Driver Zhou Yong failed to rewrite history in the Dakar Rally after an ignition failure in the next-to-last stage of the race, but still finished 22nd overall on Saturday.

Zhou, who finished 43rd in the last stage, bettered Lu Ningjun's 28th place finish in last year's race. Zhou's 19th place finish in 2005 and the late Xu Lang's 19th place finish in 2006 are the best results by Chinese drivers in the Dakar Rally.

Lu, driving a Chery Rely X5 that was made in China, was taking part in his seventh Dakar Rally before a mechanical failure stopped him from starting this year's race.

He instead captained his two teammates from the Rely-Double Star Team of China to complete the world's most grueling rally. His teammates, Jiang Yaohuan, driving a Rely X5, and Liu Kun, also at the wheels of a Rely X5 and who was making his debut in Dakar, finished 40th and 42nd overall, respectively.

Zhou Yuande finished 31st overall. Two other Chinese car drivers - Ma Junkun and Guo Hongzhi - had also pulled out of the race earlier.

In motorcycling, Su Wenmin went six places better than last year, eventually finishing 2011 in 69th overall, the best result so far by a Chinese motorcyclist. Li Yang became the first Chinese truck driver to complete the rally, finishing 26th in the overall standings.