Tina Høst Nedregård back on track

To say that Tina Høst Nedregård’s last week has been a rollercoaster, is even an understatement. The Jedborn Motorsport driver won the Summit Racing Equipment Internationals to take the lead in the FIA European Top Methanol Championship, to see her dreams collapse a few seconds later when the parachutes of her dragster failed to deploy and she ended in the Tierp Arena sand trap with a destroyed car. End of the season and championship dreams gone. But the drag racing family once again proved to be the best in the world as a text message from Dave Wilson turned the world around again.

After an impressive debut at Tierp Arena in August 2023, the plan for Tina Høst Nedregård and Jedborn Motorsport was to run the full 2025 FIA European Top Methanol Championship. The season started really well with a place in the (rained out) final at Santa Pod Raceway and it went even better at Tierp Arena with a 5.29-second run in qualifying and two elimination round wins in 5.32 and 5.30 seconds.

In the final Høst Nedregård in the Daniel Jedborn tuned Jedborn Motorsport A-Fuel Dragster claimed the win over Tony Bryntesson. But a few seconds later, Høst Nedregård found herself upside down in the gravel trap with a destroyed dragster as the parachutes failed to deploy when she crossed the finish line at 445 km/h.

Thanks to all the safety equipment Høst Nedregård was unhurt, but that could not be said about the chassis of the Jedborn Motorsport A-Fuel Dragster. It meant an early end to the season, just at the moment Høst Nedregård took the lead in the title race with a 46-point advantage over Bryntesson.

“From winning my first race in a record setting field in Top Methanol to seconds later having a race car in pieces. My first podium was as emotional as it can be. It was difficult climbing to the top of the podium, but with the fantastic drag racing family cheering and applauding like I won the world championships, I managed to keep my head high,” said Høst Nedregård about the emotional podium ceremony at Tierp.

The drag racing family proved to be the best as help was offered from all directions, but still, without a car it’s hard to race. Until Høst Nedregård got a text message from Dave Wilson. “It was already amazing all the help we were offered, but when I got Dave’s message, I was really lost for words. Dave offered us to borrow his dragster. We only had to fit our own engine and clutch. Unbelievable. It will not be fixed in time for Hockenheim, but on the Monday we will travel to England and start building the car. Our whole team immediately took some days off to come over and help. They are the best! We will test the car on the Wednesday, the test day prior to the European Finals. Keith Bartlett, Dave and our whole team do everything to make this happen. It will be a race I will never forget, I’m already sure about that. I’m so grateful and happy. Keith Bartlett, the Santa Pod staff, FIA, family, dragracers, sponsors, friends and our amazing team, thank you from the bottom of my heart. The drag racing family is the best in the world, they once again prove it,” said Høst Nedregård, still flabbergasted about the unexpected comeback in the championship.

Text and photos: Remco Scheelings