Ida Zetterström has made an incredible career for herself in drag racing, going from being a junior dragster to dominating European Top Fuel. Born in Sweden and raised on the Åland Islands, she began racing at just eight years old. She obtained her Super Comp Dragster license by the time she was in her mid-teens and then switched to motorcycle drag racing, where she broke several records.

Ida recently relocated to the United States to participate in the NHRA Top Fuel series with JCM Racing, continuing her rise to the top levels of drag racing and acting as a European Dodge ambassador. Behind her roaring engines and record-breaking runs lies a story that’s far more personal. The people who first believed in her dream – Ida Zetterström’s parents, Richard and Carola Zetterström.

Who are Ida Zetterström’s parents?

Richard and Carola Zetterström are the proud parents of Ida Zetterström, the rising star in European and American drag racing. Having competed as a Pro Stock racer and a Pro Mod license instructor, Richard is an experienced racing expert. He ran a specialty shop where he built high-performance engines for boats and drag vehicles and repaired American automobiles.

Ida’s early entry into motorsports was greatly impacted by his vast engineering and racing expertise. “My dad didn’t always race himself, but he worked with teams and he built engines,” she once revealed. Carola, Ida’s mother, has been a constant pillar of support, balancing family life and contributing to community initiatives. She is a hobbyist photographer, regularly sharing on-track and off-track photos of Ida on her Instagram page.

Ida and her sister were raised by Richard and Carola in a home that valued motorsports and active lifestyles. Beyond racing, the family has a strong bond. The Zetterströms are respected members of the community and are well-known for their hard work both on and off the track. Together, they have created a foundation of support that enables Ida to fulfill her racing aspirations and motivates the next generation.

Ethnicity of Ida Zetterström’s parents

Being ethnically Swedish, Richard and Carola Zetterström are typical Scandinavians, placing a high importance on hard work, morality, and family harmony. While Ida is Swedish by nationality (born in Stockholm), the family’s roots are in Åland (a Swedish-speaking autonomous region of Finland), which is where she was raised. That has shaped Ida Zetterström’s character. This background instills resilience, a disciplined work ethic, and a balanced approach to competition, which continue to influence Ida’s racing career.

Ida Zetterström’s relationship with her parents

Ida shares a close and inspiring relationship with her parents, grounded in mutual respect and shared passion for racing. Richard’s mechanical expertise and racing experience have been invaluable to her development as a driver, while Carola’s encouragement has kept Ida grounded and organized amid the demanding racing schedule. Ida credits her parents for instilling discipline, ambition, and love for the sport.

“My parents were always in racing,” Ida Zetterström says. “My dad didn’t always race himself, but he worked with teams and he built engines.” Their combined influence has helped her overcome challenges and push boundaries in a male-dominated world. “There had never been a woman raising the bar and setting new records and making waves [in her European motorcycle class] … Everybody talked about it all the time. It started to come to a point where it annoyed me,” she once said about the constant focus on her gender.

Wrapping up

The foundation of Ida’s path has been the constant support of Richard and Carola Zetterström, who provided both technical guidance and emotional support that shaped her ascent to international renown. Ida, who is now a trailblazer herself, gladly accepts her position as a mentor and role model for other female motorsport athletes.

She still holds the women’s European record for Super Street Bike drag racing. A title she’s eager to see challenged. “It’s stood there since 2020. It’s four years old now. Go get it! That’s what we want, to push it forward.” Her statements encapsulate not only her spirit of competition but also her wish to see the next generation of female racers achieve even greater speed, driven by the same drive and perseverance that her parents instilled in her.