Sharp-shooting Nasser Al-Attiyah takes aim at sixth Dakar title

The Dakar Rally roars into life on Friday in Saudi Arabia with Qatari Nasser Al-Attiyah seeking a sixth title and third in a row in the mythic motorsport marathon.

A 425-strong colorful caravan made up of cars, bikes, quads and trucks sets out from Al-Ula on a treacherous 4,900-mile (7,886 kilometer) odyssey around the kingdom with a Jan. 19 finish in Yanbu on the Red Sea.

This year’s route includes the first 48-hour stage in the Empty Quarter, a vast sea of sand with dunes as far as the eye can see.