Connor Zilisch reveals embarrassing Noah Gragson penalty story at Daytona 500

Connor Zilisch shared a funny story about Noah Gragson learning about the penalty he received ahead of the Daytona 500. On the Door Bumper Clear podcast, Zilisch revealed that Gragson didn’t realize he was penalized for having his hand out of the opening of the window during a qualifying run.

“I was with him after it, and he was walking down pit road right after qualifying,” Zilisch said about Gragson. “Nobody told him that he got a penalty. People kept walking up to him and be like, ‘Dude, your hand out the window?’ He’s like, ‘Yeah, dude. Don’t I have nice gloves? Aren’t my gloves sick?’

And they’re like, ‘No, dude. Your hand was out the window.’ He’s like, ‘Yeah. I know. We always do that.’ It took him until Jamie Little walked up to him to realize that he actually got a penalty for it, and that wasn’t allowed. But it was funny.”

Gragson was penalized for violating the new rule that prohibits drivers from sticking their hands out of the window during a qualifying run. His time during the Daytona 500 qualifying was thrown out, and he didn’t advance to the second round.

Noah Gragson reacts to receiving a penalty at Daytona 500 qualifying

“I completely forgot about that rule, so that one’s on me,” Gragson said, per the Associated Press. “Yeah, I feel like an idiot for that.”

For those who know Gragson, they are not surprised that he was penalized for the incident. “He’s my buddy, but I’m not surprised it was the guy that had it happen to him,” Chase Briscoe said. “I told my guys as soon as it happened, of all the people, I bet he didn’t even remember it was a rule.”

NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. also found it funny. “This is the most Noah thing ever,” he wrote on social media. “Don’t touch that stove, it’s hot. Touches stove. Gets burnt. Says yes, it is hot.”

Gragson started the Daytona 500 in the 25th position, but battled his way to a P11 finish. He is in his second year as a full-time driver for Front Row Motorsports and is still looking for his first race victory in the NASCAR Cup Series.