Sainz sets record as Dakar Rally prepares for new car champion

(CNN) -- Carlos Sainz claimed a record 23rd stage win at the Dakar Rally on Friday, but the Spaniard's title reign in the car category is coming to a close.

The 48-year-old overtook race legend Stephane Peterhansel for overall victories as he claimed his sixth in the 33rd edition of the endurance event, but he trails Volkswagen teammate Nasser Al-Attiyah by more than an hour ahead of the final leg going into Buenos Aires.

Sainz's challenge came unstuck on Thursday when he suffered a broken suspension in the 11th leg between Chilecito and San Juan in Argentina, allowing teammate Ginier De Villiers to move up into second overall.

The South African was second in Friday's penultimate stage ahead of Al-Attiyah, but is almost 50 minutes behind the Qatari -- who is almost assured his maiden victory at the event after finishing runner-up last year.

"It really was the hardest stage of my life, because I had to keep concentrated and not make any mistakes," the 40-year-old Al-Attiyah told the race's website.

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"Sometimes I was going fast, sometimes slow, because I needed to keep my concentration and keep the same pace, but it was okay. We finished the stage without any problems and I'm really quite happy."

Spain's Marc Coma is similarly in pole position to clinch a third title in the motorbike category after winning his fourth stage this year by 37 seconds from defending champion Cyril Depres.

Coma has an overall advantage of more than 16 minutes from the Frenchman, who is also riding for the KTM team.

"Today was complicated due to all the rain that fell last night. As a result, it was a very technical stage, like in endurance racing. But it went fine," Coma told the race's website.

"There is still a 190-kilometer stage left to race tomorrow. Normally, there shouldn't be any complications, but we still need to race them, it's there to be done."

Defending truck champion Vladimir Chagin is on course for his seventh title after claiming his sixth stage win, leaving him more than 31 minutes ahead of fellow Russian and Kamaz-Master teammate Firdaus Kabirov.

In the quad bikes, last year's runner-up Alejandro Patronelli is poised for his maiden triumph as he holds an even bigger lead ahead over fellow Argentine Sebastian Halpern, one of his Yamaha teammates.

Halpern was second on Friday, while Patronelli was back in fourth eight minutes adrift.