Did James Franco intentionally diss the 2013 Daytona 500 pole starter Danica Patrick when he stepped up to the microphone and called the start of Sunday’s race?
The start command used to be, “Gentlemen, start your engines.” In deference to the prominent presence of the Go Daddy racer, it has since been changed to simply, “Drivers, start your engines.”
The track announcer provided this intro, “And now for the most famous words in motorsports, please welcome your grand marshal. From the upcoming film, Disney’s ‘Oz, the Great and Powerful,’ James Franco.”
The actor bellowed, “Drivers and Danica, Start Your Engines.”
During a pre-race press conference Franco hinted that he’d given the matter a great deal of thought, “Danica has done something special here, so I might have to switch it up.”
Twitter erupted immediately with some interesting commentary. One woman asked, “Wow James. How’s that foot taste in your mouth?” A guy named Zeb tweeted, “Ok, the grand marshal is dumb. This his first race? #Daytona 500”
The snafu comes two years after James Franco bombed while co-hosting the Oscars with Anne Hathaway, later admitting that he was having an off night. Critics suggested he “phoned in” his lackluster 2011 Academy Award hosting performance
Check it a clip from the start of today’s Daytona below and let us know what you think. Was James Franco out of line with his not-so-subtle insinuation that the men in the group are the real drivers?
Photos: WENN