VIDEO: Dempsey's Motivations

GRAND-AM

VIDEO: Dempsey’s Motivations

Multi-talented actor/racer achieves career-best podium finish at Rolex 24, looks ahead to remainder of GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series season.

John Dagys | Posted February 28, 2011 Chicago, IL

After a busy shooting schedule in 2010, Patrick Dempsey will be hoping to run more GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series events this year. (Photo: SPEED)

There’s no doubt Dempsey Racing has been one of the rising teams in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series GT paddock. After scoring its maiden victory last year with its No. 41 Mazda RX-8 of Leh Keen and James Gue, the Georgia-based squad kicked off the 2011 season with a podium finish in the Rolex 24 at Daytona, the multi-talented actor/racer's best-ever result as a driver.

Dempsey: “I’d like a win or get on the podium and be in the car more consistently. It’s extremely frustrating. It’s very hard to balance both, because you have to focus 100-percent in the acting and also in racing, more so than ever because the quality of the field and how close the competition is. So, how much you train when you are not at the track and how much seat time you have makes a big difference … That’s the thing that I want to concentrate on – is more consistency in the car. I would love to be able to make a full season. I’m working at really life after Grey’s …”

For Dempsey, the team’s third place finish in one of the world’s most prestigious endurance races gives them plenty of momentum heading into the remainder of the GRAND-AM season, beginning with this weekend’s Grand Prix of Miami (Sat., 12 p.m. ET, Live! SPEED).

John Dagys is SPEED.com’s Sportscar Racing Reporter, focusing on all major domestic and international championships.

Dagys began covering the sport in 2005 with his own start-up Web site before freelancing for a variety of other motorsports publications. He joined SPEED.com in 2009. Dagys is also a co-author of the 2009 American Le Mans Series Yearbook and currently resides in the Chicago area.

You can follow him on Twitter @johndagys or email him at askdagys@gmail.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

John Dagys

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