Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Best face forward for NASCAR
Sunrise woman named grand marshal for event
When Briana Smith was crowned Miss Hooters International, her reign came with responsibilities that included representing the restaurant chain in high-profile settings such as Saturday’s Hooters 250 NASCAR race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Who knew the Sunrise resident’s appearance might benefit NASCAR as much as Smith?
A 22-year-old Plantation High School graduate, Smith this week was named grand marshal of the Hooters 250, one of four nationally televised NASCAR races in Homestead during the weekend.
The races mark the end of a tumultuous week of publicity for NASCAR, which began on Sunday with Bubba Wallace, the only African-American driver on NASCAR’s major circuit, racing at Atlanta Motor Speedway in a shirt that read “I Can’t Breathe/ Black Lives Matter.”
The next night on CNN, Wallace called for NASCAR to prohibit fans from flying the Confederate flag at its events, and on Wednesday NASCAR agreed, much to the dismay of good ol’ boys on its social media.
Also this week, Richard Petty Motorsports revealed Wallace’s No. 43 Chevrolet would be repainted in a Black Lives Matter design. Wallace is scheduled to compete in the Dixie Vodka 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday.
In naming Smith its grand marshal, Hooters is putting an African-American face front and center at a nationally televised event it sponsors with NASCAR. Smith’s “start your engines” call is scheduled to be part of the 3:30 p.m. Fox TV telecast of the race.
Monica Fleury, director of brand marketing for Hooters of America, said Smith was an obvious choice: As Miss Hooters International, she has been to many NASCAR races (Hooters sponsors the No. 9 car driven by NASCAR star Chase Elliott), and she lives 60 miles from the track. She called Smith “a wonderful representation of our brand.”
NASCAR was not bothered by the fact that a Hooters Girl would be grand marshal at one of its races for the first time.
“Once I suggested Briana, NASCAR was THRILLED!” Fleury said.
The daughter of an Air Force veteran and a Broward College student hoping to follow in the family business as a mortician,
Smith says she is “super excited” to be working with NASCAR.
“I’ve heard all the news about how they banned the Confederate flag, and I felt like change is needed and I’m glad that they are going forward with it,” Smith said on Thursday.
Smith supports recent social justice protests in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, but says work and school have prevented her from joining any marches.
“I would be involved if I could, but I’m glad to work with a company that has made a statement. I’m proud of Hooters,” she said.
On Instagram, the company advised its 368,000 followers: “Hooters stands in solidarity against racism, discrimination, violence and brutality in all forms and fully support the peaceful protest to achieve change.”
In naming Smith grand marshal, Hooters featured her on its @HootersRacing Twitter account and publicized the announcement with a picture of her with Chase Elliott.
The post was greeted enthusiastically, but the times being what they are, the news could not occur without a few fans accusing NASCAR of folding to the “P.C.” crowd.
“Plane to see why NASCAR picked her,” wrote one, plainly ignoring the fact that Smith is the face of the franchise, appearing on the cover of the 2020 Hooters Calendar.
Because of CDC social-distancing standards, the races at Homestead-Miami Speedway will be run without spectators, and Smith’s call for drivers to start their engines before the Hooters 250 at 3:30 p.m. Saturday will be a pre-recorded video.
But that allows you to watch it with her — on Saturday afternoon Smith will be at the newest South Florida Hooters location, 2282 Weston Road, in Weston, where she works. Bring a calendar and she’ll sign it.
For more information, visit Facebook.com/HootersFlorida.