Five unlikely epic drives: Patrick Dempsey

The star of American drama series Grey’s Anatomy, co-owner of a racing team, former driver and Porsche ambassador, Patrick Dempsey is a man of many talents. He developed a passion for all things racing related when his father brought home a model of Jim Clark’s racing car, and now – having raced all over the world – reveals his all-time favourite drives.

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Los Angeles to Carmel, California, USA

Driving up the Pacific Highway to Carmel from Los Angeles is one of my all-time favourite routes. I’ve done this drive a number of times, but the most memorable was in the early 1990s in a Porsche 356. It’s just so beautiful and doing it in an open-top car like the Porsche 356 is incredible. You’re cruising, you’ve got great company – life is good.

Car of choice: Porsche 356

Photo: Unsplash

Stuttgart airport to Porsche headquarters, Stuttgart, Germany

It was the first time I had driven on the autobahn and everyone was moving out of the way for us as we breezed past green fields and farms. It’s so efficient and such a novel experience – in LA, people move into your way; they don’t get out of the left lane! I was driving a Porsche Panamera Turbo and it made me realise how frustrating it is driving in the US. The problem is, when you then reach Switzerland, as I later found out, it’s devastating – it’s so slow.

Car of choice: Porsche Panamera Turbo

Photo: Getty Images

Spa-Francorchamps (in the wet), Spa, Belgium

It was my first time racing on the circuit and it was raining. I was driving a full race-spec Porsche 911, like the one I used to race at Le Mans – it was unbelievable. I remember thinking ‘Good god, I’m actually here!’. You hear so much about it and you don’t realise just how undulating it is. When you hit the Eau Rouge you come out of your seat, even when you’re strapped in – you can feel yourself moving in the car. For me, that was an incredibly memorable moment.

Car of choice: Porsche 911

Photo: Shutterstock

‘The dump run’, Lewiston, Maine, USA

I used to have to do the dump runs back home in Maine. It was about two miles down the road to drop off the trash and there was never any traffic – that was a lot of fun. It was a 1966 red Chevrolet C10 pick-up and, on the way back, when there was nothing in the rear, it was even more fun – the back would be sliding about everywhere. I suppose that’s where my passion for racing and driving started.

Car of choice: 1966 Chevrolet C10 pick-up

Photo: Getty Images

Baja 1000, Baja peninsula, Mexico

The Baja 1000 is a blast. I did it in a BC buggy, which had a Porsche engine. There’s a lot of dust. You start from really technical rocky terrain, then you hit areas where you can open it up before arriving in the silt beds – and that’s a completely different driving experience, too. You’re constantly changing your environment and how you drive. The race is just so old school, crazy and dangerous.

Car of choice: BC buggy

Photo: Alamy

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This article has been tagged Adventure, Driving