The fastest drivers in offroad racing head for the Bay of Plenty this weekend to contest round six of the 2024 championship.

They are chasing one last chance to boost their championship points tally before the national final next month.

Among them will be Otakiri’s Kenna Baker, 18, with her 15-year-old sister co-driving in the standard U class.

Seasoned racer Gary Baker, Kenna’s father, in the unlimited class and Whakatāne’s Jared McGillivray in the clubman’s class will be taking to the track for the first time this season.

McGillivray has spent the season in the co-driver's seat for both Kenna and fellow local Malcolm Langley, who will not be participating in round six of the competition.

The one-day event on Saturday, organised by the Waikato Offroad Racing Club, takes place at Tect Park near Tauranga, on a purpose-built short-course track that offers excellent spectating. Racing takes place class by class in four heats.

It's home soil for the Whakatāne racers, and Baker said at 1.3 kilometres per lap and wide enough at corners to fit two or three cars, it was one of the best short courses in the country.

After racing in his own capacity on and off for about three decades, Baker has focused on Kenna’s racing in the past couple of years as the former youth trophy cart champion becomes a promising young name in the sport.

“She has been going really well, building and building,” Baker said.

“Her last event was up at Maramarua, where she got second in class and seventh overall out of 30-odd cars.”

This season, the main focus for Kenna has been on enduro racing, having competed at the 290km course in Christchurch and 440km course in Nelson, where she just missed a top 10 placing.

“She is really enjoying the longer distance races where she can settle into her own pace,” Baker said.

“She’s quite a perceptive driver; she isn’t revving it out every time you see her, but she is quicker than a lot of the guys who do that in terms of lap time.”

More than 50 entries have been received for Saturday’s race, and the sport’s most successful racer, Tony McCall, has confirmed his entry this week.

McCall drives a one-of-a-kind BSL Chev single seater that develops more than 484kW (650bhp) and weighs less than a tonne. He smashed a gearbox racing at Kurow two weeks ago but has fast-tracked repairs to contest this weekend’s racing.

He goes up against Daynom Templeman, Josh Attwood, Dan Fromings and Ross Boon.

Defending national champion Carl Ruiterman will also be racing his Yamaha UTV, hoping to gain points to put him back in contention after overheating put him out of the previous northern round, the Woodhill 100.

The unlimited truck class will be hard fought, with Baker bringing out his American Pro4 race truck. The class leader is Nick Leahy, who will not be racing.

Leigh Bishop in another V8 truck is a hot contender though he trails Leahy on points. Also running V8 trucks are Ash Carlyle and Richard Crabb. It's Crabb's first run in the truck class.

The current points leader, however, is not in the top classes. Asher Morgan, driving a 1.3-litre single seater, has held the championship lead for most of the year and has 210 points.

Like the racers in the ‘big banger’ classes is looking to clean-sweep the heats for his class.

Racing at the Daltons Tect Park Raceway starts at 9am tomorrow.

Spectator admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children or $20 for families. Food and drink vendors will be on site.