The roar of a drag car’s engine or a blast of smoke from its tires may send adrenaline pumping through excited fans. But for Ida Zetterström, it’s the flash of the winner’s light that does it for her.
“For me, it’s not about the high speed. It’s about being the best,” Zetterström said. “We go over 330 miles per hour, and I don’t get any adrenaline rush at all unless I turn the win light on.”
That competitive spark first ignited when she was just a kid growing up in the Åland Islands, a small archipelago between Sweden and Finland.
“I bugged my dad for years to give me a Junior Dragster,” she said, laughing. “He finally built me a car, and we waited until I was eight to run for the first time.”
She’s been chasing the win light ever since. From Junior Dragsters to Super Comp and Super Street Bike, Zetterström worked her way up through the European racing circuit.
International Drag Racing Hall of Famer Mike Lewis still marvels at her story. “Well, the young girl from a little island between Finland and Sweden… she wanted to go professional drag racing,” Lewis said. “There was no family funding, no big sponsorship. So she got a license as a union electrician and made her own money. Then she rode a street motorcycle — 200 miles an hour — and went from there. Then graduated to Top Fuel and won the European championship.”
In 2021, she joined the European FIA Top Fuel league, quickly making history with four event wins and the 2023 championship title. Her team became the first in Europe to complete a 3.70-second run, setting a new European speed record at 321 mph.
After that record-breaking season, Zetterström took a major leap by relocating from Finland to Brownsburg, Indiana, to compete in the NHRA with JCM Racing. Brownsburg’s motorsports roots and proximity to top facilities made it the perfect place to chase her American dream.
“Basically, we sold off everything we had and moved a few suitcases of clothes,” she said.
The NHRA circuit brings new challenges from different tracks to tighter competition and a longer travel schedule. Zetterström says those changes have pushed her to grow as a driver. She’s also discovered that success behind the wheel isn’t just about reaction time — it’s about mindset.
“When you’re in the middle of a race, nothing else is in your head. You’re just feeling the car and seeing what it wants to do,” Zetterström said. “Sometimes you need to calm yourself down. Sometimes you need to amp yourself up. But a lot of the time, it’s just telling yourself, ‘I know how to do this. I’ve won races and championships before. We’ve got a great team. Let’s go.”
Her days are built around training to match that mental focus — cardio, strength work, and reaction drills to withstand the crushing G-forces of Top Fuel acceleration. But even more than the rush, it’s the community that fuels her.
“That’s what I really love about drag racing — we have an open pit,” she said. “When I’m mixing my fuel or working, my fans are right there cheering me on, talking to me, asking questions. There are a lot of little girls who come over, and that’s so special.”
Her grit paid off early in her NHRA career. In her first American race, Zetterström defeated four-time world champion Steve Torrence — an incredible debut that earned her a standing ovation from fans and competitors alike. She closed out the 2025 season ranked 11th in points, a three-spot improvement from her rookie year.
“It was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen,” Lewis said. “That victory was just a launch point for her future success, as she continues to win races and turn heads.”
Zetterström knows she’s just getting started. “Racing is hard. You’re going to lose more than you’re going to win,” she said.
Looking ahead, her focus is clear. “My bucket list wasn’t to come here and race in America. It was to win championships here and become a solid name in the sport,” she said. “We can look back at this 10 years from now and have some championships in the bag, and be a big, solid name in the industry.”
Zetterström is currently located in Brownsburg, sharing driving duties with Shawn Reed Racing for the 2026 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.
