“You need to learn how to be good at losing because the thing is, you will lose more than you win,” reflects Ida Zetterström, the Swedish drag racing phenom whose journey from two wheels to Top Fuel has defied expectations at every turn. Born in Stockholm but raised on Finland’s Åland Islands, Zetterström didn’t just break into the racing world—she conquered it on her own terms, becoming the first woman to win the Super Street Bike championship in 2019 despite critics insisting she didn’t belong in that class. Guess who had the last laugh!

Now racing in America’s premier NHRA series, Zetterström faces a new challenge—one that has shifted her focus from chasing championships to chasing dollars. The 30-year-old racer who relocated to Indianapolis in early 2024 has been transparent about her priorities: “I am focusing on chasing dollars instead of just chasing championships.”

From Two Wheels to Top Fuel

Reflecting on how it all started, “I had never raced bikes before. Really tough challenge for me,” Zetterström candidly admits about her entry into motorcycle drag racing. “When I started, I needed to learn everything from how do you do a burnout with a bike. It was such small stuff that for many of the people racing in that class they had done it for years and years on end. They were just natural bike racers where I had to work really hard to get it.”

The barriers weren’t just technical but social as well. “I was one of the only girls to race in that class. There had been some girls racing or running a race here and there, but never been a girl that won a race, never been a girl that had great success in that class,” she recalls. Critics were quick to dismiss her ambitions: “There was a lot of people that told me that I couldn’t do it or that I shouldn’t do it and that maybe that class wasn’t where I belong.” They suggested she try Pro Stock bikes instead: “Go and race a Pro Stock bike and hey, you’ll be safer with a wheelie bar.” Little did they know what her career had to offer in the future.

Her initial splash in the NHRA competition suggests she has the talent to match her ambition. Making her debut in August 2024 at Minnesota’s Brainerd International Raceway, she immediately turned heads by defeating four-time champion Steve Torrence in the first round. She finished the season with a semifinal appearance and was named “Best New Talent” by NHRA’s National Dragster publication. Her team owner at JCM Racing, Joe Maynard, believes “it’s only a matter of time before she has an NHRA championship.”

Before catching America’s attention, Ida Zetterström had already established herself as a force in Europe. She dominated the 2023 FIA Top Fuel Championship, winning four events and setting a new European elapsed-time record of 3.773 seconds, along with a speed record of 321 mph. During her licensing process, she ran an astonishing 3.862-second pass—the fastest licensing pass ever recorded by the FIA.

Despite drag racing’s smaller European footprint, Ida Zetterström notes the passion remains strong: “It’s actually really big. While we don’t have as many races as here in the U.S., when we have them, people really come together to support our events. We can easily have between 50,000 – 80,000 fans attend.” The biggest challenge? Parts acquisition. “We just don’t have the same kind of budget in Europe as the U.S. teams, so we have to buy from the U.S. teams when they have parts to sell,” she explains, highlighting the logistical challenges European racers face compared to their American counterparts. The role of money in the career cannot be overlooked.

The financial strain on Zetterström’s NHRA dreams reveals a harsh reality behind the glamour of 300+ mph passes and fiery burnouts. With only 10 races confirmed for her 2025 schedule, the Swedish champion finds herself in an unfamiliar race off the track. “If you knew that you had a full season ahead of you, your mind space might be a little bit different because then you’re focusing on trying to win a championship,” she confesses, illuminating the mental toll of financial uncertainty.

This battle for sponsorship is particularly poignant for someone whose European success includes winning all but one race during her dominant 2023 season. Despite being named “Best New Talent” by NHRA’s National Dragster after her impressive 2024 debut, Ida Zetterström now splits her focus between performance and funding. “I don’t want my mind to completely be eaten up by that when I go into a race,” she explains, describing the delicate balance between being a racer and a business entity. But, the fact about money attracting partners has always been a part of motorsports. Tim Brown’s running in the Clash this year shows how dreams have a long waiting list to be fulfilled if you lack finances.

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When dreams wait for money

Tim Brown is a 53-year-old, seasoned modified champion and works for Rick Ware Racing as a technician. Even if he was the home voice of experience, even competing in the truck series, Brown could never get a chance to perform at the higher level. Up until this year, he struggled to get himself sponsors. Not coming from generational wealth, this local hero stayed local. But Rick Ware changed everything.

Seeing the passion and expertise his team members carried, owner Rick Ware set up a special surprise for Tim Brown- The chance to compete in the NASCAR Cup Series. When he heard the news, it felt like the revival of an age-old dream. In Brown’s own words, “I have sacrificed my whole life to racing. I gave up on being a Cup Series driver some 15-20 years ago. But Rick and Lisa (Ware), Tommy (Baldwin competition director) thought enough of me to make this happen, and I’m really grateful and I’m just going to try to enjoy the opportunity”.