by Lynne Huntting


Actor/racer/team owner PATRICK DEMPSEY is the Pace Car Driver for the 91st Indianapolis 500, driving a Chevrolet Corvette.

He rode it around the misty track Saturday morning with three-time Indy 500 winner, JOHNNY RUTHERFORD: “I'm sitting there and looking at his (Indy 500) winner's ring. It's someone you watch growing up and here you are sitting next to him and he's telling you how to go around the track. It's a phenomenal experience,” said Dempsey.

Dempsey later got a chance to put that experience to the test when he took his friend and fellow Grey's Anatomy actor, ERIC DANE (Dr. McSteamy) for laps. Dempsey (Dr. McDreamy) said that was the first time he really let loose in the car.

“We're doing 140 on the backstretch, and then I started to go. 'OK, I'm here.' I realised it was really wet in Turn Four, so I had to get off of it quite quickly. And he got a little nervous, so I was quite pleased with that.”

While he has racing aspirations, racing the Indy 500 isn't one of them: “I have a tremendous amount of respect for them (Indy 500 drivers). I have no business racing in the IRL. Maybe road courses, though. I'd like to do that. But this is an extremely dangerous sport, and the IRL, in particular, how close they're going. I really enjoy being around all of the drivers. I would never get into that.”

Dempsey's goals are oriented towards sports cars, where he currently co-owns HyperSport, a Grand-American Koni Cup Challenge GT team which runs two Ford Mustangs. He races with the team whenever time and contracts allow. Dempsey's contract with 'Grey's Anatomy' on ABC TV stipulates that he can race. However, movie contracts are much stricter and they won't allow him that pleasure. He's shooting a movie now, so his next race won't be until July at Watkins Glen International. HyperSport is racing this weekend at Lime Rock Park. As the race is on Monday, Dempsey will be able to be there, but not in the driver's seat. His HyperSport team-mate, JOE FOSTER, is currently leading the GS Driver's Championship, one of the two HyperSport cars is leading the Team Championship, and Ford is leading the Manufacturer's Championship.

Dempsey said: “My goal is to race Le Mans, certainly the 24 Hours of Daytona, which we're getting a package together for next season to do that.” He's already run the Baja 1000, finishing fourth, which “helped with the car control, a loose car setup. I think seat tine and experience. It's the greatest sport. I love it.”

Being an actor/driver brings its own set of complications: “The difficulty is that I bring a lot of attention when I show up so that you have a lot of media that you have to contend with. And you feel a certain obligation to take care of your sponsors and also to help the series grow. So you put yourself out there; so that if you make a mistake everybody is going to see it. So that puts a lot of pressure on your mental game. I'm fine with that.”

Dempsey echoes sentiments expressed by many other drivers: “The key to succeeding is certainly money. It doesn't hurt. It allows you the opportunity to test properly, to get the seat time and to develop the car.”