Last year IMSA Chairman Jim France was given the opportunity to wave the green flag to kick off the 24 Hours of Le Mans – at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the favor will be returned with ACO President Pierre Fillon waving the green at 2:10pm today.

France presented Fillon with the green flag in the Daytona International Speedway media center this morning. The opportunity represents a new era of co-operation between the two biggest 24-hour endurance races in the world.

“The fact that I’ve been honored by being asked to give the start to the Rolex 24 at Daytona reflects on the whole Automobile Club de l’Ouest,” ACO President, Pierre Fillon said.

“By offering me this prestigious role, the organisers of this event and the promoters of the new Tudor United SportsCar Championship highlight the driving role played by our club in the organization of endurance races all over the world.

“Not so long ago the Le Mans 24 Hours and the Daytona 24 Hours were the season’s two biggest rendezvous in world endurance racing, with the battle starting here in Florida at the beginning of the year before reaching its climax at Le Mans in June.

“Thanks to this unified series and thanks to the excellent relations that we now enjoy on both sides of the Atlantic with organizers united around the values of endurance, which the Automobile Club de l’Ouest has defended since 1923 and the first Le Mans 24 Hours, we’ve laid the foundations for the revival of that golden age of endurance racing.”