Patrick Dempsey fans, surprised and saddened when his television character was recently killed off on Grey’s Anatomy, will be pleased to learn that the popular actor is alive and well, and racing a Porsche at this weekend’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Dempsey is teamed with another American, Porsche factory shoe Patrick Long of Thousand Oaks, Calif. They are joined by Germany’s Marco Seefried aboard the No. 77 Dempsey-Proton Racing Porsche 911 RSR in the GTE-Am class, one of four classes in the 56-car field.

This will mark Dempsey’s fourth start at Le Mans and the 11th for Long. Dempsey often says that his dream is to stand on the podium at the end of the race, a stirring sight as the crowd surges onto the straightway at the end of what many consider the world’s premier race.

Racing on the difficult 8.47-mile Le Mans circuit through the French countryside tests teams, cars, and drivers through day, a night, and well into the next day with high speeds, traffic, demanding corners, stern competition and weather that often incudes rain and fog.

Dempsey and Long have been well within reach of the class podium in the past two years, leading their class at various stages before finishing fourth in 2013 and fifth last year.
Recognized for his dedication and consistently improving pace, Dempsey made the move earlier this season to compete in the global FIA World Endurance Championship (WEC) series to help raise his game yet again on the march toward a Le Mans podium.

@GoDempseyRacing