Eric, so I don't care if this sounds like a commercial.

Carol Long
Automatic ProMod
Quick 8 Outlaws

 

Hey Rich, I give you the nobell prize for this years best post...I just got back from the race shop went there to take out my impact belts....oh and yes they are in my dumpster as we speak..Dave Lowe..p.s. been working on your wheels
www.myspace.com/davelowe

 

We experienced a fire this year at Bonneville in our streamliner. Driver was wearing a DJ Safety 2 piece 20. He was subjected to open flame for approximatly 1.5 to 2 minutes. Hands got burned badly and a little under the chin and neck area due to a single nomex head sock, but nothing on the rest of the body. There were areas of the suit which had the flaming coolant (Evans Coolant) sitting in puddles and flaming, but never got past the second layer. Boots looked good too.
I can highly recommend their products as I've seen the results.

 

From Promod zone..............


I went to the Impact trailer and talked with him and also emailed the letter from the other site which in one respect I agree with that Impact should have made this mistake they made more well known so some of the guys that went to the races not knowing that any 15 suit with an 08 tag wasn't allowed until checked by Impact and recert 09. The story of the famous "Burned" guy. According to NHRA ...Never happened. A racer that suspected his suit was way too light for a 15 sent it to sfi and it was missing 2 layers. At that point NHRA disallowed any 15 suit with an 08 tag to be safe but there was never a problem with a burned guy or a conficiated suit that checked out wrong. To go one step further I went to the Simpson truck where I am friends with the owner. I ran this by him and he backed NHRA and Impact and was very aware of this and has sold many 15 suits lately to spooked buyers. He went on to say he has never said a word to any one about this or knocked Impact in any way because of an assembly line mistake. This "Burn Victim" is no one NHRA has heard of and would some one please name this masked man or woman. I believe if I was the guy defameing Impact at this point I would be very careful what I said with out solid proof as I hear lawyers are getting involved and that's not cool but if you accuse some one of something you better have your proof or it could cost you and the internet is the same as writing it on a bill board.
No I won't name the NHRA official so don't ask but he was sincere and had no reason to lie.
Sorry this took so long for those that were so impatient but I do have a life here at the track like checking out race cars BS ing, having a beer, going out to eat and doing all this. Hope this helps and please have your facts before any of you try to tear down a company they did me right and my 15 suit is on the money. Now wish me luck here.Remember don't shoot the messenger. Tom Tom?? My new name from Carol

 

The burned driver does have a name, and it is posted over at CFB, they have this same thread going on, and the guy that got burned, responded, on page 5.

 

Backmotor,..you are confused. re: pg 5 on CFB

Dave Benjiman explains his experiance from several years ago, nothing
actually to do with the 2008 or 2009 suit issue that Richard explains
that is currently under fire.

The Carguyleroy reply to this thread explains his friends fire at this
past weekends March Meet,..apparently he is no longer going to drive.
He was driving a Nostalgia funny car so I can only think of one big fire
in funny cars.

is this one

http://markjrebilas.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/ea03x_1737-650x429.jpg



.

 

Facts

Lets all back up and look at what we know for a fact. We know the NHRA would not accept Impact -20 and -15 suits made in 2008 at Pomona. We know for a fact that Richard Putz's suit wouldn't pass SFI despite the fact Impact said it was ok twice. Those are the facts and they are good enough for me to make my decision as to where my safety equipment money will go. Dave Germain

 

ITS IN MY BLOOD, you are correct, I was mistaken, it even says from years ago, missed that part, first time I read it >> DOH

Dave Germain, I agree here too, will not spend my money with a company like Impact, deliberately misleading people, on a potentially life saving device.

Gary J, none of that changes what happened with Richards stuff, so called "assembly line mistake" what about the two times he sent it in to have it checked, and they said it was okay, not part of any assembly line at that point, he was mislead

 

I will back Richard Putz a 110%..Dave Lowe Frontenac Kansas

 

SFI20 suits

What does CFB stand for is it a web site ?

 

classic funnycar board

 

http://www.classicfunnycarboard.com/cgi-bin/ikonboard/ikonboard.cgi?&/ikonboard.cgi

 

Sorry to hear

I'm sorry to hear about this and hope no one gets hurt from this, D.J. Safety makes some great stuff and they are awesome to deal with. Tim Stephens (AFC357) can vouch for there suit, he had a fire and the suit protected him 100% he bought another one just like it, sponsors bought him a brand new suit so I just bought from the old one from him and will trust it with my life without question. I also plan on getting all of the rest of my safety stuff from D.J. as well. I hope they start making the 7 point harness's soon...hint hint....lol

Spc. Trevor Sherwood
U.S. Army

 

get a grip bill

not trying to stir the pot here but us sportsman racers don't get much of a chance to ask guys like you questions directely. How is it even possible that suits designed to save sombody from burning could even get out of your doors? you have been doing this for what 50 years? i would be personally ashamed at what you charge for a "fire suit" that won't stop a fire. i am a businessman so i understand "you get what you pay for" but i don't let stuff get by me personally. you should send every racer that might have recieved a faulty suit a brand new suit not there old one bandaged together. just my two cents on the responsibility of a "saftey clothing manufacturer"
I race, my wife races as well as my two boys. and i could only imagine what it would be like for one of them to get hurt because of someone's carelessness who we are paying to protect us. I licenced in richard's tad and he and his wife are great people you should be ashamed of your self for coming on this site and saying one foul thing to him when you sold him an overpriced piece of crap. he is a very good person and i'm sure he didn't ask any "thugs" to do anything. you should have the balls to stand up for your mistake only and not come here to band aid your sales

 

Hey " Leveler" your a funny one.

Personaly I respect Bill coming on here and laying out the facts.

I drive an AA/FC . I drove for years in my alchy car with his name on my coat, and I have an order in at Impact right now for a full meal deal.

shit happened, he fixed it then he came out and told it like it is. Nothing more to see. Move along.

Jay Mageau
the Prospector

 

Yeah after Impact made defective driving shoes and then suits you should run right over and get in line to be the first to get the next defective batch of non saftey product and feel good about it.

I don't think the Leveler is the funny one there Prospector.

 

Questions for Bill -

This started back in November with the boots being over nighted to select racers. Remember to date racers the boots might still be in question. Has SFI seen the new boots? Didn't a racer just last weekend in Bakersfield have a pair of Impact boots on and the "zippers" burned out?

To Bill, I have been in the garment business for along time and I would like to see the technique you used to "Cut these suits apart and add the required layers it would take to bring the suit up to spec" Please answer this question Bill -- If these suits were custom made for a person and you cut them apart and add extra layers - does this not change the size of the suit? Have these suits been sent back to SFI for another inspection to make sure your "new added layers" bring it up to spec? Or are you just putting 2009 tags of them? Just a question.

On your website you say that there is no recall of these suits. But you have now just admitted there was a problem. As a businessman and to "Protect" your homology you should have stepped up to the plate and taken immediate action by letting "all" of us aware that you might have a problem with "some" suits if you were really interested in protecting not only your company name but the safety of the drivers.

You list all the "pro" drivers that have your product - But gee don't you give them free suits?

You fired 4 employees for what? What are you saying - these 4 people did all of this without your knowledge.

Taking the stance that you are going to sue everyone is not a good way to go to "stand behind your product". As I recall a story in Vegas when you were thown out of a casino for threating a black jack dealer. How did that feel? I guess bullying didn't work there either.

 

Hey Bruce, I chose to not be part of the witch hunt.

Air Planes crash all the time, and I still get on them too. - reluctantly.

I dont have a dog in this fight but I for one dont want to be sitting in the staging lanes worrying that my suit is not good because of some stuff I read on the internet.

I am going to leave a long space at the end of this message for you to fill in any safety manufacaturer that will gaurentee me 100 percent that i wont get burnt in a fire.

I appreciate a heads up like the next guy , but as a consumer I sure dont appreciate a bunch of guys telling me I am at risk for chosing product number 1 and I would be better off with product number 2 or some other stuff with out actually having any scientific proof.

am i wrong to chose the product the pro guys who have a lot fires wear?










Jay Mageau

 

Well Jay,..if you heard about it on the internet, consider yourself lucky,
because you sure aint going to hear about it in the National Dragster, nor
the 10 O`clock news.
Buy your suit of choice and go race,.....just dont sweat the small stuff.




.

 

To Bill Simpson at Impact

Bill Simpson, you stating that I in any way, shape or form had anything to do with someone threatening a lady representative from your company is absolute slander. This is something I would never be a part of as I deal with my problems head on and face to face. You would know this if you would have answered any of my calls I tried to place to you in the last year, but you chose not to talk to me. The lie you are trying to insinuate is actully reversed. I recieved a call from Kelly at Impact on Wednesday the 25th of 2009. (To the best of my recollection this is what was discussed). Kelly told me she was advised to call me by Bill Simpson. It was suggested to me by Kelly that I may want to take my article off the internet. Kelly also implied to me that if I chose not to do so I may be included in a legal dispute being started against two other people. ( Lets Call A Spade A Spade ). My take on the conversation we had is I am being threatened with a lawsuit to keep me quiet. I will not let you influence my right to freedom of speech, and if you believe it is proper to take a twenty some year customer of yours to court so be it. I have been nothing but lied to by everyone at Impact and I am fed up with it. ( I am prepared to back up everthing I have stated in my initial post if Impact proceeds with this matter any further. I stand by what I say.) My opinion is Impact is putting more effort into keeping people quiet than they are to making sure all suit owners at issue are notified. All drivers have to subscribe to National Dragster so if you wanted to notify everyone that there was a possible problem you should have put a notice in National Dragster as I know for a fact that you have not yet contacted everyone with a 2008 suit. This tells me the manner you feel was sufficiant is not working. It is also a lie that I was contacted on my suit and refused to send it in. My suit was never called on untill Feb. 25th - 2009 when Kelly called me with the threat, and I will tell you like I told her my suit was destroyed in testing. Kelly also told me at that time there were no suits turned in by anyone that were in question and I knew at that time that was a total lie as you Bill have verified this in you letter. Isn't it funny Bill you sell me a product that is in question and than have the odasity to threaten to sue me. Also what was the lady in Gainsville who made the false accusations against me , was it Kelly ! Bill, you could have been professional about this and called me a long time ago but again you chose not to. So at this point in time do not bother as I do not wish to talk to you. I am not trying to do any harm to you or your company, just trying to notify anyone that may have a suit in question. Richard Putz