Photography Credit: David S. Wallens
I've had the pleasure of meeting him and came away very impressed with how down to earth he is. I remember him telling me that he missed working on his $300 race car all week just to get it ready for the race on the weekend.
Dano Davis, the founder of the Brumos Collection, has been chosen to be the honorary starter for this year’s Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Having partnered with Bob Snodgrass to purchase Brumos in the early ‘90s, Davis would later go on to establish the Brumos Collection, a once-private collection of Brumos race cars and other iconic automobiles that opened to the public early last year. (The museum would temporarily close in March in response to the global pandemic, though has reopened as of last week).
The decision to have Davis be this year’s honorary starter is noted as being part of the “59 For The 59th,” a celebration that honors the iconic number 59 that became a symbol of Brumos Racing.
Also, as part of the celebration, the collection will be running six cars currently in its care, each unique and historically significant: 1971 Porsche 914-6 GT, 1975 Porsche 911, 1979 Porsche 935, 2009 Porsche-Riley Daytona Prototype, 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 and 2017 Porsche 911 RSR.
For more information read the full press release below:
JACKSONVILLE, FL (January 26, 2021) – In anticipation of this weekend’s running of the 59th annual ROLEX 24 at DAYTONA, The Brumos Collection today announced plans to display six of its treasured racecars at Daytona International Speedway.
The announcement, part of a special “59 For The 59th” celebration that honors the legendary Brumos #59, follows last week’s selection of Brumos Collection Founder Dano Davis as “Honorary Starter” of the iconic endurance race, which will begin at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 30.
A lifelong motorsports enthusiast, Mr. Davis partnered with Bob Snodgrass to purchase Brumos in 1990. Their first order of business was to lead the team to three IMSA Bridgestone Supercar Championships from 1991 to 1993. Brumos returned to full-time racing in 2003, competing in the GRAND-AM Daytona Prototype class. Ultimately, the team later secured first and third-place finishes in the 2009 ROLEX 24 at DAYTONA. Two years later, Brumos returned to its roots, competing in GT racing and winning the GT championship in its first attempt.
In addition to Mr. Davis’s honor, the Brumos Collection will celebrate this year’s ROLEX 24 at DAYTONA with appearances of six historically significant racecars, which will be featured in honorary laps around the Daytona circuit. These include:
- 1971 914-6 GT IMSA Championship Winner, to be driven by Ray Shaffer.
- 1975 911 RSR, which will be driven by legendary racer Hurley Haywood, who the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1977.
- 1979 935, the last race car driven by Peter Gregg. Andrew Davis will take the historic racer around the Daytona track
- 2009 Daytona 24-winning Porsche Riley, to be driven by David Donohue
- 2011 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup Grand-Am Spec. This 2011 Grand-Am Championship winner will be driven by Leh Keen.
- 2017 Porsche 911 RSR, which will be driven by Earl Bamber.
“Daytona has certainly played a significant role in the history of our brand,” said Brandon Starks, Executive Director of The Brumos Collection. “We’re deeply honored to have this opportunity and honor those who came before us by sharing these special racecars with the international motorsports community.”
The ROLEX 24 at DAYTONA celebration comes only weeks after the public reopening of The Brumos Collection on January 21. Following its January 2020 grand opening, the internationally acclaimed collector car destination closed to the public in March 2020 as a safety measure in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Collection will be open from Thursdays through Saturdays each week, with first admissions at 10 a.m. and last at 4 p.m. ET each day. Tickets can be purchased via a dedicated page on the Brumos Collection website. For groups of eight or more, enthusiasts can email Collection management at info@brumos.com.
More comprehensive information about The Brumos Collection can be accessed via its site, as well as its social channels:
- Facebook: @thebrumoscollection
- Instagram: @thebrumoscollection
- YouTube: The Brumos Collection
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I've had the pleasure of meeting him and came away very impressed with how down to earth he is. I remember him telling me that he missed working on his $300 race car all week just to get it ready for the race on the weekend.
In reply to Stampie (FS) :
Have you been to the museum yet? It's way cool.
In reply to David S. Wallens :
We haven't. We planned to but then it closed. We plan on going now that it's open again. He and I talked about how bad the timing was for opening right before Covid really became a thing in people's mind.
In reply to Stampie (FS) :
You'll enjoy it. We need to get back up there, too. I'd like some more time to take it all in.
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