Ida Zetterström Drives Dialight Top Fuel Dragster to Quarterfinals in Dallas

ENNIS, TX – One race after Ida Zetterström raced to her first career NHRA Top Fuel final round in St. Louis, the 2023 FIA European Top Fuel champion made it to the quarterfinals Sunday afternoon at the Texas NHRA FallNationals. Representing Dialight on the side of her JCM Racing Top Fuel dragster at the Texas Motorplex, Zetterström took down reigning world champion Antron Brown before falling to 2023 NHRA world champion Doug Kalitta in a rematch of the St. Louis final round to wrap up the 12th race of her sophomore season in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.

In qualifying, Zetterström started with a tire-smoking pass in the first Friday session, but she bounced back with a 3.788-second pass at 326.70 mph in the second session. More tire smoke plagued her effort in the third session, then she made one of the quicker laps of the final qualifying round, a 3.919 E.T. at 312.80 mph, to get ready for eliminations.

Qualified No. 13, Zetterström in the Dialight dragster paired up with four-time and defending world champion Antron Brown in Sunday’s first round of eliminations. Both drivers had their fair share of issues, but it was Zetterström advancing with a 4.257 E.T. at 206.86 mph. She kicked off the second round of Top Fuel eliminations with a rematch of the final round in St. Louis against Doug Kalitta. This edition went Kalitta’s way as well, though Zetterström made her second-best pass of the event, a 3.845-second effort at 323.37 mph.
“I was very eager to get revenge on the final round from St. Louis,” Zetterström said. “I wanted to stage the car really shallow for the guys to get a good E.T., but I flickered the bulb for so long I had to give it another go and get it in there and I was a little late on the tree, but we also ran slower than him. We were a little short on both ends, so we didn’t turn on the win light there.”

Zetterström, who is actively pursuing partners for the 2026 season, noted the highlights of the event, including the opportunity to work with Dialight, the world leader in LED industrial lighting technology with millions of LED fixtures installed worldwide.

“It looks like this might be our last race for the year, so we really wanted to leave on a better note than that,” Zetterström said. “But I’m very proud to have Dialight with us here this weekend and have them in hospitality and trackside. It’s been really cool to represent a brand like them, and I’m really proud of how the car has looked on track. I just wish we could have placed it in the winner’s circle.”

Qualified: No. 13 (3.788 E.T. at 326.70 MPH)

Elimination Round Results:
E1: 4.257 E.T. at 206.86 MPH defeated Antron Brown 5.127 E.T. at 158.61 MPH
E2: 3.845 E.T. at 323.37 MPH defeated by Doug Kalitta 3.757 E.T. at 332.37 MPH