John Force impressed with future son-in-law's charge to win at Fontana
FONTANA, California – John Force understands what it is like to be a motorsports legend. The 66-year-old California native is a 16-time NHRA Funny Car champion who has amassed 143 career victories. His two daughters, Ashley and Courtney, followed their career path to NHRA, although Ashley has since retired from competitive drag racing. Courtney, however, has eight career NHRA victories including seven in Funny Car.
She is also engaged to Verizon IndyCar Series driver Graham Rahal, who won Saturday’s MAVTV 500 at Auto Club Speedway in a dramatic, thrilling and spine-tingling race.
John Force understands high speeds by taking his Funny Car well over 300 miles per hour. Last Saturday, he watched his future son-in-law go wheel-to-wheel, inches apart in a race that was sometimes four- and five-wide and featured a series-record 80 lead changes, topping the previous mark of 73 lead changes set at the same track on Nov. 4, 2001 in a CART race.
He also watched Rahal battle back to the lead after leaving pit road with the fuel hose attached to score his second career victory – his first IndyCar win since 2008.
Graham may be the son of three-time CART champion and 1986 Indianapolis 500 winner Bobby Rahal, but he became a “Force” by the way he won an IndyCar Series race for the ages.
“I was impressed,” John Force said. “I saw a different a different Rahal today. Boy, them Chevrolets are fast but today he raced right with them in a Honda. He got put to the back a couple of times and came right back to the front and drove like I never saw him drive before.
“He is learning his trade, just like his daddy.”
Force was impressed by Rahal’s determination. It’s as if he willed his car to victory on Saturday.
“They pushed him back two different times to the back but boy, that car was like a rocket ship,” Force said. “It kept moving back into the pack and was jumping from the top of the wall to the bottom of the wall. He really impressed me. He has come a long ways.
“I don’t know anything about IndyCar racing. I’m a drag racer. But boy, I was really proud of him today.”
Force has raced his Funny Car to victory at the end of the quarter-mile. This fall, he will walk his daughter, Courtney, down the aisle when she marries Rahal.
“My daughter Courtney, she loves him to death,” Force said. “We’re all just one big family and she is really proud. Graham needed that win because getting sponsorship is really tough.”
The National Guard sponsored Rahal in 2014 before that sponsorship left all of motorsports. This year his team has been sponsored by Steak ‘n Shake and Mi-Jack.
The way Rahal drove on Saturday should draw some additional attention from his sponsors, but the style of racing impressed a driver who goes faster than any other form or racing.
“To see them running those speeds in a pack like that you have to know what you are doing and have reflexes,” Force said. “You don’t need a guy like me, 100 years old, doing anything like that.
“You can’t ask for a better race for the fans.”
Some drivers thought Saturday’s race was risky business but the race winner defended the style of racing at high speeds.
“I don’t know anything about IndyCar racing so I can’t make an opinion on that,” Force said. “The cars are constructed good and to watch that car (Ryan Briscoe) go on its lid and walk out uninjured and smiling, God Bless him – the Good Lord took care of him today.
“Boy, the fans missed a great race today. I hope they saw it on TV. IndyCar is building itself again and what I learned today is all about heart. I see the way that Graham loves my daughter and showed today how much he wants to win like Bobby. You can’t give any more than what Graham gave and what those boys gave out there today.”
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