If you’ve ever driven on a racetrack (much less in an actual competitive race), you’ll know what it’s like getting back out on public streets. There’s traffic, pedestrians, stop signs, traffic lights, and you can’t drive as fast as you dare. It’s a bummer. And Patrick Dempsey is learning about it the hard way.
The actor/racer has grown accustomed to doing everything like a racing driver. So even after retiring from racing, he still swaps seats with a valet in a hurry, sprays champagne all over a nice restaurant, and can’t seem to figure out why there’s no pit crew waiting for him at the gas station. It’s all in good fun, and we hope Doctor McDreamy over here doesn’t get himself in any trouble, but we won’t be surprised if Porsche releases another few of these humorous little clips.
All joking aside, Dempsey had a respectable career in racing. Driving a Porsche 911 RSR, he took an LM GTE Am class victory at the 6 Hours of Fuji last year in the FIA World Endurance Championship, and finished second in the same class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He’s taken podium finishes in the Rolex Sports Car Series, American Le Mans Series, and the merged IMSA United SportsCar Championship as well.
That may not be enough to rank him among the most successful racing drivers of all time, but puts him in good company alongside the likes of Steve McQueen and Paul Newman among the best actors-turned-racers Hollywood has ever seen.