Daytona 500 Grand Marshal James Franco Disses Danica Patrick At Start of Race … “Drivers and Danica, start your engines.”

Just another reason why actors should stick to the script …

Did you miss it yesterday at the start of the Daytona 500? James Franco, the Grand Marshall of the Daytona 500, decided to go off script, added his PC’ness to the starting instruction and botched the entire thing. Instead of saying the obvious, “Gentleman and Danica, start your engines” as obviously Danica Patrick was the only female driver in the race. However, Franco flubbed the line and in doing so dissed Danica when he said, “Drivers and Danica, start your engines.” So I guess Danica is not a driver? The sad part was I actually think that Franco was trying to give Danica a special shout out and botched the it completely. Say, who was that doing the start if the race, Joe Biden?

With all due respect to the haters of Danica Patrick, she is a driver. Last time I checked she won the pole, was the first woman to ever lead a lap in the Daytona 500 and is one of a hand full of drivers to lead a lap in the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500. Face it folks, Danica is finally doing the job on the track and getting the well deserved kudos after having received all of the media attention for her off the track exploits and Go Daddy racy commercials.

In fairness to James Franco, the traditional Daytona 500-opening phrase, “Gentlemen, start your engines,” doesn’t really work, what with Danica Patrick in the pole position and all.

It desperately needed a rewrite and, presumably, got one. So Franco probably meant to say, “Gentlemen and Danica” or “Drivers,” but, like hosting the Oscars, this is a tricky gig. And what came out was all wrong.

When will Hollywood actors ever learn to just stick to the script, they are hardly paid to ad lib.