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.
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.