🏁 Ida Zetterström has proven she belongs in NHRA Top Fuel.

Jan 12
2 min read

Ida Zetterström at a Crossroads

Proven on Track, Uncertain Off It

In motorsports, reaching the top tier is supposed to mean you’ve made it.For Ida Zetterström, it turns out that’s only the beginning of the hardest fight.

From European Champion to NHRA Contender

Zetterström didn’t arrive in the United States as an unknown. In 2023, she captured the FIA European Drag Racing Championship Top Fuel title, establishing herself as one of the most formidable drivers on the European drag racing scene.

That success opened the door to the ultimate challenge: NHRA Top Fuel, widely regarded as the most brutal, competitive environment in the sport.

In 2024, she crossed the Atlantic, traded familiarity for pressure, and began chasing a place among the fastest drivers on the planet.

🏆 A Breakthrough That Turned Heads

The results came sooner than many expected.

During the 2025 season, driving for JCM Racing, Zetterström reached her first career NHRA Top Fuel final at the Midwest Nationals. She finished runner-up—but the result sent a clear message throughout the paddock.

This wasn’t hype.This wasn’t a novelty story.This was proof.

Reaction times. Consistency. Control at 300+ mph.She belonged.

Reality Hits: Momentum Meets Uncertainty

Then came the part no timing slip can solve.

JCM Racing later confirmed it would not field a full-season NHRA Top Fuel program going forward. Overnight, Zetterström’s projected full campaign turned into a question mark.

Instead of planning championship points battles, she’s now navigating a future that may involve only 10–12 races, depending entirely on funding, sponsorship, and opportunity.

In Top Fuel, speed earns respect—but budget determines survival.

“I Just Want to Be on the Starting Line”

Zetterström hasn’t hidden her frustration, nor has she softened her ambition. In recent interviews, her message has been direct:

“All I want to do is be out there, racing them.”

It’s not trash talk.It’s a statement of reality.

Because in NHRA, proving you can win a round doesn’t guarantee you’ll be allowed to race the next one.

The Question Isn’t Talent — It’s Access

By any reasonable measure, Zetterström checks every box:

✔ European Top Fuel champion
✔ NHRA finalist
✔ Marketable, international, and proven under pressure

What she lacks has nothing to do with driving ability.

It’s opportunity.

A Driver Worth Betting On

Ida Zetterström’s story isn’t about potential anymore—it’s about whether the system will allow that potential to continue.

She has already answered the hardest question in motorsports:Can you compete at this level?

Now the industry must answer another:

Will one of NHRA’s most capable new drivers be given a real runway—or forced to watch from the sidelines?

Because in Top Fuel, sometimes the most dangerous obstacle isn’t the track.It’s everything around it.