| Announcements |
| 01/06/2012 In accordance with the current aims and ambitions of the MTRA to become a truly international organisation, the MTRAE (Europe) which has for the last 9 years represented the MTRA within Europe, has now closed. The MTRA International to give the organisation its full title is looking to actively gain members on a global basis. With monster trucks now being in use in so many countries, this is a vital expansion. The MTRAE has seen its membership dwindle since the end of the EMTRC racing series in 2009, and the remaining truck owner members along with any previous and or new members will receive a warm welcome from the international membership team in the USA home office. Nigel Morris (a director of the MTRAE from day one) said "whilst it might be seen as sad that the MTRAE is gone, it is clear that with the global reach of monster trucks reverting to central control in the USA really is the only way forward". Membership applications can be found at www.mtra.us |
| 03/02/2011 Following the 9th MTRAE AGM the elected board of directors are: Nigel Morris, Karl Swallow and Graham Lunn. A full report will be posted in due course.. |
| 24/01/2011 The 2011 MTRAE AGM is scheduled for the 26th of Febuary at The Black Swan public house in Rugby, Warwickshire. For full details send an email to info@mtrae.co.uk |
| 22/04/2010 SFI PRESS RELEASE - Response to the Impact Racing Press Release of April 22, 2010 April 22, 2010 - Yesterday, SFI advised the racing community that Impact Racing suits bearing 3.2A/5 certifications “made prior to 2009 have been constructed with non-compliant materials that, in SFI’s judgment, pose a safety risk to users of those suits.” Impact responded by attacking SFI certification programs (although Impact and the other major equipment manufacturers have agreed to and participated in the development of these well-established programs); by claiming it could not get a fair hearing of the decertification appeal (although Impact asked for and received an expedited appeal procedure); and by claiming that “SFI’s actions have caused racers unnecessarily to question their safety.” It is this last point that requires a very specific response. Scientific testing just conducted on 2008 Impact 3.2A/5 suits has determined that the thread melts away in a fire. This causes the fabric to come apart since there is no longer thread to hold the suit together. SFI believes this poses a significant safety risk to the racer involved in a fire. Rather than being constructed with Nomex (heat resistant) thread, the suits were constructed with some sort of unknown non-compliant thread that melts during heat testing. This thread failure is contrary to the SFI specifications that Impact agreed to follow. The reason that this failure was not discovered sooner is that Impact provided SFI with Nomex thread samples in order to get their products tested and certified initially. Manufacturers are only supposed to provide samples of the actual materials to be used in their products. It appears that Impact failed to comply with this procedure regarding thread. Finally, one suit tested failed to have the proper thermal protective properties in the material itself. Again, such a failure poses a significant safety risk. This safety failure by Impact is consistent with a pattern of non-compliance: 1. Last year, SFI discovered that Impact SFI 3.2A/15 and SFI 3.2A/20 rated fire suits produced in 2007 and 2008 were also made with thread that melted during testing. In addition, these suits were often poorly constructed, without sufficient protective layers of Nomex material. SFI ordered the immediate decertification and recall of these potentially dangerous products. 3. Hans Performance Products discovered last year that Impact deliberately manufactured and sold counterfeit Hans helmet clips and attached them into the helmets of unsuspecting customers. These foreign made knock-offs were inscribed with the “SFI 38.1” inscription. Impact has never participated in this program. These counterfeiting activities were occurring at the same time that Impact was manufacturing counterfeit SFI conformance labels and patches. Hans filed suit against Impact in federal court last year in Atlanta. SFI intervened and joined in the suit against Impact. That suit is pending. 4. In 2004, SFI discovered that Impact gloves bearing SFI 3.3/20 specifications were made of material that was too light and failed heat resistance testing. SFI ordered their decertification and recall. Impact’s press release claims that there “have been no burns or other injuries reported to Impact by any racer wearing Impact Race Products since its inception.” If this is true, the avoidance of injuries is due in large part to the policing of Impact products by SFI. SFI was heartened when Impact finally admitted its own fault for previously making non-compliant gloves, boots, suits and helmet clips and acted to address those problems. SFI holds out the hope of a similar outcome regarding its pre-2009 3.2A, 3.3, 16.1 and 16.5 products, and that it will act in the best interests of the racing community without further prodding by SFI. However, admission of their fault will not change the fact that these products remain decertified and that Impact’s participation in all SFI programs will end June 22, 2010. Best regards, CARL V. OLSON Motorsports Manager SFI Foundation, Inc. |
| 21/04/2010 From the SFI Foundation Inc. On April 13, 2010, SFI received test results from two Impact Racing driver suits we understand to have been manufactured in 2008. Neither suit has a date of manufacture, contrary to SFI specifications. These suits have counterfeit SFI 3.2A/5 patches attached to them. The thread on both suits FAILED during heat resistance testing. One suit’s material also FAILED Thermal Protective Performance (TPP) testing. The other suit’s material PASSED TPP testing, although the thread itself melted during testing. The test results are attached for your review. These results were previously provided to Impact Racing. In SFI’s opinion, the failure of the thread poses a safety risk to those who wear these suits in auto racing. SFI is continuing to test and inspect Impact Racing products manufactured in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 as products are made available. Please see SFI’s press release of April 21, 2010 posted at www.sfifoundation.com for more information. CARL V. OLSON Motorsports Manager SFI Foundation, Inc. |
| 15/04/2010 JOINT PRESS RELEASE 15708 Pomerado Road, Suite N208, Poway, CA 92064 • (858)451-8868 FAX# (858)451-9268 website: www.sfifoundation.com email: sfi@sfifoundation.com 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 desertification against Impact Racing products for the production years 2009 and 2010 is lifted. The desertification 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 desertification 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 in years 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. |
| 27/03/2010 NOTICE OF DECERTIFICATION; NOTICE TO CEASE AND DESIST AND TERMINATION OF ALL CONTRACTS OF PARTICIPATION ISSUED TO IMPACT RACING SFI Foundation, Inc., has issued a Notice of Decertification; Notice of Cease and Desist, and a notice terminating all Contracts of Participation to Impact Racing. Effective April 27, 2010, all products manufactured and/or distributed by Impact Racing pursuant to SFI Specification Programs 3.2A, 3.3, 16.1, and 16.5 are decertified. Evidence obtained by SFI shows that over a period of years Impact Racing has engaged in the production and use of counterfeit SFI conformance labels and patches, and affixed them to Impact products for use in motorsports. Under the Contracts of Participation between SFI and Impact, SFI conformance labels and patches may only be obtained from SFI and no other source. 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. To SFI’s knowledge, Impact never advised its customers that its products contained phony SFI labels and patches. Impact never advised SFI of its systematic and longstanding practice of counterfeiting and distributing SFI patches and labeling. Impact has been directed to cease and desist from this practice. SFI has directed Impact to immediately notify all affected customers to remove the counterfeit labeling and to offer the affected customers a full refund of the purchase price. SFI is requesting that all counterfeit conformance labels removed from Impact products be sent to SFI. SFI has elected not to decertify these products immediately in order to minimize the potential hardships to members of the racing community that have been brought about by Impact’s counterfeiting activities. SFI has also elected to terminate all Contracts of Participation with Impact Racing effective 90 days from March 24, 2010. Under the terms of the Contracts, either party may terminate the agreements without penalty upon 90 days notice. This means that Impact will no longer be able to participate in any SFI programs after this 90 day period. SFI has taken these actions in the best interests of the safety and integrity of the racing community. This is in keeping with SFI’s mission and purpose. |
| 02/02/2010 The following are the MTRA rule changes for 2010: Roll Bar Padding SFI 45.1 fire retardant padding is required (minimum thickness (.750) ¾” [19mm]) on roll cage tubing which is within 18” [457 mm] of driver’s helmet area above his shoulders. An exclusion is approved for the area behind the headrest on vehicles equipped with seats featuring head and shoulder restraints. Back Up Lights All vehicles must be equipped with a bright LED type light (red, yellow or clear) mounted on the rear of the frame. This light must illuminate anytime vehicle is placed in reverse and must be activated automatically by the gear shift lever. Wheel Restraint Systems All vehicles must be equipped with a system which will restrain each wheel in the event of a spindle or other axle component failure. Minimum specifications for known systems are as follows: Cable Tether Type - 3/8” Cable in choker configuration - 5/8” Clevis - 3/8” Mounting plate on king pins - 3/8” Rotor bolted (3/8” bolt minimum – all bolt holes on hub must be used - 8 bolt minimum) or welded (360 degrees) to hub Fixed Disk Type - 3/8” Rotor plate bolted (3/8” bolt minimum – all bolt holes on hub must be used – 8 bolt minimum) or welded (360 degrees) to hub - Minimum Two capture points 180 degrees on center with minimum 55 degrees of coverage around perimeter. Crossover Relief Valve An external crossover relief valve is required on all vehicles equipped with orbital steering. Unit may bolt directly to orbital valve or be remotely mounted. NOTE: Pending is a review of the ¼” minimum Lexan rule for tire debris protection. This rule is being researched to assess when and why this was increased from the original 1/8” minimum. If data does not exist to support the validity of this change it will then revert back to the original 1/8” minimum. If this change was voted upon and approved, a change back to the 1/8” minimum will require a membership vote. This change is being considered in order to achieve parity between MTRA and FELD rule books. The conclusion of our findings will be forwarded to everyone as soon as our research is complete. Discussion of any of these issues may be conducted on the MTRA forum here: http://forum.mtra.us/forum/thread.aspx?thread=37421 The updated MTRA Rule Book and Tech Inspection Sheets will be posted on the MTRA website within the next few days and may be found here: http://mtra.us/rule-book/ |
| 08/01/2010 The annual general meeting of the MTRAE will be held on Saturday 30th January, 2010 at: Directions can be found at: The meeting will commence at 10.00 am sharp. Rooms are available for the night, before or after, should you require one. Please contact the hotel direct for more details. Kind Regards, |
| 14/10/2009 In line with the emails to members and the posting on the MTRA forum, the MTRAE will require wheel tethers on all certified trucks from the 1st of January 2010. The Board of the MTRAE will release a specification by the end of October, giving all truck owners a minimum of two clear months to fabricate the required restraints. The only objection received was from Drew Thornton, and his was not an objection to the rule, for the dating and notification of said rule. Karl Swallow Nigel Morris Directors MTRAE |
| 02/09/2009 Proposed changes to rules 39 & 40 relating to fire suppression equipment used on MTRAE certified Monster trucks. It has been drawn to the attention of the board that the fire suppression systems used in the UK monster trucks should be inspected annually and not bi annually as per the current regulations. This information has been brought forward by the MTRAE's chief tech inspector Dave Ogden, who also proposes a change to requiring that the systems be filled with ARFFF. ARFFF being a specific form of the AFFF foam for use with methanol fuel. The rule would stand, as written, with the exception of the changes to the rectification period, and the ARFFF. This proposal is being posted to the MTRA forum, http://forum.mtra.us/ and unless a majority of current members object to this change it will become a rule on the 1st of November 2009 in good time for the 2010 vehicle certifications. Karl Swallow Nigel Morris MTRAE Board |
| 28/08/2009 It has come to the attention of the SFI Foundation that parts of a head and neck restraint system certified to SFI Quality Assurance Specification 38.1 have been counterfeited, have not been tested, and could present a serious safety related problem. Please review the attached press releases. Should you have any questions or comments regarding this matter, please contact HANS Performance Products. CARL V. OLSON Motorsports Manager SFI Foundation, Inc. HANS FINDS COUNTERFEIT ANCHORS – LAUNCHES FREE REPLACEMENT PROGRAM Contact: Andrea Walker Marketing Manager HANS Performance Products 5096 Peachtree Road Atlanta GA 30341 Tel: 1-888-HANS-999 or 770-457-1046 Fax: 770-458-6118 marketing@hansdevice.com www.hansdevice.com HANS FINDS COUNTERFEIT ANCHORS – LAUNCHES FREE REPLACEMENT PROGRAM Atlanta, Georgia (August 19, 2009) - HANS Performance Products has found counterfeit Post Anchor parts on a helmet purchased from Impact Racing Products. Preliminary investigations suggest that counterfeit parts may have been supplied with other helmets provided by Impact. “We are seeking the source of the counterfeit anchors and to establish how widely they may have been distributed,” said HANS CEO Mark Stiles. He continued, “It is extremely possible that counterfeits may have been installed on other helmets, either factory-fitted by a helmet manufacturer or by racers installing replacement parts during equipment changes.” The only counterfeit parts identified so far look like HANS’ current “Professional” Post Anchors, which are designed to offer robust durable service – these have a “teardrop” shaped head to the “post” and an aluminum base engraved with HANS, SFI and FIA markings. Other Post Anchor designs, such as the similar current “Standard” version, which have the same teardrop post but a simpler black plastic base, and older designs which had a round shaped head to the post, do not seem to have been counterfeited. Stiles said, “If racers want to check their Professional Series Post Anchors, one quick test is to touch a magnet to the post. The posts used in all our designs since July 2005 are magnetic. The posts on the counterfeits we have seen are not magnetic.” He continued, “Our earlier designs used a non-magnetic material for the post, so a non-magnetic post is not necessarily a counterfeit, but it is a reason why a racer should contact us for more information.” The link below shows what to look for when testing the Post Anchor. https://system.netsuite.com/core/media/media.nl?id=2634&c=337809&h=d02ae9a6a725bbdbb4f2 To ensure all racers have confidence in their safety equipment, HANS is implementing a program to replace any counterfeit Post Anchors free of charge. Details of the program, other information and program updates are available at hansdevice.com, or by calling HANS direct at 1-888-HANS-999, or contacting one of the 200 authorized North American HANS factory trained dealers nationwide. The HANS Device is the #1 choice for performance, #1 for vision and #1 for winners. Details and information about HANS Performance Products are available at www.hansdevice.com or by calling 1-888-HANS-999 or 770-457-1046. COUNTERFEIT HANS POST ANCHORS – TRACKSIDE UPDATE Contact: Andrea Walker Marketing Manager HANS Performance Products 5096 Peachtree Road Atlanta GA 30341 Tel: 1-888-HANS-999 or 770-457-1046 Fax: 770-458-6118 marketing@hansdevice.com www.hansdevice.com COUNTERFEIT HANS POST ANCHORS – TRACKSIDE UPDATE Atlanta, Georgia (August 21, 2009) – HANS Performance Products has been trackside the past few days investigating the counterfeit HANS Post Anchor problem reported earlier. COO Gary Milgrom has been focused on circle track racing, while Sales Director Howard Bennett has been at the drag strip. “I must have seen about 150 helmets and exchanged over 50 sets of counterfeit anchors,” said Milgrom. He continued, “On the whole, I’ve not had to touch any Simpson, Bell, Arai or Stand21 helmets – they’ve already been fitted with genuine HANS Post Anchors.” Simpson, Bell, Arai and Stand21 have had substantial long-standing relationships with HANS Performance Products. They are among the 200 authorized dealers throughout North America that receive direct factory support. Bennett said, “We’ve had a lot of support and thanks from crew chiefs, teams and racers for putting safety first. To ensure all racers have confidence in their safety equipment, we’re continuing our program to replace any counterfeit Post Anchors free of charge.” Details and updates are available at www.hansdevice.com, or by calling HANS direct at 1-888-HANS-999, or contacting any of the company’s dealers. The HANS Device is the #1 choice for performance, #1 for vision and #1 for winners. |
| 18/06/2009 It is with some sadness that we need to announce the resignation of Glenn Ramsden from the MTRAE Board. The board received an email from Glenn yesterday in which he very eloquently explains his reasons. Glenn you will be missed, and the remaining board members hope to be able to call on your experience from time to time. The following is taken from Glenn's email. "It perhaps comes as no surprise but I am having to give up my position on the Management Team of the MTRAE. As I described when elected, I would give it a reasonable shot and as expected my other workload is far too onerous to allow me to do justice to this important post. I must apologise for not performing as well as I could have but my event work commitments along with my recent operation means that I could never help the MTRAE members properly. I know that they deserve much better than the third rate standard that I have recently produced. May I wish everyone the very best of luck with monster trucks in the UK, I am always on hand for advice should you need it." |
| 28/02/2009 For details of the items discussed at this month directors meeting log into the MTRA members forum. All members should be receiving email updates from communications director Glenn Ramsden. If you are a member and have not been receiving these emails please contact one of the board members. Glenn Ramsden Karl Swallow Nigel Morris |
| 02/02/2009 - MTRA STATEMENT - It is with heavy hearts that we must announce that we have lost a member of our MTRA family. George Eisenhart was injured in a non-racing accident at an event in Wisconsin. He received immediate attention from the medical team on site and was then transported to the University of Wisconsin hospital in Madison. We received word from the hospital early Sunday morning that George did not survive his injuries. Review of the incident shows that George accidentally stepped in front of a moving vehicle in a fashion that did not provide the vehicle’s driver adequate time to react. The situation did not happen as part of an actual competition portion of the event. The “on-track” activity was over and the vehicles involved were simply returning to their designated parking areas. This is a general workplace accident in which the extraordinary happened under what would previously have been considered ordinary conditions. All of us at the MTRA send our deepest condolences to the Eisenhart family and all the parties involved. We are deeply saddened by the loss of our friend. Sincerely, MTRA Board Of Directors contact@mtra.us ** Media requests should be directed to MTRA Communications Director Rich Schaefer at 314-503-7016. ** January 25th, 2009 - By MTRA Staff |
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