Two-time MotoAmerica Stock 1000 Champion Andrew Lee was due to make his MotoAmerica HONOS Superbike debut this weekend at Barber Motorsports Park on a Superbike Unlimited Franklin Armory Racing Kawasaki ZX-10R.
Lee rode the bike during Friday’s two Superbike qualifying sessions and did well, recording the eighth-fastest lap time, 1:25.866, and earning his way into Superpole.
Saturday morning, however, word quickly spread through the paddock that Lee would no longer ride the Superbike Unlimited Franklin Armory Kawasaki ZX-10R but would continue on an ADR Motorsports Suzuki GSX-R1000R.
Asked about the situation, Lee told Roadracingworld.com, “Some things on the [Kawasaki] weren’t to [MotoAmerica Superbike] regulations. Luckily, David Anthony [ADR Motorsports owner] had a bike available. So now I’m going to go out and learn a new bike and qualify for the race in just one session because I lost my times from Friday and I’m out of Superpole.”
Superbike Unlimited owner Freddy Carswell declined to comment to Roadracingworld.com, saying he planned to issue a statement some time on Saturday.
In the days immediately prior to the race weekend Superbike Unlimited’s Instagram account included photos labeled as being from the bike showing a Motec M170 ECU and a close-ratio transmission, neither of which conform with MotoAmerica regulations.
Prior to that, Carswell told at least two people that his Motec electronics and the gearbox in his bike were not within current MotoAmerica Superbike regulations.
MotoAmerica Technical Director James Morse told Roadracingworld.com that there is currently no Motec software homologated for use in a Kawasaki in MotoAmerica Superbike.
