During his visit to the 2011 24 Hours, where he took the wheel of the Mazda 787B to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the first victory by a Japanese manufacturer in La Sarthe, the hero of "Grey's Anatomy" clearly expressed his intention to return to Le Mans in 2012. Since then he has been busy making preparng for next year.

In 2009, Patrick Dempsey finished the 24 Hours of Le Mans at his first partcipation. He drove a Ferrari F430 in LM GT2. In 2012, he plans to return with either one or two Lola coupes in LM P2, hs insurers have prohibited him from racng in an open car, either a single seater or prototype of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.  Mazda looks an ideal partner, given his long standing connectons with the marque. In 2012, Dempsey Racing wants to contest the 12 Hours of Sebring, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Petit Le Mans in LM P2. In GT, two Mazda RX-8 will also be entered in the 24 Hours of Daytona 2012.

Patrick Dempsey's visit to Le Mans last June coincided with the announcement of the creation of the World Endurance Championship, his team does not intend to participate in this competition as yet, but it will be considered for 2013. But the popular "Grey's Anatomy" driver is watching with interest, and recently had dinner with Texan gentleman-driver Tracy Krohn who is in the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup in LM GTE Am with a Ferrari F430 GT. So, Patrick Dempsey is involved more than ever in his passion for cars and racing. What next? The answer is "to be continued," as they say in Hollywood...

Jean-Philippe Doret

DAYTONA CIRCUIT (FLORIDA, USA), 24 HOURS OF DAYTONA, 29 & 30 January 2011. The hero of the TV series "Grey's Anatomy"  finished third in the GT class driving the Mazda RX-8 of the Dempsey Racing team.