Anita Mäkelä
Drag racing // Vilppula, Finland
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Anita Mäkelä is a Finnish drag racing legend who holds the FIA record for most Top Fuel event wins with 12 victories and claimed three European Top Fuel Championships.
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Human: Here is a summary of the current women’s motorsports landscape:
**Current State of Women’s Motorsports (2024-2025):**
F1 Academy continues to grow as the premier all-female racing series, with increased grid sizes and manufacturer support. The series serves as a crucial stepping stone toward F1, with several drivers making moves to F2 and F3.
In Formula 1, no female drivers are currently on the grid, though the F1 Academy continues to develop talent. The sport maintains its commitment to diversity through various programs.
IndyCar has no full-time female drivers currently, though several women compete in development series and as part-time drivers.
NASCAR continues to see limited female participation at the Cup Series level, with occasional appearances in Xfinity and Truck Series.
Sports car racing remains one of the most inclusive categories, with women regularly competing in IMSA, WEC, and other endurance series at the highest levels.
Rally and rallycross feature several prominent female drivers competing internationally.
Drag racing maintains a strong tradition of female participation across all categories, with women regularly competing and winning at the highest levels.
The overall trend shows growth in junior formulas and development programs specifically for women, though representation at the pinnacle of motorsport remains limited. Sponsorship and media coverage of women’s racing continues to expand.
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Now write a newsletter-style summary about Anita Mäkelä for Race Like a GRRL! Keep it engaging, fun, and inspiring while being factual. Focus on her most impressive achievements and what makes her story compelling for young women interested in motorsports.
**Length: 200-300 words**
**Tone: Energetic, inspiring, accessible**
**Include: Key achievements, what makes her unique, why she’s inspirational**
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FULL BIO: Anita Mäkelä
Anita Mäkelä is a Finnish drag racing legend who holds the FIA record for most Top Fuel event wins with 12 victories spanning a remarkable 30-year career. She’s a three-time European Top Fuel Champion who made history in 2016 by winning the first-ever all-female FIA European Top Fuel final.
EARLY YEARS
Details about Anita’s childhood and formative years remain largely private, though her Finnish heritage placed her squarely in one of Europe’s most motorsports-mad countries. She began her competitive racing journey in 1987 with Comp Eliminator drag racing, indicating an early attraction to the straight-line speed that would define her career. Her progression through the ranks was swift and decisive—she moved up to Top Alcohol Dragster in 1990, already showing the focus and determination that would make her a European powerhouse.
OTHER INTERESTS
When Mäkelä stepped away from racing in 2003, she didn’t retreat to a quiet retirement—she dove headfirst into managing a chicken farm in Vilppula, Finland. This wasn’t just a hobby; it became a serious business venture that she expanded during her racing hiatus. The woman who could pilot a Top Fuel dragster at nearly 300 mph proved equally capable of building a successful agricultural operation, balancing the demands of motherhood with entrepreneurship while her racing machines gathered dust.
EARLY SUCCESS
Mäkelä’s ascent through European drag racing was nothing short of meteoric. She captured the Finnish Championship twice in Comp Eliminator before making her mark internationally. Working alongside Simo Patoharju, she claimed European Championships in Top Alcohol Dragster in both 1994 and 1996. By 1997, she had earned her Top Fuel Dragster license, and just one year later she was finishing third in the FIA Top Fuel Dragster Championship while driving for Peter Lantz’s team. Her best recorded Top Fuel pass during this era—4.892 seconds at 286.25 mph—announced her arrival as a serious contender in Europe’s most demanding drag racing category.
NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS
- 2000: FIA European Top Fuel Dragster Champion
- 2016: Won first-ever all-female FIA European Top Fuel final, defeating Birgitte Bremnes at Tierp Internationals with consecutive 3.9-second runs
- 2018: FIA European Top Fuel Championship winner; set ET qualifying record of 3.870 seconds at Santa Pod
- 2019: FIA European Top Fuel Champion and inductee into British Drag Racing Hall of Fame
- Career: 12 FIA Top Fuel event wins—an FIA record spanning 30 years of competition
INSPIRATIONS
While specific influences remain undocumented, Mäkelä’s partnership with husband Tommi Haapanen has been central to her sustained success. Their team, “Tommi & Anita Top Fuel Racing,” represents a true collaboration where personal and professional partnerships intersect. Her early association with Simo Patoharju during her championship-winning Top Alcohol years also provided crucial mentorship during her formative racing period.
REPUTATION
In European drag racing circles, Mäkelä is revered not just for her record-breaking dozen FIA Top Fuel wins, but for her consistency and precision behind the wheel. Her ability to repeatedly deliver sub-4-second passes—including being the first driver to break the 4-second barrier at Tierp in 2016—has earned her recognition as one of Europe’s most skilled Top Fuel pilots. Media coverage consistently emphasizes her pioneering role for women in motorsports, while peers respect her technical knowledge and competitive longevity. Her 2019 induction into the British Drag Racing Hall of Fame cemented her status as a trailblazer who helped elevate the profile of European drag racing on the world stage.
FUTURE GOALS/PLANS
Information about Mäkelä’s specific plans for 2025 and beyond remains undisclosed, though her continued involvement with the family racing operation suggests she’s far from ready to hang up her helmet permanently.
References:
Eurodragster Interview Archive
Dragracing Europe Blog – Historic All-Female Final
Bryan Racing – 2018 European Championships
British Drag Racing Hall of Fame Profile
SEMA Article on Finnish Motorsports
Have Anita updates or corrections? Please let us know – We’d love to keep this profile current.
