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Patrick Dempsey’s racing heroes
Hollywood hero and Porsche GT driver Patrick Dempsey reveals his motorsport heroes.
Patrick Dempsey at Le Mans
© Porsche
Patrick Dempsey completed a record stint of 10 years, 11 seasons and 243 episodes of Grey’s Anatomy, before being killed off by a runaway truck earlier this year while helping victims of a car crash. That’s what you get for doing people a favour. At the time, he was Dr Derek Shepherd, saving lives on a daily basis but also breaking hearts all over the world as ‘Dr McDreamy’.
Now he’s reinvented himself as a racing driver, sharing a Porsche 911 RSR with Patrick Long and Marco Seefried – but he’s still every female fan’s favourite (as a result of which he occasionally receives what can only be described as highly inappropriate fan mail).
But who is his hero? Here’s a clue: no actors or doctors are involved.
F1 world champion Jackie Stewart
© GEPA pictures/Red Bull Content Pool
Jackie Stewart
Jackie Stewart won the F1 world championship three times and was also a pioneer in motorsport safety. But that’s not why Dempsey has chosen JYS as his hero.
“He was one of the most famous Formula One drivers in the United States, because he was an expert commentator on the ABC Channel from 1971 to 1986, covering all the major events like the Indy 500. So he was really my biggest influence when it came to racing in Europe,” explains the former McDreamy, whose nickname clearly suggests an affinity with all things Scottish.
Stewart actually competed on a reasonably regular basis in the United States, in both NASCAR and Can Am.
American motorsport legend Dan Gurney
© Porsche
Dan Gurney
Dempsey’s other hero is Dan Gurney – and that’s all part of his affection for Porsche, as Gurney was the only driver to give Porsche a Formula One victory (the 1962 French Grand Prix, with the Porsche 804).
However, Gurney did something even more heroic at Le Mans in 1967, when he won the race in a Ford GT40 with AJ Foyt. When they were celebrating on the podium, he decided to spray the onlookers – including Ford CEO Henry Ford II – with Champagne: a tradition that has remained ever since.
“Dan was a great American racer and someone who always did things differently,” adds Dempsey. “That’s why I admire him.” And of course, he’ll be hoping to spend more time copying Gurney’s Champagne-spraying habit in future.