My wife told me to go race at Le Mans – so I did
Film star and team owner Patrick Dempsey revels in the mystique of iconic event where boyhood dream came true
The great thing about being back at Le Mans is that there is such a spotlight on the event because it has such a great history. It is in its 85th year, and it is still quite a remarkable place to be.
My love for motorsport started when I was a little boy, as my father was a car owner and ran a short track in Maryland. He was always really passionate about the sport, so it began there.
I started in ski racing, so I have always loved the competitiveness of sport, but I started a little late when it actually came to racing – in my late thirties and competing in my forties.
I always dreamed of racing at Le Mans, because to me this is the most important race in the world.
Obviously, there is the F1 Monaco Grand Prix and Indianapolis 500, but this is a lot more realistic for an amateur like myself, although there are amateurs in Indy, but less so now because it has become more specialised.
They are the big three, and the ones that everyone in the world knows about, whether you are into motorsport or not.
There is a mystique behind Le Mans, and to finally come here in 2005 I was blown away by the atmosphere and the crowds, the intensity and all of it. I am glad I had that experience, because when I returned in 2009 to race I knew what to expect. It would have been overwhelming had it all happened at the same time.
It took me a long time to become prepared and developed enough to be able to race competitively, but it was always the goal. I think my wife got tired of me watching racing. She basically told me to get up off the couch and go and do it.
Skip Barber’s Racing School in Georgia was the first place I went to, and I love the fact that Porsche are now doing a young driver programme where you can get that experience and support that I experienced from them, which was remarkable.
We had a clear agenda, we evaluated what was working and what needed work and methodically went after our goal. That is how you have to approach it.
I am a co-owner now of Dempsey Racingproton, partly because this sport is increasingly feeling like one for guys in their early twenties.
There is so much attention on this race. You have a week-long event which is all about the history and prestige, but it is exciting and good for the fans.
I was letting them know before to stay hydrated, because you are going to be out in the sun and doing a lot of waiting around. Just little things like that will help them on their first time.
When I finished second in 2015 and got on the podium it was a dream come true, although of course it would have been nice to be one spot higher up. But our objective was to be in the top three.
We had a great team and a great driver line-up and great support from Porsche, because there is a family feel among us.
And that is something I want to create in our team.