HYUNDAI Coupe driver Dean Herridge has won the 2.0-litre category of the FAI Rally of Canberra after three days of competition that decimated the class field in the international event.

Just 13 of the 28 starters completed the 700-kilometre rally which was one of the hardest on the Australian rally calendar in the past decade.

Herridge grabbed the category lead when Hyundai Rallysport driver Wayne Bell, who was running fourth outright, rolled his Hyundai Coupe.

The Perth driver credited his victory to the reliability of the Coupe.

"On the first day, the heat was really getting to the vehicles: you had to temper your aggression somewhat," Herridge said.
With co-driver Lyndal Drake, Herridge maintained class-leading pace despite battling an annoying engine miss for part of Day 2.

"We had a blocked injector that meant we were running on only three cylinders for about eight competitive stages. But, once we found the problem, the car ran perfectly for the rest of the event.".

On the final day, Herridge picked up one place in the overall competition to finish eight outright.

The late-season win marks Hyundai and Herridge as the combination to beat for the 1998 Australian 2.0-Litre Rally Championship.