Against all odds. That’s the best way to describe Ida Zetterström’s journey so far. From her days in Junior Dragsters, dominating the European drag racing scene, to making her way to the NHRA, the racer has seen plenty of ups and downs in her career. To be able to power through in an industry that is traditionally dominated by men hasn’t been an easy task, but the Swedish racer has overcome plenty of barriers, changing perceptions through talent and hard work through her performances.

Zetterström is still battling through adversity, despite making her way to the National Hot Rod Association. However, she’s hopeful of overcoming her challenges and making use of every opportunity that she can get her hands on to make a mark in the American drag racing scene.

It was always going to be a risk. After making a name for herself in Europe, Ida Zetterström knew that the only way to progress further would be to take a gamble and make her way to the United States. That’s exactly what she did in January 2024 when she moved to Indianapolis after getting a breakthrough at JCM Racing. Given her natural talent and a rare ability to push herself to the limit, the Swede managed to hit the ground running, making her way into the semifinals after teaming up with crew chief Jon Schaffer.

Despite being recognized as The NHRA National Dragster’s ‘Best New Talent’, Ida Zetterström’s struggles are continuing. Revealing her challenges in an interview, she said, “We were hoping that 2025 will be our first full year but it all comes down to funding and right now I do not have the, I have great partners, I just do not have enough for it to cover a full season. So we have 10 races this year, a little more than last year, but as it looks right now it’s 10 and we’re still chasing more funding and going to try and find those partners that will be with us for the long run.”

This side of financial stability is something former NASCAR champion Tony Stewart spoke about as well. Ever since he bought an NHRA team, he realised the problem of funding would always linger, especially since he was a retired driver. He echoed Zetterström when he spoke about new partners coming into the team. “The great thing is we’re seeing new partners—not just for our teams, but across NHRA as a whole. Getting people to the track has made a huge difference for us and is helping make this team financially stable.” 

Even though her half-season schedule is confirmed, the Swede is under pressure because of the financial uncertainty. Zetterström has had to juggle the demands of being an NHRA racer while coping with the challenges of sponsorship acquisition. However, the racer is keeping a positive mindset, going on to say that her ongoing struggles “will be part of our success and you know hopefully, our first championship win.”

JCM Racing’s team owner, Joe Maynard, knows that finding sponsors will be easier said than done, but offered her his two cents by saying, “She obviously has the skills it takes to excel in Top Fuel. Plus, she understands the importance of social media and how to utilize it to benefit partners. She’s the full package. I believe Ida has a bright future in NHRA Drag Racing, and we’re thrilled that she’s making her U.S. debut as a member of our JCM Racing organization.” It’s not the first time Zetterström has faced seemingly insurmountable obstacles. When she was in Europe, sourcing parts for Top Fuel cars was a big challenge. This time around, she will need to let her results do the talking to cement her place in the NHRA in the long run.

Zetterström looking for improvement after first-round exit

Ida Zetterström is setting her sights high. The JCM Racing Top Fuel Dragster is on the verge of making her first appearance at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at the iconic In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip. The Swedish racer is hoping for a better performance after exiting in the first round at the Arizona Nationals in Phoenix. Even though Justin Ashley got the better of her, the JCM Racing team can take plenty of positives from the performance after finishing ninth during qualifying.

Sharing her expectations, Zetterström said, “We’re excited to head to Pomona with a good weekend behind us. Even though we had an early exit last week, we learned a lot, and we found some of the progress that we were looking for. Pomona last year was where we set our best speed and E.T. that we still keep to this day. We’re looking forward to heading back to that track and hopefully have great track conditions where we could better both our speed and E.T. this weekend.”

It wasn’t the first time Ida Zetterström had visited the Pomona Dragstrip. In her last appearance in 2024, the racer clocked her career-best performance, achieving a time of 3.738 seconds and a speed of 334.32 mph. She’s hopeful of surpassing these numbers, as she said, “We qualified ninth in Phoenix, which was higher than we did in Gainesville, but we are looking to go even higher now, and we want to see ourselves in the top eight, and turn on some win lights on Sunday.” Could a positive result help her secure some funding? Time will tell. However, race wins will be key for the Swede to secure her future in the NHRA.