The 2022 Dakar Rally is under way, which also means the kickoff for NBC Sports’ “Home of Motorsports” coverage for this year.
Beginning with Sunday’s 8 p.m. ET recap on the Olympic Channel, NBC Sports will have hourlong recaps of the Dakar Rally, the prestigious endurance race that will traverse Saudi Arabia for its 44th edition. The nightly coverage also will be streamed on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.
NASCAR on NBC analyst and reporter Parker Kligerman will provide commentary for NBC Sports’ Dakar Rally coverage.
Extended highlights from the 12-stage off-road classic (which will cover more than 5,000 miles across desert, canyons, dunes and mountains) also will be available on NBC Sports digital platforms (including the website and the Motorsports on NBC YouTube Channel) and Peacock.
The race began Saturday, Jan. 1 with the 19-kilometer prologue, which was won by three-time Dakar champion Nasser Al-Attiyah in the cars class (finishing ahead of 2020 winner Carlos Sainz).
Stage 1A - 🚗
— DAKAR RALLY (@dakar) January 1, 2022
🥇 @AlAttiyahN
🥈 @CSainz_oficial
🥉 @BrianBaraG
All the results 👉 https://t.co/1EEGudf7s0#Dakar2022 pic.twitter.com/Yx3x1hcKFC
The lightweight prototype division was won by American Seth Quintero, who is trying to become the Dakar Rally’s youngest overall category winner.
“The prologue went really well,” Quintero, 19, said. “We ended up catching a bit of traffic, but overall a good start to the rally. Now I can’t wait for the rest of it.”
Daniel Sanders took the bike class victory while Americans Andrew Short (ninth), Ricky Brabec (12th), Mason Klein (17th) and Skyler Howes (26th) all were within 10 seconds of the lead. Brabec finished second last year after winning the 2020 event.
There are nearly 1,000 competitors entered in 2022, including American Austin Jones returning after a runner-up finish in SSV last year.
Along with the Dakar Rally, NBC Sports’ “Home of Motorsports” programming will continue throughout 2022 with Monster Energy Supercross, IMSA, IndyCar, NASCAR, MotoGP and Monster Jam.
Here’s the daily coverage schedule of the 2022 Dakar Rally on the Olympic Channel (all times are Eastern Time):
| Date | Coverage | Time (ET) |
| Sun., Jan. 2 | Stage 1 – Jeddah to Ha’il | 8 p.m. |
| Mon., Jan. 3 | Stage 2 – Ha’il to Al Artawiyah | 8 p.m. |
| Tues., Jan. 4 | Stage 3 – Al Artawiyah to Al Qaisumah | 8 p.m. |
| Wed., Jan. 5 | Stage 4 – Al Qaisumah to Riyadh | 8 p.m. |
| Thurs., Jan. 6 | Stage 5 – Riyadh to Riyadh | 8 p.m. |
| Fri., Jan. 7 | Stage 6 – Riyadh to Riyadh | 8 p.m. |
| Sat., Jan. 8 | Rest Day | 8 p.m. |
| Sun., Jan. 9 | Stage 7 – Riyadh to Al Dawadimi | 8 p.m. |
| Mon., Jan. 10 | Stage 8 – Al Dawadimi to Wadi Ad-Dawasir | 7 p.m. |
| Tues., Jan. 11 | Stage 9 – Wadi Ad-Dawasir to Wadi Ad-Dawasir | 7 p.m. |
| Wed., Jan. 12 | Stage 10 – Wadi Ad-Dawasir to Bisha | 7 p.m. |
| Thurs., Jan. 13 | Stage 11 – Bisha to Bisha | 7 p.m. |
| Fri., Jan. 14 | Stage 12 – Bisha to Jeddah | 7:30 p.m. |