“I thought he was very handsome”: When Courtney Force opened up on early days of her romance with Graham Rahal

IndyCar driver Graham Rahal's wife Courtney Force once reflected on the beginning of the couple's relationship. Rahal and Force have been married since 2015.

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver Graham Rahal has now been together with partner and fellow race car driver Courtney Force for over a decade. Courtney is the youngest daughter of the legendary drag racer and 16-time NHRA World Champion John Force. Notably, she is the most successful drag racer among her siblings.

Force and Rahal remain one of the rare racing couples across all disciplines of racing. The story of how their romance blossomed is certainly one to melt hearts. In a 2016 interview with IndyCar.com, Courtney Force shed light on what she felt about Graham Rahal in the initial stages of their relationship. She shared:

"Obviously, the first attraction was, I thought he was very handsome. I realized how our lives are very similar."

This initial attraction set the foundation for their relationship. What started off with Rahal texting Force on her X (formerly Twitter) handle, ended up with the couple going on dates, attending each other's races, and eventually making it official.

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Courtney Force once reflected on how her and Graham Rahal manage their relationship as a racing couple

Being a couple in motorsports is no easy feat. However, both Force and Rahal found comfort in the fact that they could support each other through the highs and lows of racing. In an interview with CJOnline, Force explained how their shared experiences as drivers helped strengthen their relationship. Here's what she said:

"I think it’s great because we both have been through the highs and the lows of racing. We both understand it and we both take it very seriously. I don’t think everyone understands what it feels like to be in that driver’s seat and the pressures and being pushed in different directions and everything you put on yourself to perform your best."

She added:

"But luckily we both understand it and are always trying to be supportive of each other through the highs and the lows and try to motivate each other to do our best job driving. I love having him out there and I think it’s the same for him and we try to be positive and motivating for each other because it’s a long season."

Graham Rahal popped the question to Courtney Force in November 2014. The couple tied the knot a year later, and have lived happily ever after since. They have two kids together.