The worlds of motorsport and Hollywood have collided on more than one occasion. And it hasn’t always been just to make millions of dollars from a gritty racing movie. Sometimes, it’s just for the passion of going racing.
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In the past, stars like Michael Fassbender and Paul Newman have showcased their talents extending out of the big screen and onto the race track. But what about America’s favorite TV actor — Patrick Dempsey?
Many people know the American actor from TV Shows like Grey’s Anatomy, but the 58-year-old is a pretty handy racing driver, too. Motorsport is in Dempsey’s blood, and by his admission it is something he takes even more seriously than his bread and butter; acting.
That said, Dempsey has never really driven Stock Cars. Rather, for almost the entirety of his racing career, Dempsey has plied his trade with GT and Prototype Cars — even reaching the pinnacle of endurance racing, the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
everyone’s shocked finding out michael fassbender is racing le mans this year but what if i told you patrick dempsey co owns the team he’s racing in and finished P2 in 2015 le mans pic.twitter.com/KoGYBEj25t
— Holly (@lentaholly) June 10, 2022
In 2015, he made it to the podium of the GTE Am class in Le Mans. However, since 2016 he has not professionally turned the wheel of a racing car. That changed last year for the American who was cast as the ‘Silver Fox’, Piero Taruffi in Michael Mann’s Ferrari.
That role reignited the passion for racing again in Dempsey’s belly. “Racing is like an addiction. Once you start, it’s hard to stop. During pre-production on the recent “Ferrari” film, I got a lot of seat time and fell off the wagon, of sorts,” he explained.
This led to him canceling his motor racing hiatus and jumping back into the sport. Most of his success has come with the revered Porsche brand and hence, he will take part in the Porsche Endurance Challenge North America this season.
Will Patrick Dempsey ever race in NASCAR?
Does Dempsey rule out an eventual transition into the pinnacle of American Stock Car racing? Well, while he has no plans to currently enter that fold, NASCAR has always played a very important role in his passion for this sport.
As he explained, it was his father that got him hooked on motor racing in the first place. “We would sit together to watch Formula 1, some NASCAR, and Indy 500—which I would hear through the radio in our station wagon,” he added.
The 58-year-old might never turn the actual wheel of a NASCAR car but his business and collaborative efforts with his racing team — Dempsey Racing — might consider a foray into NASCAR given the success the likes of Michael Jordan and his 23XI Racing team have enjoyed in recent years.
