The starting grids are filling rapidly as excitement builds for the Suzuki Series, the traditional kick-off to the New Zealand motorcycle road-race season.

The popular three-round series – at Hampton Downs on December 7, Manfeild a week later and on the Wanganui streets on Boxing Day – has attracted its biggest line-up, including a large number of international stars.

It means series organiser Alan “Flea” Willacy may have a problem – where does he fit everybody?

“It’s a nice problem to have, but, to be honest, the more the merrier,” Willacy laughed.

Overseas riders include champions from Britain, Isle of Man, Germany, Japan and Australia, keen to lock handlebars with Kiwi internationals such as Suzuki’s national superbike champion Dennis Charlett, Sloan Frost, Jaden Hassan, Tony Rees, Hayden Fitzgerald, Scott Moir and Avalon Biddle. Also lining up are Auckland teenage talents Daniel Mettam and Connor London as well as Wanganui heroes Jayden Carrick and Richard Dibben.

Flamboyant British racer Guy Martin returns for the final round at the Cemetery Circuit, to show off the skills that have made him a legend at the Isle of Man races over the past few years. He will face German Superbike champion Horst Saiger.

Saiger, from Liechtenstein, is a world-class competitor. He holds the 1000cc superstock lap record at the North West 200 (in Ireland) and was third in the FIM World 24-Hour Endurance Championship this year.

Isle of Man rider Billy Redmayne – the “newcomer” record holder at the Isle of Man – takes a break from serving as a British Army paratrooper to travel to New Zealand for the first time to race a Suzuki in the Formula Two 600cc class. There he will come up against talented Japanese pair Toshiyuki Arakaki and Akashi Kohno.

A third Japanese rider, Kishimoto Yoshi, will tackle the Formula Three class, facing off with British women’s champion Maria Costello. Costello will also race a KTM690 in the Bears (non-Japanese bikes) class.

Linden Magee heads an Aussie list that includes Aidan Hopkins, Rennie Scaysbrook and father-and-daughter Phil and Sophie Lovett.

With races for Formula One (superbikes), Formula Two (600cc), Formula Three, Bears, Pre-89, super moto and sidecars, the programme at all three rounds is bulging.

Top sidecar pairings include Suzuki Series champions Adam Unsworth and Stu Dawe, national champions Spike Taylor and Astrid Hartnell, Aaron Lovell and Tracey Bryan, Corey Winter and Tim Shepherd.

“It’s going to be a huge series,” enthused Willacy. “Instead of just confining themselves to race one event only, perhaps just the final round on Wanganui’s Cemetery Circuit, many of these international riders have this year signed up to race the entire three-round series.”

With former series winners Andrew Stroud and Nick Cole retired, the F1 competition is wide open, although national superbike No1 Charlett, the series winner in 2012, perhaps rates as favourite.

“I know Dennis Charlett is very determined to win the Robert Holden (memorial feature race) trophy before he finally hangs up his helmet and boots, but Guy Martin is also keen to take it away,” said Willacy.

“Jayden Carrick has now stepped up to the 1000cc Suzuki superbike and he’s already on a winning pace, so the competition is looking very hot indeed.”