Isolde successfully contests the Silvretta Classic Rally

11th July 2007

This weekend, Isolde Holderied contested a very special event: in the Silvretta Classic Rally, held in the Alps, she celebrated a class win.

600 kilometres, 16 special stages: over the course of three days, the Silvretta Classic Rally had Isolde driving on some of the most beautiful Alpine roads. Unusually, the former Rally World Champion didn’t contest the event from behind the wheel. “Having been co-driver, I was more nervous than when sitting behind the wheel myself,” she admitted. “When I’m the driver, I know what I’ve got to do. As co-driver, I had to be fully focused throughout the three days. After all, I had to provide my driver, Dr Dietrich Hartmann, with the right commands, by dint of the road notes and a stop watch. And I have to say: he drove in great style.”

Isolde and her driver, Dr Dietrich Hartmann, had the chance of contesting a true racing classic: “Obviously, a Toyota 2000 GT built back in 1967 stands out, even in such a field. It was the only Toyota among the 170 cars, and only 351 of these classic have been built,” said Isolde after the event.

The success Isolde celebrated by finishing as best works team, taking a class win and finishing fourth in the overall rankings, was a surprise, even for such an experienced driver. “In the beginning, we took our involvement in the Silvretta Classic Rally really easy. But the longer it went on and the more we moved up the rankings, the more we started pressurising ourselves. And when we finished as class winners we were truly over the moon. This success was far more than what we had hoped for.”

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