This is huge! MasterCraft has been involved with off-road seats since the early 70's. Since Robbie Pierce bought MasterCraft a few years ago he has expanded their line to seat belt and as of last year driving suits.

Currently the only NASCAR driver using MasterCraft suits and belts in NASCAR has been Justin Lofton in the #7 truck series. With MasterCraft buying Impact you will see MasterCraft in all three series and will be known like Simpson Helmet, Suits and Belts are.

Press Release;

With the introduction of the suspension seat to the niche off-road community in 1970, MasterCraft Safety immediately became an innovative
leader and safety advocate for the off-road racing and recreational
four-wheeling markets. Over the last 40 years, MasterCraft Safety has
continuously evolved and has strived to expand its presence and improve
driver safety through pioneering suspension seat designs and the
addition of occupant restraints and driving suits.

Today, MasterCraft Safety once again elevated the company’s presence as a revolutionary manufacturer of safety products and stunned the motorsports industry with the announcement of their acquisition of Bill
Simpson’s Impact! Racing Products. The official announcement of the
asset-based purchase was delivered during a press conference held at the
“Impact! Racing by MasterCraft Safety” booth shortly after the opening of today’s International Motorsports Industry Show (IMIS) in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Founded in 2002, and led by the iconic and charismatic Bill Simpson, the purchase of Impact! Racing adds a host of new products such as helmets, gloves and shoes that will compliment MasterCraft Safety’s
existing product line. Even more importantly, Bill Simpson will remain
with the company as a technical and design consultant and will work
side-by-side with MasterCraft Safety CEO, Robbie Pierce. “I can’t tell you how excited I am to be working with Bill,” explained Robbie Pierce. “This
is the man who invented the Nomex driving suit and has continuously
improved many of the safety solutions used in today’s motorsports. Bill
Simpson is synonymous with safety, which makes him a perfect fit for
both companies and I cannot be more honored to work with him.”

In his book, Racing Safely, Living Dangerously, Bill Simpson recalls the first time he met, Rick Mears, prior to the two becoming close friends. Simpson’s initial impression was that Mears was “just another one of those blankety-blank off road racers.”
Many years later, Simpson is ironically handing over the reins of his
company to another blankety-blank off-road racer: Robbie Pierce. Much
as Simpson tested his own products early on (most famously lighting
himself on fire while wearing a Nomex race suit), Robbie Pierce competes
in a SCORE Trophy-Truck class in the SCORE International desert racing
series, a sanction best known for the grueling Baja 1000. “In all honesty, the off-road racers of today do not get the credit they deserve,” explained Simpson. “A
racer is a racer and that common thread is all is takes to understand
the needs of all the different circuits out there. Robbie and I have
both created products that matter for our particular markets. This
acquisition is combining a powerful wealth of safety expertise in a
broad range of motorsports.”

With a history deeply rooted in racing and a unique sense of understanding driver needs, Robbie Pierce was the ideal choice to carry forward Bill Simpson’s vision and legacy. “As a racer, Robbie
understands the inherent dangers of competing and the importance of
safety equipment. Drivers rely on my products every time they strap
into their race vehicle and that is a reality both Robbie and I share
and something neither of us take lightly,” remarked Bill Simpson.

Also sharing Bill Simpson’s loyalty and concern for employees, MasterCraft Safety acquired not just the inventory and product designs of Impact! Racing, but also the real estate. Impact! Racing’s
manufacturing facility is situated on 3.5 acres located in the heart of
“Gasoline Alley” in Brownsburg, Indiana and their retail location is in
the center of NASCAR country in Mooresville, North Carolina. The
full-line of Impact! Racing products will continue to be proudly made in
the USA, in the birthplace of the famed Indy 500, and will compliment
MasterCraft Safety’s manufacturing in Santee, California. “Some of
the employees have been with me since 1973 and I am extremely pleased
that Robbie has chosen to maintain the existing sales and operations
here in Indiana and will continue manufacturing with the same talented
workforce that has gotten the company to where it is today,” remarked Bill Simpson.

As dirt meets asphalt, look for MasterCraft Safety’s style and influence to find its way into a host of new Impact! Racing products while Bill Simpson’s legacy will continue through the development of
entirely new safety solutions catered towards the existing MasterCraft
Safety audience. Throughout the evolution of this acquisition, gradual
changes will be made as operations are slowly integrated. For the time
being, both brands will operate separately, maintaining a focus on the
loyal racers and enthusiasts who have created the identity of each
individual company.

More information on MasterCraft Safety’s full-line of products can be found by visiting www.mastercraftsafety.com. Impact! Racing’s colorful history and extensive product line of helmets, gloves,
shoes and driving suits are available online at
www.impactraceproducts.com

Stop by the Impact! Racing by MasterCraft Safety booth #1201 at the International Motorsports Industry Show in Indianapolis, Indiana on December 1st – 3rd, 2010 or visit booth #501 at the Performance Racing
Industry Show in Orlando, Florida on December 9th – 11th, 2010. For
those not familiar with off-road racing, Robbie Pierce’s SCORE Trophy
Truck that just completed the Baja 1000 race is on display in the
C&R Racing booth #1723 at IMIS! Visit their booth to learn more
about the vehicle technology used in the harsh and unforgiving
desert-racing environment.

About MasterCraft Safety:

Based in Santee, California, MasterCraft Safety is the leading manufacturer of driving suits, window nets, and innovative safety seating and restraint systems custom tailored to endure the most extreme
environmental conditions and off-road terrain. In addition to four
decades of real world testing in the most extreme racing conditions,
independent tests by nationally recognized laboratories indicate the
MasterCraft Safety suspension seat directly resulted in an 84% reduction
of energy in a 55 “G” load event. Whether the Impact! Racing or
MasterCraft Safety products are on a top fuel dragster, a SCORE Trophy
Truck or a blast-attenuating seat for a military MRAP, the common theme
is both companies are the first choice in environments where safety can
mean the difference between life and death.