Copyright 2002, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By David Swarts

Arclight Suzuki is making plans to race in the Formula USA 600cc Superbike class in 2003 but may have to do without the services of two-time F-USA 600cc Sportbike Champion Lee Acree, a four-year member of the Arclight team.

“We haven’t signed our deal with American Suzuki, but I believe we will be racing in the 600cc Superbike class of Formula USA and four AMA rounds: Daytona, Sears Point, Laguna Seca and Road Atlanta,” said Arclight Suzuki co-owner and crew chief Chuck Warren. “We have agreed to terms with Scott Harwell to be one of our national riders, and we are negotiating with others for the second seat. Lee Acree is one of the people we are talking to, but I think Lee is looking to land an AMA ride.”

“I’m looking for an AMA ride,” Acree said Thursday morning at Road Atlanta. “My understanding is that those guys (Arclight Suzuki) aren’t going. I’m having trouble getting excited about Formula USA’s program – a club race with a big purse, the ‘Arclight and Matt Wait Show.’ They don’t even have a class for teams like KWS and Blackmans (Aprilia) unless they want to run in one of the support classes. And from what I understand, and I haven’t talked to Steve DeKamp or anything, Hooters is going to the AMA. So they won’t be in F-USA.

“Arclight and I have had a good relationship together, and you never know what could happen. I could run Formula USA with them, or they could end up in the AMA. We’ll just see what happens.”

“We are negotiating to go Formula USA racing with Arclight,” said American Suzuki’s Morgan Broadhead at Road Atlanta. “Who will be the riders is undecided at this point.”

Arclight Suzuki is at Road Atlanta working with Harwell, who is riding in the GSX-R600, GSX-R750 and GSX-R1000 Suzuki Cup Finals. Harwell is making his return to racing following a three-month recovery from a severe injury to his right wrist suffered in July during the Suzuki GSX-R World Cup Qualifying race at Mid-Ohio.

“I broke several bones in my right wrist, tore all the ligaments and dislocated the whole wrist and hand,” said 28-year-old Harwell. “I’m nowhere near 100%. I instructed at a riding school at VIR three weeks ago, and I couldn’t move my wrist enough to brake and blip the throttle. It’s better than that now, though. I’m good enough for this weekend. My goal is to win all three Suzuki Cup races.”

Acree, who is ineligible for the Suzuki Cup Finals, is at Road Atlanta to ride in the final round of the WERA National Endurance Series with Andrew “Woody” Deatherage and Chris “Opie” Caylor on Loudoun Motorsports’ Pirelli-sponsored GSX-R1000.