Snooki to give Green Flag honor to brother of 9/11 Hero

Stephen Siller, proud member of the F.D.N.Y, who was a hero on
Sept. 11, will be honored at the RIR race this Saturday. 

Nicole Polizzi better known as “Snooki” from MTV’s Jersey Shore, was scheduled to wave the green flag at Richmond International Raceway. See: "Snooki" to be NASCAR Honorary starter at RIR.

The track announced late Thursday that those plans have changed.

Snooki, the daughter of a volunteer New York fireman, will pay tribute to the firefighters by passing the flag waving honor to Frank Siller, founder of the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, the track said in a press release.

Snooki, for those wondering, will still be in attendance on behalf of Wonderful Pistachios, for whom she is a spokesperson.

Stephen Siller was a New York City firefighter who was a hero on September 11, 2001. He was off duty, but went to Squad 1, his fire station, to grab his gear. He climbed into his truck and drove all the way to the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel, seeing as it was already closed, he grabbed his 60 pound gear and ran to the World Trade Center. He was killed while trying to help people at Ground Zero.

As fans fill the stands at Richmond International Raceway on Saturday night, they will be joining in the most patriotic pre-race ceremony ever at America’s Premier Short Track. To honor America, the pre-race ceremony will begin with a “Salute to America” concert featuring patriotic music performed by police and military bands, as well as an active duty Marine.

Once the race as started, fans in attendance will wave American flags from laps 9-11 while ABC and radio announcers go silent in remembrance of September 11.