Zetterstrom happy to ‘finally’ get on track ahead of NHRA Top Fuel debut

Ida Zetterstrom has put her first passes behind the wheel of an NHRA Top Fuel dragster in the books with multiple test sessions over the last two weeks.

Zetterstrom got behind the wheel for the first time Monday following the Arizona Nationals in Phoenix. The 2023 FIA European Top Fuel champion, who hails from Sweden, has relocated to the United States and will compete with JCM Racing as a teammate to eight-time champion Tony Schumacher.

“It was a good day,” Zetterstrom told RACER after the Phoenix test. “We had a really successful test session. It was great for me to finally be able to jump in the car and make some laps.”

The original plan was for Zetterstrom to begin testing after the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing season began in Gainesville last month. However, because she had not entered the event, she could not get on track. It made the wait even longer for Zetterstrom, whose emotions and nerves were pushed to post-Phoenix.

“I felt really calm,” Zetterstrom said. “I felt really calm and ready. I’ve gotten to know the team I have around me, and we’ve worked together on this for some months. So, I felt very comfortable and very calm and collected. Of course, going down to the line in the tow car, I did feel some butterflies just the fact that you don’t really know what to expect when you’re in a new car, and this doesn’t matter if you’re in the U.S. or Europe.

“Every car is different, and you’re still waiting to find out what you’re dealing with because a lot of things you can try in the pit and the workshop, but when you actually hit the track that’s how you find out how the car is reacting. Also, the fact that I haven’t been in a Top Fuel (dragster) since the first week of September when our season started in Europe, and I think if you ask most of the drivers making those first hits of the year, it’s always a little bit more exciting or butterflies than it is otherwise. But as soon as we made it to the line and I jumped in the car to start getting ready, I felt no stress or butterflies but really calm and at home in the car. So that was good.”

Zetterstrom tested the brand-new car built for her at Phoenix. A week later, the Monday after the 4-Wide Nationals in Las Vegas, she tested in Schumacher’s backup car because the team wanted to work on things.

For the first time, she is driving a canopy car, and it’s giving her quite a bit to adjust to, not just being quieter in the cockpit. She’s also working with an in-car radio system. Zetterstrom admitted she’d always previously raced with an open cockpit and no earplugs, which allowed her to hear everything.