Drag racer Ida Zetterström characterizes her choices as a sequence of deliberate if/then sentences when talking about her art. This is deceptive. Tenths of seconds is the ideal unit of measurement for the amount of time she can change her behavior. There is no time for contemplation — everything is based on muscle memory honed over many years in the cockpit. Her car might spin out of control at the starting line or worse due to a small calculation error.
She states, “I should be 100% wide open [on the gas] when it comes to the actual run.” “First of all, the run won’t be good if I have to [re-adjust] the throttle or anything like. That should never happen. There will never be a good run for you. Furthermore, there is an extremely high possibility of the engine blowing up.
Fortunately, when her wheels lose traction at the start of her second qualifying run at the Carolina Nationals in Charlotte, North Carolina, Zetterström is able to prevent the car from suffering any significant damage. Flirting with this frontier between success and failure is necessary – the margins of victory in drag racing are ultra-slim.
“It’s a very thin line between smoking the tires, shaking the tires, and a perfect run,” Zetterström says. In her estimation, nearly all of her greatest races have flirted with failure before ultimately leading to her fastest runs. Although only four races into her American drag racing career, Zetterström’s observations are informed by experience. Originally from Sweden, she has already achieved everything she wanted in European drag racing.
To call Zetterström the 2023 European drag racing champion is simultaneously accurate and an understatement. She didn’t eke out a close-fought victory over her competition – she dominated them. Zetterström lost in an elimination round just once in the entire season. Moreover, she broke the European record for the fastest race time. With nothing left to prove in Europe, earlier this year she headed westward.
Regarding the US, she states, “It’s always been my goal to come over here.” “I’ve spent a great deal of time and effort working for this… The major sporting events take place here. The fields are largest, the vehicles are fastest, the competition is fiercest, and the tracks are the greatest.
Zetterström competes in the USA’s National Hot Rod Association (NHRA), which holds championships in four professional racing divisions: Top Fuel, Funny Car, Pro Stock, and Pro Stock Motorcycle. It’s a little odd to note that Funny Car and Top Fuel are both regarded as the top competition in their respective sports. Untrained eyes may find Top Fuel dragsters more dramatic; they resemble long darts with massive tail-end spoilers that tower over most people. Top Fuel dimensions also seem perfect for slicing through wind resistance. On the other hand, Funny Cars have an oddly proportioned factory automobile appearance. The two categories may both reach 330 mph and use similar gear beneath their fiberglass bodies, but their striking appearances conceal this reality.
In the end, everything boils down to personal taste among drivers (and fans). Zetterström participates in the Top Fuel class of the NHRA, which is the same class in which she raced in Europe.
In the end, everything boils down to personal taste among drivers (and fans). Zetterström participates in the Top Fuel class of the NHRA, which is the same class in which she raced in Europe.
