Impact Racing, Inc. and its associated brands (MasterCraft Safety and MasterCraft Defense) have been wholly acquired by Sparco S.p.A. Daily operations and manufacturing, sales and customer service, as well as the management structure and staffing of Impact, will be consistent in all locations with former owner Robbie Pierce remaining in a consulting role.
Sparco S.p.A. headquarters is located in Volpiano, Turin, Italy.
Italian-based Sparco was founded in 1977 by two young drivers with a desire to improve racing safety. In 2009, Mr. Aldino Bellazzini became the majority stakeholder and Chairman and immediately began implementing numerous technical advancements resulting in Sparco receiving ISO/TS16949:09 quality certification in 2010. As the former CEO of Petronas Lubricants International, Mr. Bellazzini is no stranger to motorsports and welcomed the challenge to continuously evolve the Sparco product line-up and he is now eager to bring the same vision and insight to the Impact brand. “I am excited for the future of Sparco and Impact,” Bellazzini shared. “There are many similarities between our companies and I am confident this will be beneficial to the customers, distributors, and employees of both organizations.”
Headquartered in Volpiano, Turin, Italy, Sparco’s line of exclusive safety products are distributed worldwide and can be found on top tier teams such as McLaren’s Formula 1 and Team Peugeot’s Dakar efforts as well as renowned drivers such as Fernando Alonso, Stephane Peterhansel, and this year’s Indianapolis 500 champion, Takumo Sato. Many of Sparco’s custom handcrafted carbon fiber components can be found on the world’s exotic supercars including the prestigious distinction as the OEM seat supplier for the Bugatti Chiron.
Prior to the acquisition of Impact, Sparco employed 800 team members in five facilities located on three continents. The addition of Impact to the Sparco family adds eighty U.S. based production specialists as well as strategically located customer sales and service representatives in California, Indiana, and North Carolina.
“Our employees are our greatest asset, and Sparco recognizes that”, former Impact owner, Robbie Pierce emphasized. “Since I purchased MasterCraft Safety in 1999 my goal has always been to build this company into an American equivalent of Sparco. To have that very company validate my efforts through their acquisition of both the Impact and MasterCraft brands and have the brands continue is a tremendous endorsement of our talented and hardworking employees. I am extremely proud of everything we have accomplished over the years.”
The addition of Impact Racing and its 45,000-square foot Indiana facility strengthens Sparco’s position in America’s heartland and adds Made in the USA capabilities to its portfolio. “This acquisition is strategic in allowing us to provide quicker service to our teams and customers in the United States,” Bellazzini further explained.
While the Impact and MasterCraft brands and their associated mainstay of products will continue under the respective brand names, the primary benefit is the influx of technology available through Sparco’s innovative research and development department, particularly with regards to carbon fiber safety products. Expect Impact’s product line to expand with new offerings coming online for the 2018 season.
About Sparco S.p.A.
Two race drivers who shared the same passion for motorsport founded Sparco in 1977. More than forty years later, Sparco has grown to be the largest manufacturer of automotive safety equipment in the world. Sparco’s ambition for producing the safest driving suit possible, is still the number one priority for the company. Thousands of professional and amateur racing drivers rely on Sparco every year to protect them in the unfriendliest environment; the cockpit of a racecar. At speeds of more than 200 mph, and temperatures above 120 degrees, a driver must be 100% confident in their safety equipment. Therefore, the world’s top professional drivers choose Sparco, more than any other brand.
About Impact Racing, Inc.
Impact Racing offers a full complement of industry leading safety equipment, from Snell 2015 certified helmets to fire-resistant driving suits and Frontal Head Restraints. From Top Fuel and Indycar to desert racing and short course off-road, Impact has a reputation for continuous improvement to provide the most advanced safety equipment on the market. Racing is our passion at Impact, and we strive to provide products with a comfortable fit, lightweight, and packed with features no matter what your budget. Impact’s full complement of custom suits, frontal head restraints, helmets, race harnesses, and more are all made in the United States in our manufacturing facility strategically located in the heart of Gasoline Alley in Indiana, just ten minutes from Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
About MasterCraft Safety
Since 1970 MasterCraft Safety has been making products that keep the off-road community safer. Our roots run deep in the desert racing, short course, and the recreational off-road (Jeep) worlds and you can find MasterCraft Safety products on everything from vintage flat-fenders to state-of-the-art Trophy Trucks. Whether you are racing at the highest level of motorsports or just having fun with your family and friends, MasterCraft Safety has seating and restraint options to fit your needs. The same products that keep you safe on the trail and in the dunes also keep our war-fighters safe in hostile environments.
About MasterCraft Defense
MasterCraft Defense is a pioneering manufacturer of innovative safety seating and restraint systems custom tailored to endure the most extreme environmental conditions and demanding off-road terrain. Our defense division has been supplying tactical and combat vehicles such as LSAC, LTAS, and MRAP with crucial energy attenuating seating and restraints for over a decade. We are committed to safety and endlessly pursue enhanced designs and engineering to ensure our products continually surpass the needs of our service men and women in the most treacherous of conditions.
MasterCraft Safety’s diversity of product uses have been an invaluable asset in producing combat-tested and battle-proven energy attenuating seating and restraint systems. In addition to four decades of real-world testing and experience in the most extreme off-road racing conditions, independent tests by nationally recognized laboratories indicate our suspension seating directly resulted in an 84% reduction of energy in a 50 “G” load impact, or a force equal to that of a NATO STANAG 4569 2A blast. The 84% reduction in energy resulted in a Dynamic Response Index well within the survivability range and has further solidified MasterCraft Safety’s commitment to the well-being of our armed forces.
