BROOKLYN, MI – A racer known for celebrating his wins at Waffle House was victorious Friday, June 6, at Michigan International Speedway – in a state with zero Waffle Houses.

Brenden “Butterbean” Queen held off a hard-charging Corey Heim in the closing laps of the ARCA Series race at MIS to win by 0.3 seconds.

Queen, 27, pumped up the fans in the grandstands during his TV interview.

“It’s Bean Nation time tonight, boys!” Queen said. “It’s insane. I mean, I think I’ve got to climb the fence before I’m done.”

Queen was true to his word. He scaled the fence in front of cheering fans just after his interview.

The mullet-donning driver brings an energy to the series – living up to the hype of his “Butterbean” nickname. His family gave him the nickname as a baby, as they thought he looked a bit like professional boxer Eric “Butterbean” Esch.

This is Queen’s third career ARCA Series win, all coming in 2025. After the first two, he took his team and the trophy to Waffle House to celebrate.

“It’s been a thing I’ve done since I was late model racing … we’d just always take the trophy to Waffle House. It was the only thing open (that late),” Queen said. “We try to enjoy the night, reflect on it and then get ready for the next one.”

While Michigan doesn’t have a Waffle House, Queen has a plane to catch tonight, anyway, to get back to North Carolina.

It’s yet-to-be-determined if he’ll end up at one before the night ends. Queen was asked what his favorite thing is at Waffle House after he finished speaking with the media.

“Chocolate milk! We’re going to go get a chocolate milk,” Queen said.

How he got there

Queen took the lead with 23 laps to go on the final restart. While side by side with Gio Ruggiero, the pair slapped doors entering Turn 3, and Queen cleared him for the lead off Turn 4.

Second-place Heim, who has four Truck Series wins this year and is the favorite for Saturday’s race, wasn’t even supposed to be racing Friday. He was a substitute driver for Jake Finch, getting the call just hours before the race, since Finch had a viral infection.

Morgen Baird, who grew up in nearby Grass Lake, was the top finishing Michigander on Friday, with a 13th-place result. Baird will also race in Saturday’s Craftsman Truck Series race, which starts at noon on Fox.

A Michigan dad with a day job is Frankie Muniz’s NASCAR teammate this weekend

The pinnacle race of the weekend is the NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400. That starts at 2 p.m. Sunday on Prime Video.

In the mid- to late 1950s, legendary sportscasters Harry Caray, Ernie Harwell and Bob Prince took to their broadcasting booths to narrate baseball games for their respective teams.

Each became a staple for kids nationwide who grew up fans of the sport. But for George Blaha — a 10-year-old boy listening to the radio in Iowa — the voices of Caray, Harwell and Prince inspired a five-decade broadcasting career.

“Listening to baseball games at night, I could just imagine the guys in the booth having a good time while broadcasting the game,” Blaha told The Detroit News. “The excitement of being there, bringing the excitement to the fans. I used to think, ‘If I could do this for the rest of my life, I’m in.’ I’ve always wanted to do this.”

With the belief of his mother (Margaret Blaha) and father (Dr. Vernon Blaha), Blaha grew from a young boy listening to baseball games in his bedroom to establishing himself as a legendary broadcaster in his own right. The 2024-25 season marked Blaha’s 49th year as the Detroit Pistons’ play-by-play announcer. Dubbed “The Voice of the Pistons,” he has called more than 3,700 regular-season games and more than 260 playoff games.

In September, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame will induct Blaha as the 2025 Curt Gowdy Media Award honoree.

2025 Detroit News Michiganian of the Year George Blaha

2025 Detroit News Michiganian of the Year George Blaha at Pudges Place Deli and Cafe in Troy, Michigan on April, 30, 2025.

Blaha’s contributions to Michigan sports have gone beyond the microphone. In the late 1980s, he was part of a committee that saved Wayne State University’s football program. Blaha and his group collaborated with then-Detroit Mayor Coleman Young through several board meetings and fundraisers to address the financial issues.

About 30 years later, Blaha’s contributions have allowed Wayne State University to provide scholarships for hundreds of students throughout Detroit.

“It’s probably one of my proudest achievements,” Blaha said. “I did not do it by myself. But, our group decided the only guy who could help us was Coleman Young, and I knew who I was, so I got in touch with him, and he got back to me, and we got it done.”

Blaha’s broadcasting career began in Adrian, but his significant break came after moving to Lansing in 1971. He was a news and sports broadcaster, covering high school basketball and Michigan State football for WJIM-AM (1240). However, it was in Lansing that Blaha learned about a broadcasting job for the Pistons at WJR-AM (760) through friend Tom Campbell.

Blaha’s first game was in October 1976, when Bob Lanier’s Pistons lost 98-97 to Wes Unseld’s Washington Bullets. Blaha sat at the scorers’ table at Cobo Arena in downtown Detroit in awe of the game’s speed and the players’ stature.

Feeling nervous about his performance after the game, Blaha drove an hour in the wrong direction from his home in Lansing.

“I said to myself at the time, ‘I better buckle up my seat belt. This is a grown man’s league; I better be up to it,’” Blaha recalled.

Since his debut, Blaha has become a prominent figure in Michigan’s sports history. He is a two-time Michigan Sports Broadcaster of the Year from the National Sportscasters and Sports Writers Association (2003 and 2007). In 2008, Blaha — who still calls Michigan State football games — was inducted into the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.

Witnessing the Pistons’ resurgence this season in year 49 has become one of Blaha’s best memories during his illustrious career and one of the reasons he intends to return for a 50th year behind the mic.

“Fifty is in the bag; you can count on that,” Blaha said. “Count that baby and a foul. But no foul in this case.”

Coty.Davis@detroitnews.com

@cotydavis_24

George Blaha

Age: 80

Occupation: Play-by-play broadcaster

Education: Bachelor’s degree, University of Notre Dame; MBA, University of Michigan

Family: Wife Mary Blaha

Why honored: For being an iconic figure in Michigan sports broadcasting

• Hooters suddenly closed two Michigan locations June 4, leaving just one open in the state.
• The restaurant chain has faced financial struggles, filing for bankruptcy in March 2025.

Hooters is near the end of an era in Michigan — abrupt closures this week have left just one location open in the state.

The sports bar and grill chain closed more than 30 locations across multiple states Wednesday, June 4, including two in Michigan, USA TODAY reported. The restaurants in Flint and Taylor were among the closings. A Saginaw location is Michigan’s last one remaining restaurant.

The move comes several months after the restaurant chain filed for bankruptcy in late March 2025, though it had said no locations would close at the time.

Here’s what to know.

Which Michigan Hooters restaurants closed?

In Michigan, the Flint and Taylor Hooters closed June 4, USA TODAY reported, leaving just one Hooters location open in the state.

The restaurant chain, known for its chicken wings and servers wearing orange shorts and low-cut tank tops, began in 1983 and expanded to 29 countries before its decline, closing numerous locations in recent years.

Where else did Hooters close?

The following Hooters in other states also closed, per USA TODAY:

• Sanford, Florida
• Orlando, Florida – Kirkman Road
• Kissimmee, Florida – Osceola Parkway
• Melbourne, Florida
• Atlanta, Georgia – Downtown
• Douglasville, Georgia
• Gwinnett, Georgia
• Valdosta, Georgia
• Greenwood, Indiana
• Rockford, Illinois
• Newport, Kentucky
• St. Louis, Missouri – Downtown
• Charlotte, North Carolina – South Boulevard
• Columbia, South Carolina
• Rock Hill, South Carolina
• Murfreesboro, Tennessee
• Memphis, Tennessee – Downtown
• Nashville, Tennessee – Harding Place
• Grapevine, Texas
• Houston, Texas
• San Marcos, Texas

Why did the locations close?

Hooters said in a statement to USA TODAY that the closed stores were company owned and called the closures a “difficult decision.”

“Hooters will be well-positioned to continue our iconic legacy under a pure franchise business model,” the company said. “We are committed to supporting our impacted team members throughout this process and are incredibly grateful to our valued customers for their loyalty and dedication to the Hooters brand.”

The company did not respond to a followup inquiry on a list of closed locations or when employees were notified of the closures.

How many restaurants did Hooters have?

There were 305 Hooters locations, including 151 owned and operated by the company itself and a separate 154 operated by franchisees. The company has been closing locations suddenly since at least 2024.

What’s happening at Hooters?

The company filed for bankruptcy in late March 2025 amid financial challenges. The Atlanta-based restaurant chain was then $376 million in debt and looking to sell 151 of its corporate-owned restaurants to a buyer group comprised of two existing Hooters franchises.

At the time, no locations were expected to close and Hooters said it would “continue providing customers with the guest-obsessed hospitality experience and delicious food they have come to expect over the past 40 years.”

Are any Michigan Hooters still open?

The closures leave one Hooters open in Michigan, at 5538 Bay Road in Saginaw.

USA TODAY contributed.

Contact Jenna Prestininzi: jprestininzi@freepress.com.