“I will gladly step out of that car for my wife…I’m just the fill-in guy.” Tony Stewart’s words last month stressed the importance of his better half Leah Pruett. When the 12-time NHRA Top Fuel race winner took a maternity hiatus for 2024, Stewart stepped in. But at the end of the day, he acknowledged that the Top Fuel Dragster belongs to her. This highlights the value given to women in NHRA, and newcomer Ida Zetterström is well aware of it.

The Swedish motorsports celebrity has proved several times that she was born out of speed. From dominating bike racing in Europe to offering trailblazing prospects in NHRA, Ida Zetterström has many a time challenged her fellow male competitors. Yet that has been no roadblock, as she pointed out.

Top Fuel drag racing has a long history of not only female drivers but also female champions. Many stalwarts emerged back in the past, presenting challenges to rivals regardless of gender. In the 1980s, American Shirley Muldowney became the first driver to win three NHRA Top Fuel titles. Then Finland’s Anita Mäkelä won three European Top Fuel titles of her own in the 2010s.

So when Ida Zetterström relocated to the US to try her hand at Top Fuel racing, she had a long string of predecessors to look up to. Anyway, she had many laurels to her name already. Ida started racing junior dragsters at the age of 8 and got her Super Comp Dragster license at 16.

But Ida Zetterström’s true success appeared after she started racing in the Super Street Bike class in 2017. In 2019, she became the first woman to ever win in the Scandinavian Super Street Bike class. In a recent interview with Speed Freaks, she confessed that she ruffled a few feathers when she got that first championship. “I was basically the first female to win in that class, the first female to win a championship in that class. I did notice that some of those guys – it hurt their ego. But I think it’s because they weren’t used to it. They weren’t used to a girl coming in there and actually winning in that class and being really good at it.” However, Ida did not find the same gender bias in the US.

Ida Zetterström said that in NHRA racing, there is little difference. The evidence is visible in Tony Stewart and his wife Leah Pruett’s solid understanding. She said, “I mean, all these guys out here, they have raced alongside girls for years. I’m sure most of the guys out here, they have been beaten by girls a couple of times already. So I don’t think that’s going to be anything different.” She dropped her 4-word verdict: “That’s not a thing.” Ida further added, “Honestly, when you put the helmet on, there’s no difference.”

Yet Ida Zetterström also said that she earned her European counterparts’ respect over time. After all, she was the 2023 European drag racing champion, losing just one elimination round that season. “But even a lot of those guys who might take offense at the beginning ended up being some of my greatest competitors and actually being really nice to me. Because I do think that there was that respect there – they understood how hard I’d worked to get to that point.”

Even JCM Racing team owner, Joe Maynar, was appreciative of Zetterstrom when she joined the team. “We’ve followed Ida’s success on and off the track for some time now. 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.” 

Evidently, the Swedish drag racing celebrity appreciates her warm welcome in the US. What Ida also appreciates is the fiery change in her motorsports routine.

Adapting to a nerve-racking sport

Well, there has been a common misconception that NHRA is a stepping stone to NASCAR. Yet drag racing is actually a completely parallel realm of motorsport, sometimes more dangerous. Top Fuel dragsters look more extreme to the untrained eye. They are shaped like long darts with really high tail-end spoilers. Carrying up to 11,000 hp, these vehicles can seem ideal for piercing through wind resistance. So Ida Zetterström had to adapt to a tough routine after she moved to the US. The time in which she can alter her actions is sometimes tenths of a second. A slight miscalculation can leave her car spinning without traction at the starting line.

Last year in October, Ida confessed how she was finding her transition to Top Fuel drag racing in the US. “When it comes to the actual run, I should be 100% wide open [on the gas]. I should never have to [re-adjust] the throttle or anything like that because, if you do that – first of all, the run is not going to be good. You will never, ever have a good run. Plus, the risk of blowing the engine up is super, super high.” Fortunately, at the start of her second qualifying run at the Carolina Nationals in Charlotte, North Carolina, Ida was able to prevent significant damage. She emphasized that the margin between success and failure is very thin. “It’s a very thin line between smoking the tires, shaking the tires, and a perfect run.”

As Ida Zetterström looks to reach new heights in drag racing, we cannot wait to see her shine! Let us see if the Swedish speedster can spill gold this season in NHRA.