Graham Rahal‘s wife and former NHRA Funny Car driver, Courtney Force, recently celebrated an incredible milestone achieved by her sister, Brittany Force, on social media. Courtney reshared a thrilling video on her Instagram Story showcasing Brittany’s historic run during the 1000th Top Fuel race at the 4-Wide Nationals, where she recorded the highest speed ever in the sport’s history.
On a remarkable Friday at ZMax Dragway, Brittany Force, a two-time Top Fuel World Champion, made drag racing history by driving her HendrickCars.com Top Fuel dragster to a top speed of 341.59 miles per hour during her second qualifying run for Sunday’s 15th NHRA 4-Wide Nationals. This jaw-dropping speed shattered her previous NHRA record of 338.94 mph, which she set in 2022 at the World Finals in Pomona, marking a significant achievement in her racing career.
Despite Brittany’s record-breaking feat, she concluded the first day of qualifying in the third position, posting a time of 3.667 seconds, just narrowly trailing Shawn Langdon’s time of 3.665s and Doug Kalitta’s impressive 3.646s. Courtney took to her Instagram Story to commend her sister, acknowledging the monumental achievement in the world of drag racing.
In addition to Courtney’s encouraging words, Brittany Force expressed her exhilaration over breaking the all-time speed record in the Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series, highlighting the significance of this accomplishment both personally and professionally.
Courtney Force herself has a remarkable background in racing, being the wife of IndyCar driver Graham Rahal and the daughter of John Force, a 16-time NHRA World Funny Car Champion. She earned her Funny Car license in 2011, which led to an impressive career that included 12 victories. Notably, in 2013, she became the first female to win the O’Reilly Auto Parts Winternationals, showcasing her talent in a sport traditionally dominated by men.
In 2014, Courtney broke barriers once again as she became the female driver with the most Funny Car wins in NHRA history, surpassing her sister Ashley Force. During this time, Courtney also experienced significant personal growth; she met Graham Rahal in 2013, and the couple married in November 2015. Together, they are raising two daughters, Harlan Ann Rahal and Tinley Leighton Rahal.
Although Courtney decided to retire from racing in 2019 to focus on her family, the challenges of competing in such a demanding sport are not lost on her husband. Graham Rahal has openly shared the difficulty of watching his wife compete in a dangerous environment. He spoke candidly to IndyCar.com in 2016 about the emotional challenges that come with such high-stakes racing.
Currently, Graham Rahal sits in 17th place in the 2025 NTT IndyCar drivers’ standings with 45 points. He is set to return to racing on Sunday, May 4, in the Children’s of Alabama Indy Grand Prix at Barber Motorsports Park, a race that promises to capture the attention of fans everywhere.
As the motorsport community eagerly watches these incredible athletes push the boundaries of speed and performance, the focus remains on the future. Brittany Force’s record is a testament to grit, talent, and the relentless pursuit of excellence, a spirit embodied by her sister, Graham Rahal, and countless others in the racing world.
