Carrick hot on rival's tailpipe

Wellington's Sloan Frost sits second behind Hamilton's Nick Cole in what is guaranteed to be a tight Formula One championship in the 2013 Suzuki Series. Photo / AndyMcGechanBikesport.com

Wanganui's Jayden Carrick sits just a point behind the double-duty pulling Aucklander Toby Summers in the Formula Two (600cc) class after the opening round of the annual Suzuki Series at Hampton Downs.

The series, which moves to Manfeild this coming weekend before concluding on Wanganui's Cemetery Circuit on Boxing Day, had a near-perfect start for Summers on Saturday.

He took his 2011-model Yamaha YZ450F dirt bike to win both races in the Super Moto class, then backed that up on his 2011-model Yamaha R6 to finish first and second to Carrick in the Formula Two (600cc) events.

However, 2012 Formula Two series runnerup Carrick can take a lot of confidence from his outings, given that at the same time last year he was sitting fourth overall after taking his Suzuki to fourth and fifth during the first-round races.

On Saturday he had a grand battle with Summers, as well as Clive's Adam Chambers, Auckland's Daniel Mettam and Yamaha riders such as Rhys Holmes, from Tauranga, and German visitor Thomas Kreutz.

Even Summers admitted he had been fortunate to keep the young Wanganui tearaway at bay.

"I qualified second in F2, behind Jayden, in the dry, but it rained in the first race and I was lucky to get the lead and just power away with the win.

"I got thrown out of the saddle a couple of times and ran onto the grass but I managed to save it," Summers said.

"It was nothing to do with skill ... just good luck."

In the second race the conditions were dry and all the riders were using slick tyres, with Carrick winning in the duel with Summers to deny him four straight victories.

Summers leads the Formula 2 points table by the barest margin, with third-placed Chambers six points back from Carrick.

In the premier Formula One, Hamilton's Nick Cole (Kawasaki) had a win and a second to lead in the series from Wellington's Suzuki contender Sloan Frost, who got a third placing, then won the second race.

Defending champion Dennis Charlett, of Christchurch, got runnerup and sixth placings to sit third overall in the series. Taupo's Scott Moir ended the day fourth and Te Awamutu's David Hall rounded out the top five.

Other class winners were New Plymouth's Hayden Fitzgerald (F3 sports bikes), Whangarei's Duncan Coutts (Post Classics), Australia's Craig Trinder (Bears, non-Japanese bikes) and Hamilton's Aaron Lovell and Dennis Simonson (sidecars).