Pukekohe's Sam Smith and Hamilton's Nick Cole are taking no prisoners - and the war hasn't even started.

The two young men both began their build-up for next season's national road-racing champions with a rigorous weekend of testing and racing in the Manawatu a week ago.

The nationals don't kick off until January, but 20-year-old Smith (Yamaha YZFR6) is not wasting time as he targets a return to the 600cc sports production class in 2009.

Smith won both races in the supersport class at Manfeild.

As an 18-year-old, Smith easily won the 600cc sports production class title in 2007, just weeks after he had been honoured at a black-tie function where he was named Motorcycling New Zealand's Most Promising Newcomer.

Sidelined with injury for much of the 2008 season, Smith is determined to rekindle that fire.

"The weekend in the Manawatu started with a test day at Manfeild on Friday. This was valuable track time for me as I had not ridden the Manfeild circuit on a 600 for over a year," Smith explained.

"I was happy to see I'd set the fastest lap time of the day too."

Similarly for 21-year-old Cole (Kawasaki ZX6), the Manfeild event was a good build-up for the nationals with him taking the superbike class honours on his 600cc bike, his 1-2 results just enough to beat Smith, who finished 3-1.

"Manfeild was a good chance to try different bike set-ups," said Cole, a stainless-steel welder by trade.

"I feel extremely confident now. I finished only sixth in the class last year but that was after two DNFs. If luck goes my way, I have a good chance of taking this title."

Indications are Smith and Cole have the pace to challenge 2008 sports production champion Dennis Charlett (Suzuki), of Christchurch.

The five-round 2009 New Zealand Road-Race Championships start at Christchurch's Ruapuna circuit on January 17-18, with rounds at Teretonga, Invercargill (January 24-25), Levels, Timaru (January 31-February 1), Manfeild, Feilding (February 21-22) and either Pukekohe or Hampton Downs for the finals on March 7-8.