Patrick Dempsey - Exclusive interview with the Hollywood Actor/Racer

Friday, 29 July 2011 09:00

Patrick Dempsey is currently one of Hollywood’s most in demand and respected actors.

Many of course will know him for his role as “McDreamy” Dr. Derek Shepherd in the massively successful television drama, “Grey’s Anatomy” and also for his numerous film roles including the current Summer blockbuster, “Transformers: Dark of the Moon.”

There can be no doubt that Patrick’s paid his dues and the success he is enjoying today is in no small part due to his dedication, commitment and sheer hard work ethic, qualities that are also needed to survive and move up the racing ladder.

This leads us to another side of this fascinating man, a respected racing driver and team owner. Running two Mazda RX8 GT’s in the American Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car series, Patrick races as often as his filming schedule allows.

A self confessed “petrolhead” and motorsport fan, in 2006 Patrick decided to get behind the wheel and has not looked back since making rapid progress up the racing ladder that this year culminated in a dream 3rd place GT podium finish at the Daytona 24 hour race with his Dempsey Racing team.

At last weekend’s Grand-Am race at New Jersey’s Motorsports Park (where Patrick would score yet another top 10 finish) Patrick spoke with Girlracer on his love of racing, his close relationship with Mazda and his exciting plans for next year.

Girlracer: Patrick, naturally many of our readers will be very familiar with your film and TV work but you’re also a sports car enthusiast, accomplished racing driver and team owner. Would you consider yourself a car collector and if so, what do you have in your collection?

Patrick: “I have always been attracted to the cars from the 1950s. That’s the sort of the era that I have. Most of my cars are from the ‘50s, ‘60s and early ‘70s. Those were the cars that I was looking at as a kid but I really love the ‘50s. I have a Jaguar XK120 SE, which is sort of the quintessential ‘50s car, I’d love to have a Gullwing, I think that is another car that is iconic, and certainly a Ferrari from that generation.

That whole era of automobiles, coming out of the Second World War, and what was going on engineering wise, and the performance, it was a great era. An early Lotus would be fun, if you can get any of the racing cars, or one of the Coopers. One of my funniest cars is a 1954 190 SLR race car, it’s a fun little race car to have. It was just a little club racer, it’s a funny looking little car, but it’s great. It’s a 190, so it is not a huge horsepower car, but it’s great, it’s fun.”

Girlracer: So what motivated you to start professional road racing and later form your own team?

Patrick: “It started with Skip Barber, that opened the door, and I just fell in love with it. It is just a nice escape, it’s challenging – mentally and physically – and there’s a sense of accomplishment when you finish a race, and also the competition. There’s nothing greater than racing cars and doing it with someone who is respectful of you, it is a great dance, it’s a great challenge.”

Girlracer: You’re known to be very passionate about the history and heritage of the sport, can you tell us who are the drivers past and present that you most respect?

Patrick: “I just saw the Senna movie and even have a copy of it here with me right now. What an interesting journey he had as a driver, from the spiritual aspect of his racing, the two were very similar, just his devotion to God and racing, and how he learned from both, it was really fascinating from the documentary to see that.”
“It was really quite moving, and certainly what he did for the people of Brazil, what he represented, it was really quite something. Vettel now is a contemporary on the track. Stirling Moss is certainly a driver I admire from past eras, Jim Clark, Dan Gurney – there’s so many of them – Niki Lauda was another guy and even James Hunt, and they are making the James Hunt story into a movie now too. Nuvolari was another legend.”

Girlracer: You’ve raced successfully at classic circuits like Daytona and Le Mans, what other circuits would you love to race at?

Patrick: “Some more of the great circuits around the world, certainly the Nurburgring, Spa and other legendary tracks, and there’s some good sports car series going to those circuits now. Silverstone, Imola, those tracks would be great, especially in a series paired up with some of the circuits here in the U.S. like Sebring, Road Atlanta and Daytona, of course.”

Girlracer: The late, great Paul Newman once said that he considered himself to be a racer who made a living by acting, is that how you feel and could you see yourself devoting more time to your racing career and less time to acting?

Patrick: “I would love to be able to just focus on the racing season and then fit in a movie when I am not racing. Racing is a fulltime commitment now anyway, but I think I am getting closer and closer to being able to do both.”

Girlracer: You’ve developed a very close relationship with Mazda, indeed, Dempsey Racing runs two RX-8’s in the Rolex Grand-Am GT Championship. There are several manufacturers involved in GT, what was it that made you decide on working with Mazda and running the RX-8’s?

Patrick: “My relationship with Mazda really started with our teammate Charles Espenlaub. He has such a strong relationship with them and he recommended them to sort of sit down and talk to me. We had a really good meeting, did a couple of MX-5 Cup races, and that started my relationship.”

“They have been really good at nurturing my career and being supportive, and we try to do that too with their ladder program. Out of all the manufacturers, Mazda is the one that really takes care of its drivers. If there is someone who is talented starting at the lower rung, they really support them all of the way through.”

“Look at our teammate Dane Cameron and the great job that he is doing. He is a guy that you want to have on your team, he is really good with the setup of the car, his race craft and all-out speed. He’s got a great career going already and he’s such a young guy. He’s won Sebring and a championship on the Mazda ladder, he knows what it takes. He is good and Jon Edwards, who is now racing and doing great in GT in a Mazda, is another guy who came up through the ladder system too. So that is really good to see, and to be part of that group is really quite special.”

Girlracer: This season got off to a great start for you with your podium at the Daytona 24 hours, how has the season been going since?

Patrick: “This year is incredibly competitive. We had a great run at Daytona, and it was the first time for our #40 Mazda, and any of us, to be on the podium. Once you get a taste of that, it’s frustrating if you are not winning races.”

“We have worked so hard and really have had to overcome some obstacles and issues this year, but that is all part of it. I am just proud of everybody on the #40 team and the Team Seattle #41 car, we both have been more competitive than the results show, so it was nice to see the 41 get on the podium in New Jersey.”

Girlracer: In 2009 you had your first drive at Le Mans and finished a very impressive 9th in class. This year Mazda invited you back to help celebrate the 20th anniversary of their famous win in the historic 787B prototype. Was this the first time you’ve driven a prototype and were you allowed to push the 787 and see what it was capable of?

Patrick: “I have also been lucky enough to drive the RX7-92 GTP car a couple of times too and that is always great. The Le Mans winning prototype is such an important car, you are a little more careful with that car than you are with the other car (laughing), but I wouldn’t want to be the guy putting a scratch on either one!

That’s the big difference, I think, you just have to rally be careful with them. And I didn’t have enough seat time to really let it go in the 787. I felt that I was driving something that was very important to the people of Japan, and the world of racing, and I didn’t really push it at all. First of all, the tire pressures were not up and the temperature was not there, so there was no need for me to prove anything other that to let people see that great car go around the track. And Johnny Herbert was there and it was really his job to let that car fly. Both the 787B and the GTP Mazda are great cars, interesting engineering, and both are very beautiful to look at, graceful.”

Girlracer: I understand that you and the team are considering putting together an LMP2 programme for next year’s new FIA World Endurance Championship. What can you tell us about this project and how are these plans progressing?

Patrick: “I think just the way it’s structured, where it goes, all of the tracks around the world, there is something really exciting about that. There’s nothing like racing in Europe, the response that you have from the fans, no matter where you go, people are really educated on who you are as a driver and what you have done. The passion is there, I got a taste of it at Le Mans, and I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to travel around the world with a race team.”

“What a great way to spend a year, and also what a great experience for one’s family, and for yourself, to be exposed to all of these different cultures. To use racing as a key to open all of these doors to different cultures is a great thing. We are taking the steps that we need to take at this time, there’s a clock ticking, so we have to have certain things in place.”

“You have to have the proper engine program ready, and as far as a chassis, we are really looking at getting something with a closed top because I cannot be in an open-top car. So we are moving forward on that, but it’s a tough business and certainly an expensive sport, so you have to make sure that all of your partners and sponsors are committed to that.”

Girlracer: Finally, will you have the time to race in the remaining races this year and what are you hoping you and the team can achieve?

Patrick: “We have had a lot of good things happen to us this year, and a lot of bad things, but that’s racing. I just want to finish strong this season and gain some momentum going into next year. I think in many ways I have learned the most I have ever learned in a season already, this year.”

“It has been a great year for me on so many levels in the car. I don’t think we have had the results that have shown that, but I certainly feel much stronger and much more confident about my ability in the car. From making big mistakes and learning from them and also not making mistakes. I just want to get to all of the remaining races and finish up strong.”

Girlracer: Patrick, thank you so much for taking the time to speak with Girlracer, we send you and the team our very best wishes for the rest of the season and for your exciting future plans!

Patrick: “My pleasure, thank you very much!”

I would like to acknowledge and thank Dean Case at MAZDASPEED Motorsports for his assistance with this article. Further information on Patrick’s racing programme and Mazda’s award winning range of cars, technologies and racing activities can be found on their official websites: dempseyracing.net / mazda.com

By James Foreman