It’s not easy to step away from racing. The rush of adrenaline, living life on the edge, and competing against the very best is like a drug, one that you can’t get enough of. However, all good things come at a heavy price, and sometimes, giving up seems to be the only viable solution when looking at the big picture. Carl Edwards made that choice in 2016, abruptly retiring to focus on his family after being a few laps away from a championship. “I’m worried about not being around my family. I’m worried about getting hurt,” he reflected on the Dale Jr. Download recently.

It’s a decision many racers have had to make before, only to return to the fast lane, unable to resist the temptation after taking a brief hiatus. Patrick Dempsey is one of them. After taking a break from racing at the peak of his career in 2016, the 2023 Sexiest Man Alive is back where he belongs. Will the 59-year-old manage to hit the ground running, or have the years taken a toll on his skills?

Patrick Dempsey reflects on reasons for stepping away from racing

It wasn’t an easy decision. However, racing can be a demanding sport, and Patrick Dempsey felt compelled to step away to prioritize his family. After years of sacrificing, the Maine native felt that he had achieved the career goals he wanted, and didn’t want to subject his loved ones to living life on the road. However, even though he made a tough and deeply personal decision, his love for living life in the fast lane didn’t fade away and remained dormant for years.

Reflecting on his decision, Patrick Dempsey said on Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour podcast, “I couldn’t justify the sacrifice that I needed to make with my family. I had an opportunity to continue on, but at the same time, I felt like, you know what? Once we had won in Japan, I could feel something internally snap, going, ‘This is the end, you gotta get back. You gotta be a father.’ I’ve done what I wanted to do. I couldn’t justify the sacrifice anymore, which was the right choice.”

Dempsey competed in prestigious events such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Rolex 24 at Daytona. He made his debut at the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans and then decided to return to France four years later and competed in a Porsche 997 GT3 RSR at the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race. In 2011, he placed third at the Rolex 24, driving the Mazda RX-8. He currently owns his own racing team, Dempsey Racing, and in 2015, he participated in the FIA World Championships in the GTE-Am class, driving a Porsche 997 GT3 RSR, notching up one victory at the 2015 6 Hours of Fuji in Japan.

Ultimately, making a racing comeback felt like a natural decision. As his kids grew older, his son Darby Galen Dempsey told him, “You know, you should get back into it, Dad. You really miss it.” That’s when Dempsey seriously began contemplating a potential return. He worked as an actor on many projects, such as Grey’s Anatomy and Valentine’s Day, but it was his work on a film called Ferrari by Michael Mann that helped him rediscover his love for racing once again. As luck would have it, the stars aligned in 2024, and he had the chance to participate in the Carrera Panamericana with Porsche, which sealed his fate.

Last year, Patrick Dempsey, along with teammate Patrick Long, drove the #98 Wright Motorsports Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS Clubsport. “Racing is like an addiction,” he said during the Wright Motorsports press conference, highlighting his deep desire to return. The team’s journey will be showcased in a four-part docuseries called ‘Back on Track,’ which is produced in collaboration with Mobil 1, Hagerty, and Porsche. It will provide a behind-the-scenes look into what goes on in preparing for the highest level of endurance racing. The 2023 Sexiest Man Alive will have a custom black and gold livery to celebrate Mobil 1’s 50th anniversary.

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Dempsey’s sponsors are happy to see him back on track

The excitement is at an all-time high. Fans and sponsors are keen to see Patrick Dempsey back in action and are eager to see some behind-the-scenes moments from the actor/driver’s return. Mobil 1, a long-term partner of the Maine native, has played a significant role in bringing his racing journey to life through the Back on Track docuseries, along with other key stakeholders such as Porsche and Hagerty. The trio are not just in this for financial gain, as they share a love for racing as well.

Reflecting on his return, Ryan Allen, Brand & Partnerships Manager of North America, on behalf of the Mobil 1 team, said, “It was an honor to celebrate Patrick Dempsey’s iconic return to racing by collaborating with him as he competed in the newly launched Porsche Endurance Challenge North America series. Now, with the Back on Track docuseries, we have the opportunity to invite fans nationwide to follow along his journey back into the driver’s seat. Put simply, it is our shared passion of driving that makes this such a natural fit.”

Allen wasn’t the only one to express his excitement. Larry Webster, Senior Vice President of Media and Editorial for Hagerty, also went on to say, “We’re so grateful to Patrick Dempsey and the Mobil 1 brand for helping us bring this series to life.” It’ll be interesting to see how the ‘Back on Track’ docuseries is received by fans, many of whom are eager to see Patrick Dempsey’s long-awaited racing comeback on the screen once again! Are you excited too? Let us know in the comments!