During their 2024 Cup Series stint with Stewart-Haas Racing, Chase Briscoe and Noah Gragson developed a strong bond. However, they had to part ways after SHR shut down its operations at the end of that season, leaving the two drivers searching for a new team. Fast-forward to 2026: Briscoe and Gragson drive for two different teams, but their closeness remains. So much so that Briscoe unhesitatingly took a dig at Gragson following the Daytona 500 disqualification.

Chase Briscoe’s dig at former teammate

Joe Gibbs Racing’s Briscoe appeared in an interview during the Daytona Speedweek at the Daytona International Speedway, moments after the Daytona 500 qualifying. When asked about Gragson’s disqualification from the qualifying, Briscoe joked:

“He’s my buddy, but I’m not surprised it was the guy that had to happen to him,” Briscoe said via Cup Scene on YouTube. “I told my guys as soon as it happened, I said, “Of all the people, I bet he didn’t even remember that it was a rule.” Yeah, just it’s pretty funny.”

Following this, the #19 driver added how he would have taken the pole from Richard Childress Racing’s Kyle Busch if the rule had not banned earlier this week. Briscoe missed out on the pole by only 0.064 mph.

“I joked with my guys, though, after I said, “Honestly, if we could have had my hand up, I think I would have been on the pole because I’ve done a really good job of just practicing that perfect form all the way around the racetrack.” But no, it did not surprise me that of all the people, as if there was a odds on it, I would say he would have been the odds-on favorite,” Briscoe further added.

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On Thursday, NASCAR disqualified Front Row Motorsports’ Noah Gragson from the Daytona 500 qualifying after the #4 driver used one of the banned tricks by NASCAR. Prior to the ban, Joey Logano of Team Penske once incurred $100,000 in fines back in 2024 for using the same trick to gain an advantage.

Fast-forward to 2026: Gragson placed his hand between the A-pillar and the window net to find every possible aerodynamic advantage. However, NASCAR spotted it and deleted his qualifying times. As a result, he was disqualified and sent to the back of the field for the Duel qualifying race.

However, the FRM star will race on Sunday because he races under a chartered team. While Chase Briscoe can joke all he wants, Noah Gragson owned up to his mistake.

Noah Gragson accepts his Daytona 500 fault

Noah Gragson spoke to the media after the qualifying and admitted his mistake. Addressing the error and his forgetting the rule, the #4 driver called himself “dumb.”

“I completely forgot about that rule, so that one is on me,” Gragson told FOX Sports 1. “Luckily, we have the Duels, and I feel like the Daytona 500 is such a long race, you can kind of start wherever. It is what it is, but hey, I feel like an idiot for that. Oh well, we got a race tomorrow to do … I’m dumb for that.”

As Kyle Busch and Chase Briscoe occupy the first two positions, Ryan Preece and Denny Hamlin come in at third and fourth places. Alex Bowman and his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Kyle Larson, qualified in fifth and sixth places.

Corey Heim surprised everyone when he put himself in seventh. Chris Buescher, Chase Elliott, and Joey Logano wrapped up the Top 10 of Round Two of the Daytona 500 qualifying.