Lights, camera, action: Brad Pitt films movie at Daytona, adds to historic weekends

It was hard to get a glimpse of the star but he definitely was there

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Everyone’s eyes were fixated on what was a captivating finish in Sunday's final laps of the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, seeing the #7 Porsche Penske Motorsports GTP hold on to its slim lead over the #31 Whelen Engineering Cadillac GTP.

However, many fans in attendance at Daytona International Speedway were also excited to see superstar actor Brad Pitt take part in the weekend’s festivities, filming his new unnamed F1 movie.

The movie, which is being directed by “Days of Thunder” producer Jerry Bruckheimer and produced by F1 World Champion Sir Lewis Hamilton, pits Brad Pitt as “Sonny Hayes,” a washed-up 1990s F1 driver who has gone and begun racing in other disciplines after a horrible crash.

Is that really Brad Pitt behind the wheel? Photo for AutoRacingDigest.com by Dylan Spaulding

Javier Bardem, who is a team owner and friend of Pitt’s Hayes character, has a team that is scoring towards the back of the grid, looking to score points. But, with a young phenom driver, played by Damson Idris, Pitt’s character comes in to help the group.

The filming, which has taken place all around Daytona Beach for the last few weeks, including during last weekend's Roar Before the 24 at the world-famous Speedway, saw a real-life version of the car and team come to life this weekend with the factitious “Chip Hart Racing.”

Wright Motorsports, which worked in conjunction with the film, ran the movie’s livery and graphics, featuring driver suits, cars, and even a hauler decked out in Chip Hart Racing paraphernalia.

The team for the movie is sponsored by national insurance company Geico, and Peak antifreeze coolant is on the car for the film, translating to the team’s driver suits as well for both the fictitious drivers and Wright’s drivers this weekend.

Obviously, filming is not new for the track, seeing “Days of Thunder” filmed in-part at the famed racetrack, but having a globally recognized actor such as Pitt in attendance only added to what was already a special weekend.

Will Brad Pitt do for IMSA and F1 what Tom Cruise did for NASCAR in Days of Thunder? Photo for AutoRacingDigest.com by Dylan Spaulding

While it is unclear what the response or crowd levels were in regard to people wanting to come to Pitt, it definitely adds to IMSA’s growth in a positive manner.

Seeing celebrities involved in motorsports only adds to the growth of racing, and while Pitt’s movie is heavily motorsports-based, the origins of the story all begin in Daytona, adding to what was a hectic weekend for the track.

It is unclear if the #120 will be Wright Motorsports permanent number for the season, given that their Porsche livery was being used in conjunction with the movie, but it's likely that their full-season livery will be much different for Sebring than Daytona.

Nevertheless, having the movie try to be realistic adds additional meaning and value to the upcoming flick, and one can only wonder if we will see Chip Hart Racing merchandise on sale in the future.