Caught red-handed! NASCAR busts Gragson for sticking hand out window during Daytona 500 qualifying

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Noah Gragson was caught red-handed by NASCAR.

Gragson was the first driver busted during Daytona 500 qualifying for violating the new rule that specifies drivers are banned for sticking their hands out the opening of the window during the qualifying run.

Gragson's time in the No. 4 Ford for Front Row Motorsports was thrown out Wednesday because he used his left hand in an attempt to deflect air and gain an advantage on the track.

"I completely forgot about that rule so that one's on me," Gragson said. "Yeah, I feel like an idiot for that."

The 27-year-old Gragson did not advance to the second round of qualifying and lost his chance to race for the pole. The starting order for Sunday's Daytona 500 will be determined by a pair of Thursday night qualifying races.

"I feel like the Daytona 500 is such a long race, you can kind of start wherever," Gragson said. "It is what it is. I feel like an idiot for that. I'm dumb for that."

On the other hand, most in NASCAR found it hilarious.

"This is the most Noah thing ever," NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. wrote on social media. "Don't touch that stove, it's hot. Touches stove. Gets burnt. Says yes, it is hot."

Kyle Busch won the pole for the Daytona 500. Chase Briscoe, last year's pole-sitter, qualified second and got a good chuckle out of Gragson getting busted.

"He's my buddy, but I'm not surprised it was the guy that had it happen to him," 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."

Teams believed that drivers could earn an aerodynamic advantage on superspeedways with the gesture before NASCAR made the call in the offseason to ban it.

"Sometimes you have a car that drives very easily, and you can do it easily and other times you have got your hands full and you can't do it," Hendrick Motorsports driver Alex Bowman said. "You always have an engineer telling you that you need to do it, exactly what position to put your hand in and all that. But I am glad that I can just keep two hands on the steering wheel for this one."

NASCAR suspended Gragson in 2023 and he parted ways with Legacy Motor Club liking an insensitive meme with a photo of George Floyd's face.

Gragson is winless in 111 career Cup races and will make his fifth Daytona 500 start.

"I don't care if I start last for this race," Gragson said. "I know that's probably not what people want to hear, but my best finish in Cup is third at Talladega and we qualified second-to-last. It's kind of crazy, but it is what it is here."

AP auto racing:https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

byCosmopolite

in

February 12, 2026

Caught red-handed! NASCAR busts Gragson for sticking hand out window during Daytona 500 qualifying

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Noah Gragson was caught red-handed by NASCAR. Gragson was the first driver busted dur...

Read More

Unrivaled 1-on-1 tournament: Burton blanks Williams, shocking fans

Unrivaled's 1-on-1 tournamentwith its playground feel were on full display during the first round of action.

On Wednesday, 22 players went head-to-head in single-elimination games to see who would advance to the second round for a chance at the$300,000 prize pool. While there were several first-round upsets as the matchups unfolded, the most shocking game of the night was Mist guard Veronica Burton beating Breeze guard Courtney Williams, 11-0.

In just one minute and 23 seconds, Burton advanced, never giving Williams a chance to get the ball during the matchup's make-it-take-it style. A stunned Williams seemingly couldn't believe what happened.

"Wow Chat,"Williams said postame on X, "Not even getting the ball is crazyyyy."

Outside of the thrilling Williams-Burton matchup, threeNo.1 seeds, Breanna Stewart, Paige Bueckersand Kelsey Mitchell, all moved on. Top players like Rose's Chelsea Gray and Mist's Arike Ogunbowale also punched their tickets to the next round.

Ahead of the second round, No.1 seed Allisha Gray and her matchup partner Vinyl's Saniya Rivers have advanced after Rose's Kahleah Copper and Breeze's Rickea Jackson opted not to participate in the tournament. Lunar Owls guard Skylar Diggins, Laces guard Jordin Canada and forward Alyssa Thomas also declined.

Digggins and Canada's decisions not to play advanced Phantom guard Kelsey Plum to face Hive guard Natisha Hiedeman in the second round. Phantom center Aliyah Boston also moves on after Thomas' replacement, Laeticia Amihere, dropped out of the tournament on Wednesday.

Here's an updated look at the Unrivaled 1-on-1 tournament bracket:

Unrivaled 1-on-1 Tournament first round results

Individual matchup winners are bolded.Results also include seed numbers in parentheses and the final score.

• (5) Veronica Burton vs (4) Courtney Williams; Final Score: 11-0

• (8) Rachel Banham vs (1) Kelsey Mitchell; Final Score: 12-3

• (5) Brittney Sykes vs (4) Arike Ogunbowale; Final Score:11-2

• (7) Natasha Cloud vs (2) Chelsea Gray; Final Score: 10-11

• (6) Aziaha James vs (3) Jackie Young; Final Score: 12-4

• (8) Kate Martin vs (1) Paige Bueckers; Final Score: 12-5

• (6) Sonia Citron vs (3) Marina Mabrey; Final Score: 12-10

• (7) Rae Burrell vs (2) Rhyne Howard; Final Score: 12-9

• (6) Shakira Austin vs (3) Dearica Hamby; Final Score: 12-10

• (7) Dominique Malonga vs (2) Aaliyah Edwards; Final Score: 11-8

• (8) Li Yueru vs (1) Breanna Stewart; Final Score: 11-6

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Unrivaled 1-on-1 bracket 2026: Burton blanks Williams, shocks fans

byCosmopolite

in

February 12, 2026

Unrivaled 1-on-1 tournament: Burton blanks Williams, shocking fans

Unrivaled's 1-on-1 tournamentwith its playground feel were on full display during the first round of action. ...

Read More

No. 4 Duke, No. 20 Clemson to fight for first place in ACC

First place will be at stake in the Atlantic Coast Conference when No. 20 Clemson visits No. 4 Duke on Saturday afternoon at Durham, N.C.

Duke (22-2, 11-1 ACC) recovered from its last-second loss to rival North Carolina last weekend by winning 70-54 at Pitt on Tuesday night.

Clemson (20-5, 10-2) came back from last week's West Coast trip and lost 76-66 to visiting Virginia Tech on Wednesday night. That stopped the Tigers' four-game winning streak.

"A tall task," Clemson coach Brad Brownell said of the matchup with Duke. "We're one of those teams that we need most of our guys to play well."

"We had a lot of guys, for the first time in a long time, not play well," Brownell continued about the Virginia Tech game. "... We've got to shake it off and get our attitude back in a good place and be ready to compete. We've got to make sure we're all on point and confident."

Clemson is 6-0 in ACC road games. Last season, the Tigers handed Duke its only ACC loss with a 77-71 decision at home.

Duke sputtered at times on offense in the Pitt game, but Isaiah Evans hit five 3-point shots on his way to 21 points. Cameron Boozer's 17 points and 10 rebounds gave him his 13th double-double.

The Blue Devils played without center Patrick Ngongba II, who was out with a wrist injury. With Ngongba not on the court, it puts more responsibility on Boozer in the lane, Duke coach Jon Scheyer said.

Guard Caleb Foster picked up some of the rebounding slack, grabbing a career-high eight rebounds.

Advertisement

"Whatever I could do to get boards and help the team out, helping the team win," Foster said.

The status of Ngongba could be crucial going into the matchup with Clemson. It was a game-day decision when it was determined he wouldn't play against Pitt.

"He got hurt in the Carolina game. He fell on his wrist," Scheyer said. "We were holding on hope on whether he could play (Tuesday). I think that was incredibly unrealistic. He wasn't close to being ready. ... It's hard to say (about Saturday)."

Scheyer mixed lineup combinations Tuesday, with Cayden Boozer and Darren Harris among those on the court to begin the second half.

"We were playing lineups anyway that we've never played before," Scheyer said. "It was about finding a lineup that we could have a spark and have that defense and competitiveness."

Clemson can be sturdy on the interior, so that could lead to problems for Duke if the Blue Devils aren't at full strength.

Yet Brownell said he doesn't mind going with a three-guard set-up, especially when Ace Buckner (16 points off the bench Wednesday) is rolling.

The Tigers will look for more offense from Dillon Hunter after he has managed a total of three points in the last three games combined. He's 1 of 10 from the field in those games.

"He's getting the ball in some decent spots," said Brownell, who praised the guard's impact on defense.

--Field Level Media

byCosmopolite

in

February 12, 2026

No. 4 Duke, No. 20 Clemson to fight for first place in ACC

First place will be at stake in the Atlantic Coast Conference when No. 20 Clemson visits No. 4 Duke on Saturday aftern...

Read More

Nick Jonas Reveals the One Thing He Was Nervous About at His Wedding to Priyanka Chopra Jonas

NEED TO KNOW

• Nick Jonas married Priyanka Chopra Jonas in December 2018

• The singer revealed the one thing he was nervous about on his wedding day during his appearance on Jay Shetty's On Purpose podcast

• The couple share 4-year-old daughter Malti

Nick Jonaswas worried about just one thing on his wedding day, and it had nothing to do with his wife,Priyanka Chopra Jonas.

During his appearance on the Feb. 4 episode ofJay Shetty'sOn Purposepodcast, the singer-songwriter, 33, played "What Would Your Wife Say?" a game in which guests guess how their spouse would answer a series of questions. For the question, "What would Priyanka say Nick was the most nervous about on your wedding day?" Nick initially answered nothing before pausing and recalling the intense heat at the time.

"To be honest, I wasn't that nervous about anything on the wedding day. It was just, it was hot," Nick admitted. "I was nervous I was going to be sweating and that I would look crazy."

RAJAT GUPTA/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

He continued, "But no, I think when she walked out, she came down the stairs, I felt this overwhelming sense of peace. Like I was exactly where I was supposed to be."

Priyanka, 43, agreed with the response, with her answer reading, "He was so sure, in control, I never saw him nervous."

In December 2018,Nick and Priyanka tied the knotin two weddings in India — one Western, Christian wedding and one Hindu wedding, just a few months after theygot engaged.

Forthe traditional Hindu ceremonyhonoring Priyanka's roots, Nick wore a turban and sherwani, which he joked with Shetty can get "so hot."

The couple welcomed their first child, 4-year-old daughterMalti, via surrogate in January 2022.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

In a recent interview withVarietypublished on Feb. 11, Priyankareacted to continuous rumors questioning her marriage.

"We're eight years in," the actress said when asked about speculation. "If people want to keep waiting for it to implode, that's their choice. I stopped thinking about it."

Priyanka also reflected on marrying Nick "really quick, within six months of meeting," telling the magazine, "When I first married him, I didn't know if it was even real. This part of him. Because I was like this is crazy. This is put on. But Nick has this absolute sincerity. It inspires me every day in a profession which requires you to pivot and become whatever you need to put on. He's constantly sincere."

Read the original article onPeople

byCosmopolite

in

February 12, 2026

Nick Jonas Reveals the One Thing He Was Nervous About at His Wedding to Priyanka Chopra Jonas

NEED TO KNOW Nick Jonas married Priyanka Chopra Jonas in December 2018 The singer revealed the one thing he was nervous about on his weddi...

Read More

Sarah Michelle Gellar on reunion with the one 'Buffy' prop she missed

Sarah Michelle Gellarsays it was an "emotional" moment when directorChloé Zhaopresented her with the missing"Class Protector"award on the final day of shooting"Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale."

The umbrella award had been presented to Buffy Summers (Gellar) in 1999's Season 3 prom episode of the original star-making"Buffy the Vampire" series,which ran from 1997 to 2003. However, the prop memento from classmates commemorating Buffy for protecting the school from evil was lost in time.

"That show ended when I was 24 years old,"Gellar, now 48, tells USA TODAY."It never occurred to me to take props. You're thinking so much about next and all those things. I've always said that's the one prop that I was always sad that I didn't take."

Sarah Michelle GellarFears being the 'Star Search' mean judge, wiping out on stage

Oscar-winning director Zhao recreated the treasured award and gave it to Gellar on the last day of shooting the pilot for the "New Sunnydale" revival series.

Zhao toldThe Wrapthat the prom episode is one of her favorite "Buffy" episodes, featuring Jonathan Levinson (Danny Strong) presenting the umbrella award to Buffy with a speech.

"Actually, Sarah told me she didn't keep the umbrella," Zhao said. "So, on the day of the wrap, we made a replica of that and then I memorized the speech."

The Emmy-nominated star of "Euphoria" and "The White Lotus," Sydney Sweeney, has made a name for herself in prestige television, on silver screens in horror flicks or romantic comedies and as a fashion darling on red carpets like the Met Gala.

Scroll through for more photos of her life and career.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sydney Sweeney attends a Refinery29 event on Dec. 6, 2017, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sydney Sweeney starred as Emaline on the Netflix series "Everything Sucks!" in 2018.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sydney Sweeney attends the premiere of Hulu's "The Handmaid's Tale" Season 2 at TCL Chinese Theatre on April 19, 2018, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sydney Sweeney played Eden in the second season of "The Handmaid's Tale" on Hulu.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sydney Sweeney attends the 70th Emmy Awards at Microsoft Theater on Sept. 17, 2018, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Jonathan Davino, left, and Sydney Sweeney attend an InStyle event on Oct. 23, 2018, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Harry Shum Jr. and Sydney Sweeney walk the red carpet at the 25th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on Jan. 27, 2019.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sydney Sweeney attends The 2020 InStyle And Warner Bros. 77th annual Golden Globe Awards Post-Party at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 5, 2020, in Beverly Hills, California.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sydney Sweeney received an Emmy nomination in 2022 for her part in the first season of HBO's "The White Lotus."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sydney Sweeney attends an InStyle event on Nov. 14, 2021, in West Hollywood, California.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sydney Sweeney was nominated for an Emmy in 2022 for her role as Cassie on the HBO series "Euphoria."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sydney Sweeney attends the 2022 Vanity Fair Oscar Party following the 94th Oscars at the The Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, California, on March 27, 2022.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sydney Sweeney attends the 2022 Met Gala.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Maude Apatow and Sydney Sweeney attend the "Bones and All" red carpet at the 79th Venice International Film Festival on Sept. 2, 2022, in Venice, Italy.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sydney Sweeney attends ELLE's 29th annual Women in Hollywood celebration on Oct. 17, 2022, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sydney Sweeney attends the 2022 LACMA ART+FILM Gala on Nov. 05, 2022, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sydney Sweeney attends the GQ Men Of The Year Awards 2022 on Nov. 16, 2022, in London.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sydney Sweeney attends the 2023 Met Gala.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sydney Sweeney attends a screening of HBO Films' "Reality" at Museum of Modern Art on May 16, 2023, in New York City.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sydney Sweeney and Aja Naomi King attend a Miu Miu event during the 76th Cannes Film Festival on May 23, 2023, in Cannes, France.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sydney Sweeney attends Variety Power of Young Hollywood at NeueHouse on Aug. 10, 2023, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sydney Sweeney and her cousin Lucille Hancock attend the Miu Miu fashion show as part of Paris Fashion Week on Oct. 3, 2023, in Paris, France.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sydney Sweeney attends Columbia Pictures' "Anyone But You" New York Premiere on Dec. 11, 2023, in New York City.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Glen Powell, left, and Sydney Sweeney in the 2023 film "Anyone But You."

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sydney Sweeney attends the screening of "Anyone But You" at Hoyts Entertainment Quarter on Dec. 18, 2023, in Sydney, Australia.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sydney Sweeney greets fans at the screening of "Anyone But You" at Hoyts Entertainment Quarter on Dec. 18, 2023, in Sydney, Australia.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Dakota Johnson and Sydney Sweeney attend the World Premiere of Sony Pictures' "Madame Web" on Feb. 12, 2024, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sydney Sweeney attends the 35th GLAAD Media Awards at The Beverly Hilton on March 14, 2024, in Beverly Hills, California.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sydney Sweeney attends the premiere of Neon's "Immaculate" during Beyond Fest at The Egyptian Theatre Hollywood on March 15, 2024, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sydney Sweeney attends Met Gala celebrating "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 6, 2024, in New York City.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sydney Sweeney attends the premiere of "Eden" during the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2024, in Toronto.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney attend CinemaCon 2025 on April 1, 2025, in Las Vegas.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sydney Sweeney attends the 2025 Met Gala Celebrating "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" at Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 5, 2025, in New York City.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sydney Sweeney attends the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards at Peacock Theater on Sept. 14, 2025, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sydney Sweeney underwent a weeklong transformation before debuting her most shocking hairstyle yet. She arrived at the Oct. 25, 2025, "Christy" premiere during the annual AFI Fest sporting an icy blonde bob, her shortest 'do yet.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> "Sydney was looking for a change and wanted to have a big hair moment for the red carpet to support her new movie," hair colorist Jacob Schwartz told Vogue.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sydney Sweeney made headlines after donning a sheer, silver, floor-length Christian Cowandress at Variety's 2025 Power of Women Los Angeles event, where she was an honoree, on Oct. 29, 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sydney Sweeney walks onstage during pre-race ceremonies prior to the Nascar Cup Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 2, 2025, in Avondale, Arizona.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Sydney Sweeney attends the 2025 GQ Men of the Year party at Chateau Marmont on Nov. 13, 2025 in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney attend the Los Angeles premiere of "The Housemaid" on Dec. 15, 2025.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> Amanda Seyfried and Sydney Sweeney attend W Magazine's annual Best Performances Party at Chateau Marmont on Jan. 10, 2026, in Los Angeles.

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

Sydney Sweeney photos: Look back at the 'Euphoria' star's best looks, career

The Emmy-nominated star of"Euphoria"and"The White Lotus," Sydney Sweeney, has made a name for herself in prestige television, on silver screens in horror flicks or romantic comedies and as a fashion darling on red carpets like theMet Gala.Scroll through for more photos of her life and career.

Gellar said it "took a few seconds" to recognize that Zhao was replicating the "Buffy" prom speech. But then she was touched.

"And it was just incredibly special," Gellar says, adding that she is protecting the keepsake now. "I have it. It's in my office."

Zhao convinced Gellar to return 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer'

After Gellar turned down past "Buffy" series, superfan Zhao convinced the actress to return for the revival set 25 years after the original. Both Zhao and Gellar are executive producers.

"I didn't think I'd ever be revisiting that character," says Gellar. "So just being on set was emotional."

Gellar has made it clear "Buffy the Vampire Slayer: New Sunnydale" is not a reboot or a sequel, but a continuation of the TV world. Currently it's just the pilot, which was shot in August. The full series has not been officially greenlit by Hulu.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Sarah Michelle Gellar on reunion with treasured 'Buffy' series prop

byCosmopolite

in

February 12, 2026

Sarah Michelle Gellar on reunion with the one 'Buffy' prop she missed

Sarah Michelle Gellarsays it was an "emotional" moment when directorChloé Zhaopresented her with the missing...

Read More