Patrick Dempsey is set to graduate to the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2015, expanding his deal with Porsche to contest the full WEC and the Le Mans 24 Hours.

The American actor and race driver originally teamed up with Porsche in 2013 in the American Le Mans Series but will now take on the GTE-AM class in the FIA WEC – contesting races at Silverstone, Spa-Francorchamps, Nurburgring, Fuji, Shanghai, Bahrain and Le Mans.

“I’m already looking forward to 2015, and I’m proud to be able to contest the entire WEC as well as Le Mans with a Porsche,” said Patrick Dempsey at the launch of the program on Wednesday at the Los Angeles Motor Show.

“Porsche’s experience in long distance racing is invaluable. Porsche was winning sports car races before I was even born. As a childhood fan of Porsche, I grew up with their successes at Le Mans, Daytona, and the Targa Florio. There are moments when I simply cannot believe that I am now a member of this great team.”

Dempsey will contest the FIA WEC with the Porsche customer team Dempsey Proton Racing – the same squad that has taken him to Le Mans in the past two years.

One of his teammates will be the experienced Porsche works driver Patrick Long (USA), whom he also trains with away from the race tracks. Both men are residents of California. Long has driven with Dempsey and Joe Foster at Le Mans in the past two years.

In addition to the WEC races, guest appearances in Porsche’s brand trophy series such as the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup as support to the Formula One races are also planned.

During his first season with Porsche, Dempsey scored fourth place in the GTE-Am class at the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2013 with the Porsche 911 GT3 RSR. In addition, he recorded two podium placings in the American Le Mans Series, taking home second from Laguna Seca and third at Austin.

The highlights of the 2014 season included fifth place at Le Mans in a Porsche 911 RSR as well as a podium spot at the new Tudor United SportsCar Championship round at the Virginia International Raceway, where he finished third driving a Porsche 911 GT America.