DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — For the 59th Rolex 24 At Daytona, Pierre Fillon will serve as the Grand Marshal while Dano Davis has been named the Honorary Starter for North America’s most prestigious sports car race, set for Jan. 30-31.
“Pierre Fillon and Dano Davis are important figures in the history of motorsports, so we are honored to welcome them to be a part of the 59th running of the Rolex 24 At Daytona,” said Chip Wile, President of Daytona International Speedway. “Pierre has been pivotal to the continued growth of endurance racing through his leadership of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest, and Dano has succeeded professionally from the boardroom to the race track throughout his storied career. We look forward to welcoming these two titans of motorsports to be a part of the historic legacy of the Rolex 24 At Daytona.”
Fillon, who will give the command for drivers to “Start Engines,” has been President of the Automobile Club de l’Ouest (ACO) since in 2012. As President, Fillon participated in the creation of the FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC). He is also a key to the partnership with IMSA to create the LMDh regulations, which will be able to compete for overall victories in both the WEC and IMSA. The ACO organizes world-renowned races such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the 24 Hours Motos motorcycle race, Le Mans Classic and more. The organization is also behind the FIA World Endurance Championship, the European Le Mans Series and the Asian Le Mans Series. Originally from Le Mans, France, Fillon joined the ACO in 1995 and became a board member in 2003.
Davis, who will wave the green flag to get the race started, dedicated 36 years of his professional career to Winn-Dixie. He began his career as a part-time employee in 1968 and rose to president of the company in 1982 and retired as chairman in 2004. He grew up passionate about sports cars and racing. In 1984, a friendship with Bob Snodgrass led to the duo racing vintage and historic cars in HSR and SVRA until 2003. After purchasing the Brumos dealerships in 1990, he brought the team back to professional racing in the IMSA Supercar Series, winning the championships from 1991-1993. Brumos returned to full-time racing in 2000 in the GRAND-AM Daytona Prototype class. The team succeeded with first and third place finishes in the 2009 Rolex 24 At Daytona. In 2011, Brumos began competing in GT Racing and won the GT Championship the same year. Brumos officially retired from racing in 2013.