"Not after they meet you": When Graham Rahal hilariously addressed John Force’s overprotective stance on Courtney

IndyCar driver Graham Rahal sat with USA Today for an interview in April 2016 after his marriage with John Force's daughter Courtney Force. The Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver discussed the overprotective nature of John Force when it came to his daughters in a hilarious exchange with the interviewer.

Rahal married into the iconic Force family known for its racing heritage. All four of John's daughters are drag racers or have been involved in the racing business, and are a very tightly knit family as the RLL driver detailed John's overprotective nature.

Rahal talked about getting married into the Force Family as he said:

“I’m the outsider. I’m the one person in this family who doesn’t require John to sign my paycheck. It’s a little different, but I also grew up around a guy (his father Bobby Rahal) who was the class of his field for his career.”

“It’s not like you get a whole lot of space. It’s probably the way John likes it. Everything they do, they’re always together, at the track or at home,” said Graham Rahal when suggested that the whole Force family lives close by.

“Hey, all you have to worry about is protecting my baby. If you ever split up with my daughter, there will be a hundred men lined up to marry her,” said John Force as he interrupted Rahal.

Graham Rahal responded, “Not after they meet you.”

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Graham Rahal married his long-time girlfriend Courtney Force in November 2015 after they first met in the early 2010s. They first interacted on the social media platform Twitter and later in 2013, Rahal attended the NHRA Nationals at Route 66 Raceway at Force's invitation.

Courtney is a former NHRA driver and raced in the Funny car category. Her first daughter Harlan was born in November 2020 and two years later in September 2022, Tinley was born.

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Graham Rahal's wife Courtney Force on why she retired from drag racing

Courtney Force retired from drag racing in 2019 at the age of just 30, which is considered to be the prime year for a racing driver. However, when asked about the reason behind her retirement, she suggested that it was a personal choice as she wanted to spend more time with her family.

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“This was a personal choice as I feel I’m ready to see what the next chapter in my life has in store for me while spending more time with family,” Courtney Force said (via Drive in May 2019).

“I intend to remain involved in the industry I love and continue to work with a few select partners as I go forward in 2019. I am so thankful that I have had the opportunity to have such a successful career at John Force Racing and the privilege of working with so many incredible people while racing against competitors who pushed me to be a better driver,” she added

Graham Rahal currently races for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, which is partly owned by his father and former IndyCar driver Bobby Rahal.